The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-16
Force Is Necessary for the
Presidents Congress
Program
MANY MEASURES
TO BE FORCED
The Situation in the House
Is a Very Difficult
One

Washington, Oct. l6-With Postmas
ter General Burleson as field commander
OF the administrations forces for the
House of Representatives, series OF
conferences on the tactics to be EN-
ployed with a view to ramming through
the House the Wilson legislative program
has begun. The first Of these confer
ences was held Thursday between the
postmaster general and Representative
Pou Of North Carolina, ranking member
of the House committee on rules. 1t Ii
assumed here that Chairman Henry OF
the rules committee will spend most OF
the winter out of Washington campaign
ing for the Texas senatorship, and that
Mr.. Pou viii have practical charge OF
the all important rules committee.
Other conferences between House lead
ers," as they are called, and Postmaster
General Burleson, himself long mem
Der of the House, are said to be sched-
pled for later dates.
The administration faces a difficult
situation in the House, The comfort
able Democratic majority of the SD Con-
gress has been cut down to the narrow
margin of 80 in the 64th This means
that the balance of power in the ma
jority party is in the hands OF any 10
or Is men who choose to take it, and
this means, in turn, that the administra
ton must exercise the utmost skill and
tact If it is to secure the enactment by
the House of measures which do not in
stantly appeal to the membership.
To show the delcacy OF the situa-
ton it may be stated that one Demo-
cratic member, pronounced anti.mili-
tarist, declares that he has secured
pledges from so members of his own
party to stand out against increases in
appropriations for national defense.
Again, while the administration is prae
tioally committed to program calling
Tor the repeal OF the free sugar provision,
It is known that there are dozen or
more Democrats who will oppose this |
'epeal ii for no other reason than that /
hey dare not reverse themselves on the
I'VE OF congressional election. The
shipping bill, in whatever final form the |
administration presents il, viii find in |
he House a powerful group of Demo
ratio antagonists. In these three items
lone there is danger of insurgency with
n the ranks of the party in power, in
urgency to which under the conditions
outlined above is almost certain 10 lead
o delay and embarrassment, if not TO
efeat.
According to the best information at
and, the task which confronts Mr.. Bur
eson, Majority Leader kitehin. Speaker
lark, the chairman of the rules COM
littee, and their lieutenants, is one OF
making the "bossn rule system Of the
louise more efficient and drastic than
yer before. In the last Congress with
Democratic majority OF more than l40,
his task was relatively easy. The re-
uetion of this majority to a bare 80
Increases the difficulty OF machine dom
nation TO an enormous extent, and
lille none of the leaders viii admit it,
is clear to those who know the inside
the situation that they are plainly
orried ,
An additional complication is the fact
iat the so-called "labor group" now con. {
SITS of something in the neighborhood
20 men, a group large and powerful
rough 70 demand and secure concessions,
. it has done in the past under less \
Iyorable circumstances, from the adj c
The American Federation n
Labor, il is learned, viii press for !
usage the immigration bill vetoed by I
Ie president at the last session and
30 the convict labor bill. There is also c
strong movement on foot 10 attempt Il
force through the House again the r
lid labor bin and the bill for the crea- 4
IN Of a bureau Of labor safety. These g
sms are not on the administration "
ogram, nor are the conservation bills. h
aich have powerful backing both in
ID out Of Congress.
The administration viii be severely
essed for time. Its object win be to
cure the passage Of the appropriations
Ils as soon a. possible, together with
other legislation a. announced, and
adjourn Congress before the national
INVENTION in june or July. Every mo.
Mt lost spells disappointment II not
feat for the program and increases
2 danger 81 revolt within the ranks
the party. These matters form TIE
so Of the frequent conferences uhirh
j be held between nov and December
the general stat II which Mr. Rur-