The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-04
SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS
AGAIN In SESSION

Congress reassembles today with
tire months remaining in which to-
complete the legislative plans of the
first administration of President Will
son.
With prospect of much reduced
majority in the new House, Or pos
sibly a line up so close that demo-
cratic control will be in doubt, admin
istration leaders have laid their plans
to work at high speed in the hope of
enacting the most important part of
their program before it is endanger-
ed in the Sixty-Fifth Congress.
Foremost is the completion of Pres
ident Wilson's railroad legislation
program left unfinished at the last
session with the passage of the Adj
amson law. The remainder of the
program, which the president will
press, includes supplementary legis-
lation to prevent such a nationwide
railway strike as was threatened last
summer, or in fact a lockout, until
the situation has ben investigated.
Second in important to the rail-
way situation comes the agitation for
restriction of shipments of food
stuffs to Europe. Thousands of pc
titions asking for an embargo, have
been received by members of Con-
gress and at the White House. In
every case it is argued that the in
creased cost of living in the United
States demands a restriction of ship
ments abroad. So far as has been
disclosed, President Wilson and
members of the cabinet have no plans
for acting on the subject, but it is
known that various members of Con-
gress intend to push the subject and
it may develop a fight. Chairman
Fitzgerald of the appropriations COM
mittee already has announced his in
tention of introducing a bill for a
food embargo.
Women suffragists, renewing their
fight for passage of the Susan B.
Anthony amendment to the constitu
ton, have laid all the lines for their
campaign, and it is possible that their
demands may be crowded into the
short time Congress has to deal with
an important budget of legislation.
Prohibitionists, no less ardent than
the suffragists, in their demand for a
federal amendment, are expected to-
begin their fight anew.
The first day of the session never
sees much business done. Reelected
members get congratulations; defeat
ed ones receive condolences; majority
and minority leaders receive ovations
as they walk down the aisle. Caller
les are crowded with wives and friends
OF members who join in the demon
STATIONS of hand clapping and cheer
ing as their favorites take their
seats; except in the Senate where a
dignifed calm prevails. A few for
marilities mixed with few informal
tiles always compose the first days
business and then the House as well
as the Senate adjourns until tomor-
row to hear President Wilson deliver
his annual address.
In accordance with the custom he
set at the beginning of his term,
President Wilson will read his adj |
dress from the clerks desk in the
hall of the House while senators and
representatives are assembled before
him on the benches. Members of the
diplomatic corps hear him from their
places in the reserved galleries and
members of the cabinet have specially
reserved seats on the floor. The pres
ident's message is about 1000 words
long; is purely discussion of domes-
tic issues, the estate of the union"
and gives first prominence to the rail
way situation.
Today's opening marks the closing |
of mans monopoly of membership in
the House of Representatives In the
next Congress the clerks and pages |
and the speaker will be calling: "The |
lady from Montana"
Miss jeanette Rankin, republican,
first woman elected to Congress, is
expected to be in her seat then. She
does not sit in the present session
although many uniformed expected
to see her today but comes in with
the next Congress. When she does ar
rive the House will be confronted with
revising its own rules to give her
place on the floor.
In the Senate there were three new
members to take the oath of Office. |
James E. Watson of Indiana, repub-
hcan, takes the unexpired term of the
late Senator Shively, democrat, who
was temporarily succeeded by Thomas
Taggart Bert M. Fernald, republi-
can, of Maine, was elected to the
vacancy caused by the death of Sen
ator Burleigh. William F. Kirby, |
democrat, of Arkansas, was elected
TO fill the unexpired term of the late
Senator Clarke.
While the organization fight in the
House does not come until the as
sembling of the next Congress, the |
Senate probably will see some political
gcneralship in the selection of sue
cessor of Senator Clarke as president |
pro tempore. Senators who have their
oHyac m, tba mo inrifv Aoor InadarShir |