River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-12-07
EPOCH MAKING NATIONAL LEGIS-
LATtVE BODY coNVENES WITH
ONLY THREE MONTHS OF
ITS LIFE REMAINING.
IMPORTANT PROBLEMS
TO DEMAND RAPID WORK
Recurring Crisis in Railroad Situation
Must be Met-LegisIatio Needed to
Protect Foreign Trade-Routine
Business Rather Than General
Legislation Worries House.

the beginning of the end OF the Sixty
fourth CONGRESSMAN epoch-making ma
tional legislative body. With only
three months of its life remaining. the
congress at noon today opened its
final session, confronted with domes-
tic and foreign legislative problems
of vast moment.
In the legislative program laid down
by President Wilson for the short
session" which ends March 4, time will
be the essence Of the contract. From
the first call of the gavels in the house
and senate at noon today the national
legislators began fight against time
and a drive for speed.
With Democratic control Of the
house in the Sixty-fifthD congress a mat
ter of grave doubt, the administration
Is prepared to make every effort to put
through it's important measures with
in the next three months and avoid an
extra session next spring.
Must Meet Rail- Crisis.
Despite the declaration of the house
and senate leaders that the short SEES
sion will barely have time to do the
routine work Of providing funds for
the next fiscal year, the congress is
confronted with demands for action
along many general legislative lines.
Legislation must be passed. 1t is
felt, to meet the recurring crisis In
the railroad labor situation. It has
become apparent that the eight-hour
law passed in the closing hours Of the
last session merely postponed the
struggle BETWEEN the railroads and
their operating employees.
Investigations by various commits
sions and committees are already
under way seeking solution of the
railroad problem, but with the con.
stitutionaiity of the eight-hour law
under attack in the courts, and the
brotherhoods threatening a general
strike unless the eight-hour day be-
comes effective January l, congress
will be forced to act at once, without
awaiting the results Of the investiga-
lions.
Foreign Trade Legislation.
The administration plans for ex-
tending American foreign trade and
equipping American export commerce
For the world trade-war that will fol-
low settlement Of the European con-
nict call for extensive legislation. The
start on this program has already been
made. The house at the last session
passed the Webb bill exempting from
The operations of the antitrust laws
combinations Of American merchants
md manufacturers formed for the sole
purpose of engaging In the foreign
trade. This measure failed to pass
the senate, but will be taken up in the
Rpper house at once. Despite strenu-
BUS opposition, the bill is expected to
become law.
The administration, through the bu-
reau OF foreign and domestic com.
merce, and the federal trade commits
zion, plans general foreign trade leg
sIative program supplemental to the
Webb law, which will demand lengthy
consideration.
A complete code of neutrality laws,
worked out in detail for the admins
ration by the department of justice is
waiting action in both houses and
senate.
Other Matters Pending.
President Wilson's demand for con,
Iervation legislation, presented to the
songress a year ago, has not yet been
satisfied, and work on the conserva-
ton program must be continued. The
elaborate revision Of the general dam
ret; nberalizing conditions under
which water power may be developed
IN navigabIe rivers and other water
ways under federal jurisdiction, is in
dispute between the two houses.
An elaborate bill, closely restricting
The use of funds and providing COM
plete publicity Of contributions and
expenditures by all committees and in
dividuals connected with elections, for
president, vice president, senators and
representatives was passed by the
house during the last session. The
measure has the Endorsement of the
president, and an effort will be made
b put it through the senate.
Lots of Work for the House.
Routine business, the big appropria-
lion bills-which must be disposed Of
before March rather than general
legislation, worries the house leaders.
Speaker Clark and Chairman Fitzger-
aid of the appropriations committee
served notice on the house that long
hours and no vacations were to be the
program from the beginning. The ap-
prop-iations committee, which had
been at work for weeks, was ready to
bring in rne first Of the big supply
bills and get the house down to work
ct once.