The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-10
CONGRESS- FACES
STRENUOUS week
UnificatiOn of Railroad On
Grafton Foremost of Many
Problems.
PRESIDENT TO DECIDE
Suffrage and Prohibition
Will Be Acted on Early
in Session.

Washington. Dec. 9.-Congress. hay
ing disposed Of the war declaration
against Austria Hungary. turns this
week to pressing domestic problems
Foremost is the railroad question.
Congressional leaders plan immodi-
ate action when President Wilson's
decision regarding measures to unity
railroad operations is made known.
\ special address to congress on
the subject is regarded as possible il
the president decides legislation Is
necessary.
Conferences in Order.
Rapid developments are expected
this week. Tomorrow President vii
son will confer with Senator Newlands.
chairman of the senate interstate
commerce committee and also head of
the Joint congressional commission
conducting a general transportation
investigation. Senator Newlands
hopes to submit Il statement on be-
half of the railroad executives as a
result Of their conference today at
New York
On Tuesday the joint congressional
committee is scheduled to resume It's
hearings with former senator Brstow
of Kansas and other shippers repre-
scntatives on the stand
May Pass Webb Bill.
The senate will reconvene tomorrow
and the house Tuesday With COM
mittees OF both bodies planning to pro
coed with appropriation bills and other
measures. Debate viii continue in the
senate on the Webb export bill. which
its sponsors hope to pass this week.
Passage by the house of the 1898,
000,oNn postoffice appropriation bill,
minus legislative riders and with pro-
visions added Tor continuing pneu
matte tube service in large cities, also
is planned.
Woman suffrage and prohibition are
promised attention There is talk OF
votes on both in the house next week.
Polls on both being taken are said to
indicate probable defeat for suffrage
and victory for prohibition.
The soldiers and sailors civil rights
hill which passed the house at the last
session, but was held up in the senate.
probably will be considered tomorrow
by the senate judiciary committee.
May Supplement Alien Bill
Legislation experimenting the Aus
TRAN war declaration in behalf of Be-
hcmians. Poles, Czechs and other
Austrian subjects whom many MEM
hors think should not be classified as
enemy aliens will be considered by
committees in both bodies.
The house military committee will
continue its hearings Tuesday ON the
army appropriation bill. With General
CroZier, chief of ordnance, is a wit
ness. chairman Dent docs not expect
TO got his bill out before the last OF
January.
Effort has boon made to hurry the
appropriatIng committees, but SO far
there is no supply measure in sight
in the house except the postal budget
\ relatively small urgent deficiency
appropriation bin may be reported and
passed by the house before the holt
day recess.
Conservation measures are comine
out of the public lands committee
the same mineral leasing and general
waterpower bills which passed the
house once before, hut failed in the
senate. The committee according to
Chairman Ferris. will hurry action on
them, with the hope of cXpeditng en-
actmont Of the leasing bill, affecting
large oil interests.