The Detroit times., 1914-12-07
BITTER FIGHTS IN PROS
PECT AS CONGRESS MEETS
tCeatiaued from PAGE oneJ

(Coatinued from PAGE One.)
creasing national sentiment for pro-
hibition throughout the country, there
is n good chance Of the house adopt
ing his amendment IL record vote
can be had.
This short session viii be the last
one OF the sixty-third, a congress that
win 20 down In history as one which
worked almost the entire two years
OF fits existence (only one six.weeks'
recess except the Christmas vaca-
tions) and as one which put through
a number OF bills which will anect
the country, In all probability, for
generations
THE program that must be carried
ont Is the passage of the appropriation
bulls. These must be passed, and
every short session OF congress In
the past has found difficulty In pass
ing them. But no congress In the
past which has gotten them through
successfully has had so many perplex-
ing complications which threatened TO
XIII weeks of time and prevent the
passage OF the appropriation bills.
The most dangerous OF the immedi-
ately imminent complications Is the
cotton legislation. While tNere Is no
chance OF any very radical legislation
being passed. thi stemper being clear
ly shown by both house and senate
lust prior to the adjournment, Demo
cratic leaders feared today that the
southerners who have been making
the most noise about the cotton prob
lem will not regard their work as
completed to the satisfaction OF their
constituents unless they make large
number OF speeches.
The difficulty Of choking these on
lies In the fact that this can only be
done by bringing in rule insuring a
vote without more than a certain
number Of hours debate.-And= the
chairman OF the rules committee Is
Z Rep. Robert Henry, of Texas, &C
4 knowledgedly the leader OF the pro-
lection legislation group.
There are several bills for the re-
lief of the cotton growers, however.
One OF these is the bill providing for
the licensing of cotton warehouses.
and their inspection. This bill pass
ed the senate with number OF
amendments, SO that il included not
only cotton, but grain, tobacco, naval
stores, canned salmon. and seyeral
other products.
THE other piece of cotton legisla-
tfpn which apparently will be passed
Without trouble consists OF emend-
uient to the federal reserve act. Vne
OF these permits member banks 10
keep all OF their reserves In the re-
gional reserve banks, and the otner
permits the issuance of the equivalent
of 100 per cent OF the unimpaired cap
ital and surplus OF the bank in emer-
gency currency, instead OF only ~
per cent, as under the present law.
fThen there Is the conservation pro-
Gram in its many phases.
Fights were also expected today 10
oecur during this session on three
pork-barrel bills, the rivers and har-
bors. the public buildings, and the
gbod roads bilk
The attitude OF the president VIII
urobably determine the fate or the
ship purchase bill, so far as the house
II concerned. There is strong opposi-
tipn 10 this measure In both houses.
and. while Il was admitted today that
n would be easy enough 70 force IL
through the house by means OF rule.
there is no assurance that the presi-
deut could force the bill through the
Z senate In the brief time which VIII
be available. Opposition in the SEN
ATE centers with those senators who
A are intensely opposed to government
ownership as a general principle. y
Tone OF the hottest fights expected
ON the appropriation bills is that on
the armament question. The Euro
bean war has, in their own minds,
strengthened the arguments OF both
the little navy men and the big navy
men. The big navy men declare that
the suddenness Of this war proves
emphatically the necessity of being
prepared The little navy men point
to the destruction OF battleships and
q cruisers and submarines, and say:
aWhy build battleships until we find
/. ont if there Is any way TO protect a
|, battleship from submarines all ships
constructed along present lines may
be made obsolete any day by some
development In this war"
Over I'm the senate the problem is
much more difficult, owing 10 the fact
that there Is no way OF putting an
end to the debates on any question sc
long as any senators want TO discuss
AZ Possibilities I'm this direction are
sfilI fresh I'm the minds OF senators
2 from the successful hlibuster of Sena
tor Burton, last session, against the
rivers and harbors bill
beside the conservation measures
already mentioned which have been
pissed by the house and are awaiting
action by the senate. there are num-
ber OF other important bills which
have been acted upon by the house
bnt which have not passed TIE SEN
ate. Among these the one which is
rrobably the most important Is the
immigration bill The point OF diff
c,nty about this bill r. the literacy
test. which the president Is said TO be
IMPOSED TO, while there Is wide diff
lPrence OF opinion in the senate Sen
4<or O'Gorman. who has been OF the
4ininistration reservation consid-
cfably recently. is leading the fight
uxoinst the literacy test for once