The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-01-12
WILL PASS SEVERAL MEASURES
OF PRIME IMPORTANCE AND
QUIT WITH THAT.
EXTRA SESSION NOT WANTED
Number of Bills introduced This VIM
ter Is Much Smaller Than Usual
Many of Them Deal With Cost Of
Living.
Rx GEORGE CLINTON.

portance and with them the equally
primely important appropriation bills,
and to be content with that, and thus,
so far as human foresight can com
pass it, make it certain that the pres
ident will not he compelled to call an
extra session of congress in the spring,
session which would begin probably
with terrific fight between Republic
ans and Democrats for the control ana
organization Of the house of repre-
sentatives.
Recent records have been broken in
congress lately The number of bills
which have been introduced since the
session opened the first Monday in,
| December has been smaller than dur
ing any like period in the last 70
years. IL is true that some lawmakers
have introduced measures for which
they have no hope of passage at pres
ent, but about which they hope pub
lie opinion will crystalline later. The
number of these bills, however, Is
small and so, barring the ordinary pen
sion bills, comparatively few things OF
national moment have been presented
to either house for present or future
| consideration.
OF course this does not take account
Of the railroad legislation in its varied
forms which the president made the
main feature of his message to con-
gress, nor does it take account of some
other highly important things which
sooner or later must be given consid-
Grafton by the national legislators. The
simple fact is that the number Of bills
is much, very much smaller than Is
usually the case.
May Vote on Big Questions.
1t is probable that before congress
dies on March the question of sub
hitting to the states the federal con-
stitutiOnal amendment establishing
prohibition will be voted on by con-
gress. There is n struggle on already
between the opposing forces interested
in this measure. The federal suf-
frage amsndment also will be given
consideration.
Senator William III. Thompson of
Kansas is only one of a number of
senators and members to introduce
bills for the election of president and
vice president by direct vote of the
people. Senator John f. Shafroth Of
Colorado has introduced bill to the
same general effect which, however,
would work complete change in the
method of selecting the president and
the vice president. His bill stipu-
lates that the two officials shall be
chosen without the Intervention in any
way Of the electoral college, and ii pro-
vides for term % six years for the
president and for ais ineligibility for
reelection forever thereafter.
Other Bills Of Interest.
Congress has In Its keeping bill,
which pressure of time may or
may not prevent from receiving
consideration to- admit free of import
charges all wheat which is brought in
to tae United States for seed purposes.
The word which has gone to the legis.
latofs with this measure is that the
farmers particularly, and the public
generally to considerable extent, will
he deeply interested i'm the fate of the
measure. 1t was offered by Represen-
tative Halvor Stevenson of Mime
sofa.
1t is said that this bill was intro
duced ns the result of suggestion
made by a single farmer Of the great
Northwest who received seed from
South American and European coun-
tries. 1t was sent him in part simply
for experimental purposes. but In AN
other part II is said for use under Il
well-based belief that the. growth re-
suits would be most satisfactory.
Rural mill carriers will he interest
ed in n bill introduced 10y Senator j.,
GrOnna of North Dakota who has
asked congress tn legisate so that the
rural route men shall in no case re-
ceive less than 300 year. and that
any reduction of this pay shall be
made impossible. There are some
members of congress who do not see
how Legislation can bind future con
crosses not 10 re-legislate on the same
subject II - history however. that
congress virtually never reduces sal
aries. and so IL minimum once is
fixed. II probably will remain fixed.
Madden's Bill for Postal Employees.
Representative Martin Il. Madden
Of Illlnois~lso has put In Il bill which
looks to the qualification of post office
clerks and e..riers In first and second.
class post Offices. He wishes to have
these clerks and carriers divided into
six classes with salaries ranging from
$1,000 to 81 1000. The understanding
Is now that the highest pay that clerk
can get Is $1,000, while the minimum
nay Is said to be considerably below
the first sum named In Mr. Madden's
measure.
Representative Frank Park Of
Georgia has proposed plan by which
Confederate soldiers may he pensioned
II this measure had been introduced
twenty-five or thirty years ago II
probably would have aroused express