Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06
CONGRESS FACES
HEAVY PROGRAM
OF LEGISLATION
Strenuous LabOrS Mapped Out
by Leaders for Session to
Begin Tomorrow.
MINORITY MAY ATTEMPT
TO DELAY LAWMAKING
Republicans Expect to Have More
Power in Work of National Body
Next December
WILSON HAS TWO PET" BILLS
President Wants Philippine and
Merchant Marine Measures Acted
Upon-All Hands Against
Extra Session in Spring.

Tomorrow at noon Vice President
Marshall and Speaker Clark will, re-
spectively, declare the Senate and
House rcconvened for the concluding
session of this Congress. and at noon,
March next, will pronounce the Con-
gress adjourned sine die.
Through the intervening months an
interesting and highly important legis-
lative program will be in the process
of making-how successfully remains
to be demonstrated.
The party in power will exert every
effort to enact the unfinished calendar
of the administrators proposed legis-
Iation. The minority party is expected
to endeavor to thwart several features.
throwing them over to the new Con-
gress which is to meet next December
and in which the democratic majority
will be largely reduced
BY keeping Congress at work almost
continuously for two years the demo-
cratic administration has succeeded in
placing on the statute books new laws
of far-rea ching effect on economic and
financial interests.
Much Important Legislation.
coInplished much in the way of rad
now entering upon its last months of
existence.
The tariff has been reduced down
ward to "A degree unexampled in the
history Of this generation.
The banking and currency system of
the country has been changed-it
might be said revolutionized.
Additional restrictions have been
placed upon trusts and combinations in
restraint of trade.
1Aa tpe,fH
lied which will have important con-
troll over business.
An income tax affecting a large pro-
portion of the people has been substi-
tariff taxes
The foregoing are the more important
features of the legislation which Pres
ident Wilson has been enabled to pro-
cure from Congress which up to this
time has followed his direction with
unexamDled loyalty.
Two More Proposals.
The President still has two other tall
pine propositions towering above the
scrub timber of minor legislation. He
has set his heart upon them.
First, he wants to pass bill to build
up the merchant marine along lines of
his own inception. by purchase of ships
and admission to American registry
He admits candidly that this country
has been almost criminally negligent in
permitting the shipping business to
perish. But he rejects the republican
method of rejuvenation, which has
been urged for years by a. small but
persistent group of republicans in Con-
gress. He calls their plan subsidization
and is unalterably against it.
The republicans, for their part, insist
that his plan is wrong in principle,
and, moreover, that it may involve this
country in contention with European
nations.
1t is understood now that the judg-
ment of many of the influential re-
publicans is that the Presidents mer-
chant marine plan should be obstructed
and so forced to go over until next
session, when party lines will be closer
The next project dear to the Presi-
dents heart is Philippine Independence
There again he is opposed not only by
republicans. but by many prominent
democrats. This question will be
fought out on lines rot altogether par
tisan.
Split on Conservation.
The President also wants the con-
servation bills passed. The three par
ties. democrats, republicans and bull
moosers. are for conservation measures,
but there are all kinds of differences of
opinion as to the details Of the legis-
ference between chalk and cheese.
These bills will have to work out as
best they may, it is said, and their own
| fathers may not know them when they
| come out of conference. Then there are
| the appropriation bills, which this year
will constitute d mans job all by
themselves.
All hands, from the President down to
the most incOnspicuous member of the
national legislature, seem to be inn
| bued with the same desire to avoid an
| extra session of Congress in the spring
and summer. But nobody at present is
! willing to lay wager that there will
not be extra session.
The best judgment is that the out
| come will depend upon what spirit of
| accommodation and compromise may
| be reached between the White House
and the Capitol.
| Back of efforts in that direction lies
| the fact that this session of Congress
| will witness the laying of the ground
work for the next presidential cam
paign. Both the old parties will be in
| the fight to a finish, and as western
senator remarked yesterday, Here is