Evening star., 1914-02-01
CONGRESS NOW HAS
ITS WORK CUT OUT
Knows What President Ex-
poets 1t to Accomplish
Before June l.
NO STRONG OPPOSITION
TO PROGRAM EXPECTED
Democrats in Both Senate and
House Appear to Be in Oblig-
ing Mood.

During the past week Congress obtain
ed clearer idea to Just what the
President expects it to do between now
and June I. the date on which he thinks
it ought to be ready TO adjourn. The
program as il now stands Includes
"a Enactment of the five antitrust
bills
t2) Provision for the establishment Of a
chaln or national farm banks throughout
the country.
90 Enactment of an amendment 20 the
Immigration bill which shall provide a
iiterac,- test.
q Pro: ision for the building. by the
government Of :ailroad in the territory
of Alaska.
t"9 An az. cement on the agricultural
extension bill under which the Depart
ment OF Agriculture will cooperate with
land grant colleges in agricultural educa-
tlon extension work
t6) The ratification by the Senate of the
arbitration treaties which were favor
ABLY reported yesterday.
"a The reference of the Panama cana,
tolls controversy to arbitration or the
outright repeal of the provision of the
law which discriminates in favor of
American vessels.
tSD The ratification of a treaty. hetwee,,
the United states and Colombia righting
the wrong which Colombia claims was
done by the taking of Panama.
90 The ratification by the Senate. if
possible. of new treaty with Russia
tlo Passage of the appr ropriation bills
Serious Opposition Unlikely.
Apparently the program the chief ex-
ecutlve has laid out for the consideration
of the legislators is not to meet with Sc
the t:ust legislation might be reported
promptly by the committees that have it
under consideration and in substantially
the form in which 1t was presented in the
DlIlS introduced ten days ago
fhus far the invitation extended to the
business men of the country to attend
hearings on these bills has not been ac-
cepted by any considerable number of
men, and the committees are about ready
TO make up their minds that the proposed
legislation is. in the main, satisfactory.
Doubtless changes will be made in some
OF the biilS before they are reported, but
unless serious defects are pointed out the
committees shortly will call off the hear
ings.
congressman gather from the Presi
dent that it is his desire that this
antitrust legislation be put ahead OF
everything else. SO far as the House OF
Representatives is concerned The plan
Is that while the House is putting this
legislation through. the Senate shall
work on the arbitration treaties 1t
ough. 70 be an easy matter. the admin
lstratlon feels. for the Senate to dis
pose of these treaties by the time the
House finishes with the trust bills.
Farm Credits After Trusts.
With the antitrust legislation out OF
the way, the House will follow the
program the President has mapped out
and take up the consideration of farm
credit legislation. Apparently the inn
migration bill providing for the read
ing test will pass the House by a large
majority. The President has not said
that he is in favor of this reading
test but the leaders in Congress say
they have every reason to believe that
he will sign the bill In including i'm
migration legislation in his program,
the chief executive did not indicate pre-
clsely what sort of legislation he want
ed. and SO this is one of the subjects
on which Congress is working in the
dark.
good deal of opposition to the
Alaskan railroad bill has developed in
the House Of Representatives, but the
probability is that the influence of the
administration will be strong enough to
put it through. The opposition is based
on the feeling that the enactment of
such legislation may prove an opening
wedge for government ownership OF
the telegraph and telephone lines. and
eventually of the railroads in the
United States proper. The opposition
is mostly coming from southern demo-
Gratis. \ majority of the members of
the Texas delegation have formally ae-
cided to oppose the bill
There is expectation that shortly,
possibly during the coming week. the
President will make clear his thought
as to how the Panama tolls problem
shall be handled Congress now thor.
cushly understands that he is against
the discrimination provided in the
existing law. The only question is as
to how this government shall go about
undoing what has been DONE whether the
controversy between the United States
and Great Britain shall be submitted to
arbitration, or whether the Congress Shall
repeal outright the undesirable provision
Take Hint From President
The prompt action of the Senate COM
mittee on foreign relations in report
ing out the arbitration treaties is Il
further tIibute to the influence of the
President. Some of these treaties have
leea pending in the Senate committee
for almost a year. Seemingly the SEN
ate committee, as well as the Senate
as whole. was inclined to take no
interest in them Last Monday night
the chief executive in his talk with the
men who make up the foreign rela
tions committee expressed the desire
that the treaties be reported and acted
on at once and the committee prompt
ly proceeded to do as he wished. There
is vet opposition to the treaties in the
Senate, but it seems safe to say that
after reasonable amount of debate
they will be ratified.
1t is the hope and expectation OF the
administration that a treaty with Co
rio
wrong will be submitted in time for
ratification at this session. The terms
of the treaty have practically been
agreed upon. Thaddeus Thompson. the
United States minister to Colombia.
who has been here assisting in the
unr,s of the nrepa ra ton of the treaty.