The Washington times., 1916-12-24
Legislative Situation So Uncer.
tain No One Can Forecast
the Outcome.
RAILWAY PROGRAM PROBLEM
Presidents Recommendations
Likely to Be Blocked In Rush
OF Short Session..

Congress In faced with so much
work and so many different varieties
OF trouble in the period following the
holiday recess that leaders don't
know what TO expect or what to do
about II.
Beginning January .. when Con.
gress reconvenes, until noon OF the
9Th OF March. the legislative wheels
will hum as they have seldom
hummed In a short session. At that.
there 10 no telling whether much will
be accomplished.
so mans questions are pressing In.
sistentiy for action that the leaders
md difficulty In getting House and
Senate to settle down TO the policy OF
passing the appropriation bills and
quitting.
UspsrsIIeIed Csnsestiss Feared.
In fact, the House and Senate re.
fuse to do It, Members insist on
crowding numerous important meas
urcs to the front. and Il In weIl-nigh
impossible to hold them back. As a
result. there will probably be conRes-
tion uuphfhleieu IN inc ciotfnk uhys
OF the short session.
The prohibition problem alone In
its different phases will take up much
time. The District prohibition bill,
involving the proposed referendum.
will be voted on January o by the
Senate, and then will have 20 be
wrestied with by the House. Then
there IL the national prohibition amend.
ment, prohibition az proposed for
Hawaii, and tho bills TO prohibit
liquor advertising In dry States.
Proponents of these matters are In.
sistent and not to be backed off the
boards with n word or with ANYTHING
short OF a club and n fight. The pro-
hibition measures will take time
whether they are voted on or whoth.
or they arc sidetracked.
suffrage Adve~stes Issistest.
Tho suffrage advocates, too. arc In.
sistent that their amendment be
forced TO q vote.
Involved In the appropriation bills,
which are going To aggregate Etagger.
Ing sums, are many problems OF leg.
isiation. These bills viii take timeI
For instance. the question OF increas.
fnE pay OF Government clerks and
tmplOycr utOut rufr On
much discussion In the Senate.
And In the army and navy appro-
prIatiou bills II involved the contro-
versy over the idea OF preparcdness.
Now that peace In Europe " TALKED OF
as n real possibility. the opponents OF
large appropriations for thosa pur-
poses are moro vigorous than ever.
Discussion OF army and navy sppro-
viii consume time, and much
time at that,
Ne Prssrss. On Railway siiis.
Before the holiday recess. Congress
got nowhere with the Presidents
20 meet railroad ext
gencies or alleged exigeneies growing
out OF wage and labor troubles. IL did
not act on tho recommendation for
legislation for the compulsory invosu-
CATION OF wage and labor disputes on
the order OF the Canadian law.
President Wilson has said that he
will press for such legislation. The
House interstate Commerce Commit
tee L. baking and so In the Sen
ate Interstate Commerce Committee.
The indications are that little will
be done on such matters. II the
President shJaid 20 at IL hammer and
longs he could get what he wanted
passed. but he has not thus far done
20.
Hesrins. On Lestsistie~-
The Senate Interstate Commerce
will begin hearings on In
iegislstion after the hoii-
lays. whether anything will como OF
Il, is uncertain. The brotherhoods and
roads are trying TO patch up a piece OF
.ornpromIse legislation which VIII
provide for investigation OF wage and
abor disputes between roads and en-
ployes, but will not prohibit an EN-
ploye or a body OF employees from
quitting at any t@e'
II would not be surprising II IL 10
found March 4 that the whole pro-
xram OF railroad legislation recon-
nended by the President has been
or has been caught In
iopeless jam
Some Other Things 20 NJ.
Here arc some OF the other things |
will face when the recess
8 over;
Conservation legislation.
The Wood resolution for an inves-
igation into official connection Win
he recent stock market furry. .
IeauefSee to peace talk.
The public building bill and pork
,arrer" river and harbor legislation.
TIE confirmation OF Interstate
commerce Commissioner Daniels and
n the shipping board In the Senate.
What to do about getting the ad-
Iitional revenue the country needs
md without which the Treasury Is
xpected to issue bonds.
The universal training issue as
aised by the Senate Military At
airs Compittee.
To this list should be added a large
lumber of bills generally regarded
IS OF less Importance. IL Is plain
congress after the holidays will not
ave 10 finger about finding some-
hing 10 keep II busy. Unless II does
.eep busy, Il will be overwhelmed.