The Madison journal., 1916-05-06
SPEEDING UP WORK
sOTH SENATE AID HOUSE ARE
MAKING eETTER PROGRESS
WITH LEGISLATION.
MAY BE THROUGH BY JUNE IS
Upper House. BY General Consent,
Limiting Debate-C.ck Action Sc
ing Obtained on Preparedness Bis
-lmmigrat. Measure in Oouot.
BY GEORG. CLINTON.

y NaSAlugfuu.-l here = l,t".a..r
speeding up in both houses OF con
-rcsa. Il begins to look u1w as ii al
adjournment might come early in the
summer. possibly 10y Jun. L.. For the
nrst time IN years the senate of the
United States Is showing dlsp'sl-
zion 10 limit debate and It Is doing
this by the general consent OF al. the
senators.
The fixing of the vote on the army
Preparedness bill in III" senate for
April Is was a huge surprise To the
representatives sitting in the lower
house because thcy 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 -. and il Is un-
derstoot that tn" senate will give 1t
consideration and vote upon it one
way or another in 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
enccs in order to secure an agreement
in the form OF a compromise, but al
ready the plans for yielding here and
insisting there are being formulated
and it seems as if by the time the
COnlcTccs meet there will be a pretty
good general understanding concern
ing the paragraphs on which each
house is willing 10 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 if dis
cussions were extended beyond rca-
sonable limits, the rule eventually
would be adopted and OF course en-
forced. II is generally recognized in
Washington that the fear OF the intro
ductiOn and passage Of a drastic res
olutiOn in the senate to cut debates
is largely responsible for the short
ness OF the speeches in the upper
house at this session and for the pres
ent showing of a desire to get things
through as quickly as possible.
or course there is still a good deal
of work ahead of congress. II 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 ii 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 it seem assured that even if
President Wilson shall interpOse a
I veto it will be passed despite his ac-
tiOn by the members of the lower
I 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
Oh, L;
c tains a literacy clause. which if en-.
acted into law, would prevent the ad
mission into this country of immi
:, grants unable to read
g For many years the senate has
D been strong for this literacy test
n 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 sc
to do and the bill did not become q
law.
Last year President Wilson vetoed
s the immigration bill on the sam,
d ground that President Taft had vetoed
O one year or two before. The hous,
g failed to pass the bill over the vetC
and so it was not necessary for th'
: senate to act, but it was known in ad
' vance that II the senate had beer
given a chance to vote the necessar,
l. two-thirds majority could have beef
mustered easily.
This year the situation has changed
{ 1t looks today as if the house woulc
Il pass the bill over the president an,
7 that the senate would not
Red Cross Preparedness Plan.
The American Red Cross, headquar
ters in Washington. with Miss Mabe
x T. Boardman as moving spirit OF tn
central committee and with Ernest /
, BiCknell as national director, is doin
le its own work in connection with tn
- matter OF national preparedness.
~ =, The Red Cross has Just started
" movement which is to be nation wild
in it's scope and which is intended I
. enable the women of the United State
= to serve their country benefcently i
=, case, unhappily. the country eve
~ should become involved in war Tn
III activities OF the Red Cross are th
%>~>%~~>~~@@