Evening star., 1916-12-27
HOPE To AVOID
EXTRA SESSION
Administration and Statesmen
on Capitol Hill Do Not Want
"Congress on Our Hands,"
DEPENDS PARTLY ON WAR

Some of the statesmen on Capltol
Hill. familiar with the threatened legis-
lative Iog-jam in Congress which Will
soon begin to form. and balancing the
possibilities of peace in Europe loom
ing into view this spring or summer
are beginning to wonder how an extra
session of Congress may be avoided after
March 4. The expression how 1t may
be avoided is used advisedly. since no
body in either political party, and least
of all the executive administration. de-
sires Congress on our hands next
summer and fall
Whether an extra session Will be-
come necessary or not is believed 10
depend largely upon the progress OF
seemingly untoward prospects at pres
ent the belief at heart is entertained
by most of the leading men in Congress
that President Wilson's initiative has
started something" which will result
in good.
Once peace is in sight or the pros
pect of it discernible in the offing, it
is argued that domestic questions of
profound gravity will present them
selves at home: questions of revenue.
of imports, of industrial activity and
consequent disturbances in the money
market. of the movement in and out of
SOlu, OF internal ldNdtloii ioi
and all that kind of thing.
Know How to Compromise.
Moreover, there are the pending
features of the administration Iegis-
lative program still in embryo. with the
days slipping by and necessary legis-
lation pressing for action. This. how
ever, is regarded as secondary con-
sideration in the possibilities of an
extra session. Congress knows how
to compromise" in such cases. and
If the war is to go on abroad, there
would be every incentive to side
stepping" some of the issues.
The railway legislation, it is said
will be the most difficult to handle by
evasion or compromise. The Presi-
dent is on record as insisting upon
its Importance. The Senate committee
having charge of it tthe House COM
mittee, in the GeorgiaesQue vernacular
of Chairman Adamson of the House
committee. having passed the buck" to
the upper body) will begin hearings
next Tuesday. Everybody knows what
happens when a great question enters
upon the hearing stage.
The opposition of the labor unions
to certain features of railway legiSla-
ton which the President deems es-
sential, adds difficulties to the task of
Congress They are prepared to move
full strength OF their organizations and
to fight the bills at every stage.
Can Overcome Deficit.
However. il nothing but railway leg
islation stood in the way of avoiding
an extra session II is thought that
some expeoient could be devised to
compromise or stave off the issue un-
til the next regular session. the opposi-
ton to an extra session being so wide
spread. The question of deficit in the
national revenues is not SO acute as
to require calling the new Congress.
since with the use of Panama bonds
and possibly some slight additional
internal taxation the 1917 deficit can
be met. and the 1918 shortage left for
the next Congress.
The democrats would like to clean
UP as much of the Presidents program
az possible at this session. as it is
realized that the present safe working
majority in the House is asset
which will be sadly missed in the next
Congress AS repeatedly stated in The
Star, the complexion of the next House
is still uncertain. Neither side knows
whether IL will organize the House or
not and even when organized, the
closeness of the majority and the pres
ence of such a large Independent vote
renders uncertain party action upon
any legislation
1t is a foregone conclusion that the
next House cannot be handled with the
facility manifested by the executive in
dealing with this Congress, and party
lines will be difficult TO maintain.