The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-04-28
SPEEDING UP WORK
BOTH SENATE AND HOUSE ARE
MAKING BETTER PROGRESS
WITH LEGISLATION.
MAY BE THROUGH BY JUNE IS
Upper House, by General Consent,
Limiting Debate-Quick Action Be.
ing Obtained on Preparedness Bills
Immigration Measure In Doubt.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-There is a noticeable
speeding up in both houses of con.
gress. 1t begins to look now as II an
adjournment might come early In the
summer. possibly by June Is. For the
first time in years the senate of the
United States Is showing a disposi-
ton to limit debate and 1t is doing
this by the general consent of all the
senators.
The fixing OF the vote on the army
preparedness bill in the senate for
April Is was a huge surprise to the
representatives sitting in the lower
house because they had made up their
minds that their colleagues Of the up
per house would discuss the army bill
at least until the middle of May. The
navy bill probably will be put through
the house by April rs, and it is un-
derstood that the senate will give 1t
consideration and vote upon 1t one
way or another in a shorter time
even than it took to discuss the army
bill
The house and senate army bills are
so different in their nature that some
little time will be taken up in confer
ences in order to secure an agreement
In the form Of compromise, but al
ready the plans for yielding here and
insisting there are being formulated
and 1t seems as IL by the time the
conferees meet there will be pretty
good general understanding concern
ing the paragraphs on which each
house is willing to give way.
Senate Feared cloture.
The discussion concerning the ad.
visibility of adopting a rule limiting
debate in the senate was sufficient to
make the senators believe that IL dis
cussions were extended beyond rea-
would be adopted and of course en-
forced. 1t is generally recognized in
Washington that the fear of the intro
duction and passage Of drastic res
olution in the senate to cut debates
is largely responsible for the short
house at this session and for the pres
ent showing of a desire to get things
through as quickly as possible.
OF course there Is still a good deal
Of work ahead Of congress. 1t must
be understood, however, that the
house can dispose of its work quickly.
II the senate continues to manifest the
same spirit Of speed that it is showing
today, there seems to be little doubt
that even with the many legislative
measures still on the calendar, ad-
journment may be about the middle of
the first summer, which means six
days in advance of the time when the
almanac's summer begins.
Not many of the big appropriation
bills have been passed as yet, but the
house makes comparatively short
work of the supply measures, and it
always has been the rule in the sen.
ate to spend less time on appropria-
tions than on any other measures Of
moment.
immigration Bill in Doubt
The immigration bill has passed the
house by a majority big enough to
make 1t seem assured that even IL
President Wilson shall interpose
veto it will be passed despite his &C.
ton by the members of the lower
house. In the senate, however, there
is some doubt about this immigration
matter and the fact that there is a
doubt shows how sentiment suddenly
may change. The immigration bill con-
tains a literacy clause, which if en-
acted into law, would prevent the ad-
mission into this country of immi.
grants unable to read.
For many years the senate has
been strong for this literacy test,
while the house has not been so eager
for 1t. When President Taft vetoed
an immigration bill because of the in
clusion of a literacy test, the senate
voted to pass the bill over the presi-
dents veto, but the house failed 80
to do and the bill did not become a
law.
Last year President Wilson vetoed
the immigration bill on the same
ground that President Taft had vetoed
one year or two before. The house
failed to pass the bill over the veto
and 80 1t was not necessary for the
senate to act, but it was known in ad-
vance that IL the senate had been
given chance to vote, the necessary
two-thirds majority could have been
mustered easily.
This year the situation has changed
1t looks today as IL the house would
pass the bill over the president and
that the senate would not
Red Cross Preparedness Plan.
The American Red Cross, headquar
ters in Washington, with Miss Mabel
T. Boardman as moving spirit OF the
central committee and with Ernest p
Blcknell as national director, is doing
its own work in connection with the
matter of national preparedness.
The Red Cross has just started a
movement which is to be nation wide
I'm ffa acona and which Ia futandad IN