The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-12
Of Program Which Is Con-
fronting Congress at
Present
MEMBERS RETURN
TO WORK AGAIN
Wide Range of Subjects Will
Be Considered by
Them

got back to work again to-day, after {
holiday play spell. In the House
promptly at noon, Speaker Clark dropped
his gavel, and a similar scene was en-
acted in the Senate with Vice President
Marshall in the chair. Fresh from {
vacation which followed nine months o.
tariff and currency, members of botf
Houses returned refreshed and ready fol
work at new point in the Democratic
administration.
For the first time since President Will
son ordered the special session last April
Congress was without the overshadow'
ing influence of any single dominant is
sue, such ds tariff or currency reform
to be fought out to the exclusion OF
other business.
As result, the work of the next few
months in national legislative halls is
expected to cover wide range Of sub
jects. Antitrust legislation remains as
an important factor in President Will
sons legislative program. that must be
considered by Congress, but it will not
displace other important legislation, as
did the bills for tariff and currency re-
visions.
Four general subjects win embrace
much of the work of Senate and House
during the coming months. They are:
Control of trusts and monopolies, in
cluding legislation to prevent cold stor-
age manipulation, unfair price cutting,
and other abuses directly affecting retail
business.
Rural credits, and other legislation di-
rectly affecting farmers and land downers,
such as good road improvement and fed
eral aid to vocational and agricultural
education.
Strengthening of the national defense,
through measures such as the volunteer
army bill" already passed by the House;
the Hay bill to create a new aviation
division in the army; the Padgett bill
to put the naval militia on a war foot
ing; the Hobson bill for counsel of
national defense; and the general admin
istration program for two -battleship
addition to the navy.
Passage of the annual appropriation
bills, CARRYING more than 81 l,000000000
for support Of the government, and CON
tanning many items of general legisla
tion that must be fought over in House
and Senate.
Settlement of Labor Problems.
Aside from those general subjects, Con-.
gress will take up early in the session
the settlement of labor problems of far
reaching Importance, Members of both
houses have announced their plans to
call for federal investigation of the strike
in the Calumet copper mining region
and the forclble removal from Michigan
of Charles H. Meyer, president of the
I'll .F
many House leaders oppose the under
taking of special investigation, it is
expected the Senate may be more dis
posed to authorize an investigation sim
liar to that which it conducted last sum
mer into the coal strike in West Vir-
gnia.
Government ownership of railroads. as
proposed in the Alaskan railway bills,
will be forced upon the attention of
members OF both bodies as soon as they
take up work. In each branch bill
to authorize the government to build
railroads in the northern territory has
received the endorsement of a commit
tee and has been placed before Congress
as unfinished business" where it must
be taken up without delay. While the
principle of government ownership, even
as applied TO Alaskan roads, has many
opponents among the leaders of both
houses, some leaders expected that a bill
authorizing the proposed development
will be passed after short debate.
Wilson's Influence Felt.
President Wilson's influence is strong;
~ behind the plan for a system of rural
banks and credit associations; and that
project is expected to vie with trust
questions, in the attention that win be
given to it Dy the administration. The
report OF tile rural credit commission
which toured Europe last year, has been
carefully gone over by the president;
and when legislation is taken up it prob
ably will De along concerted lines, such
as characterized action on the general
currency bill.
With the prospects of hard con-
gressiOnal campaign next summer and
fall, the Democratic forces are anxious
to add the rural credit laws, and the
several effective trust statutes, to the
record of legislation with which they
can 90 before the voters From the out
set of work leaders in both houses will
attempt to guide legislation so that ap-
preparation bills can be completed early
in the spring, and other important meas
ures disposed of in time to permit an
early adjournment,
Opposition to the so-called "seamen's
bill" regulating the labor of sailors, has
become so pronounced in the House that
a hard fight promises to face that meas
ure before it can be passed. The bill
passed the Senate last fall and an ef-
fort will be made to bring it up in the
House for action Mt an early date.
Woman's suffrage viii also give both
branches of Congress a busy time. Ad-
vocates of a constitutional amendment /
women TO vote have msssed !
their forces in Washington, and are pre-
pairing for concerted attack on Senate
and House. aided by many senators and |
who favor general suf- |
frage and who will advocate some posi- |
tive action by Congress endorsing it.
Scope of Trust Legislation.
The scope of trust legislation prob /
ably will not be fully outlined for sew
pral weeks. Recent developments in :
financial and commercial circles have