The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-12-07
CONGRESS FACES
BIG PROBLEMS
Lawmakers Open Final Session
at Washington.
TO RUSH IMPORTANT BILLS
Legislation Must Be Passei 81 Once to
Meet the Recurring Crisis in
the Railroad Labor
Situation.

Washington, Dec. 4.-TOday marked
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
he the essence of the contract. From
the first fall Of the gavels in the house
and senate ut noon today the national
legislators began Il fight against time
and drive for speed.
With Democratic control of the
house in the Sixty-fifth congress mat
ter of grave doubt, the administration
is prepared to>make every effort to put
through its 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 Ses-
sion will barely have time to do the
routine wC:k Of providing funds for
the next fiSca, year. the congress Is
confronted with demands for ac-
ton along many general Legislative
lines.
Legislation must be passed, II Is
felt. to meet the recurring crisis in
the railroad labor situation. 1t has
become apparent thai the eight-hour
law passed in the closiy ,g hours of the
last session merely oStponed 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-
stitutionality of the eight-hour law
under attack in the courts, and the
brotherhoods threatening general
strike unless the eight-hour day be-
comes effective January /, congress
will be forced to act at once. without
awaiting the results of the investiga-
tons
aaaaSssaEa1 orsians Irade.I Legislation.
The administration plans for en-
tending American foreign trade and
equipping American export commerce
for the world trade-war that will fol-
low settlement Of the European con-
lat f,,r i,Io I'M
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
and 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
upper house at once. Despite strenu-
Gus opposition, the bill Is expected to
become Il law.
The administration. through the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, and the federal trade commits
sion, plans general foreign trade leg
isIative program supplemental to the
Webb law, which will demand lengthy
considerations
A complete code of neutrality laws,
worked out in detail for the admins
tratiOn by the department of justice, Is
awaiting action in both house and
senate.
Other Matters Pending.
President Wilson's demand for con-
servation legislation. presented to the
congress Il year ago, has not yet been
satisfied, and work on the conserva-
ton program must he continued. The
elaborate revision of the general dam
act; liberalizing conditions under
which water power may be developed
on navigable 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
to put it through the senate.
The hosts of woman suffrage advo-
Gates returned to their attack on con-
gress today and announced their in
tention of continuing their fight for
an amendment to the national cOnsti-
tuition granting nationwide suffrage TO
women. But the brief time before con-
gress and the vast amount of routine
work to be undertaken promises little
in the way Of actual results before
March A.
Routine business. the big appropria-
ton bills-which must be disposed of
before March 4-rather than general
legislation, worries the house leaders.
Speaker Clark and Chairman Fitzger-
aid of the appropriations committee