The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-19
HASTEN LEGISLATION
TO PREPARE COUNTRY
Big Naval Appropriation Bill, With
Its S333,000. 900. VIII BE Con-
sidcrcd This Week,
TO CONSIDER EXPORT Bill.
Chairman simmons Is Waiting For
Senate TO Take Action On Pend
ing spy Bills" Before Pushing
Revenue Measure.

Washington, Feb 1S.--Of para
mount importance to any other meas
IRE now before congress is the adj
mnjstration revenue bill, with it's
supplementary provisions for the is
sue Of bonds and short-time certi-
hcatos Of Indebtedness. according to
Chairman Simmons, of the finance
committee OF the senate. Chairman
simmons is waiting for the senate to
take action ON the pending spy
bills" after which he will press the
revenue measure to passage.
What's the use Of appropriating
all this money for preparedness and
national defense il they haven't the
money to appropriate" vas the
rhetorical question advanced by Sim
mons today. For this reason and
because the needs Of the government,
In n financial way, are becoming
hourly more apparent. the finance
committee Will endoavor to rush the
bill to speedy consideration
The spy bills" will occupy the at
''IittcI bl lHP senate at the begin
ming of the new week. Sturdy pro-
grcsSive opposition has already been
registered at-'inst these measures
Their opponents assert that thev arc
invasive Of the constitutional and in
diVidual rights OF the citizen and
promise hot fight if some OF the
more drastic provisions are not modi-
fed. On the other hand. supporters
OF the administration will urge that
the drastic provisions remain Fin the
bills and that if any such legislation
Is needed at all it will be needed
badly.
To Consider Export Bill
--Othar--lasisiStie which ranking
behind the revenue bill. will never
theless be pressed for passage at an
early date in the senate is the Webb
export bill, which the president has
urged Senator Pomerene to bring be-
fore the senate; the railroad bills will
be pressed by Senator Newlands: the
Danish West Indies bill has the for
eign relations committee behind It.
and the Interstate commerce commits
sion is crying for help and urging that
the bill which will enlarge the body
by the addition of two more com
missioners be passed now.
"A routine week is promised in the
house enlivened perhaps by "A renewal
of the so-called war in favor Of
peace" which Representative Moore.
of Pennsylvania. and Galloway. of Tex
aS, are engineering, The house has
before 1t the army appropriation bill
and during the debate considerable
consideration will be given to the
Caldwell amendment providing for uni
versal military service.
a final report from the rules COM
mittee with regard to the leak" in
vestigatton may be forthcoming late
this week. y special subcommittee
IL at present engaged in the task of
reviewing the brokers' accounts COW
ering the season of the bear raid Of
the third week of December last They
are looking through the accounts to
see if they can scare up an official of
the government who was Specializing
at that time, but thus far without sue
cess.
Emergency Legislation.
Administration leaders in the sem
ate Will endeavor to hasten considera-
ton of two measures which the presi-
dent Classics as emergency legisla-
ton. These are the big naval appro-
priation bill, with its $3.50, 900, 900 for
rush naval reparcjness, and the bin
authorizing the president to comman-
deer all American shipping, built and
building. In time of war. The naval
affairs committee is expected to rec
ommend the naval bill at once. It
has been completed by the subcom-
mittee in charge of the measure.
which added some s165,000. 600 to the
amount provided in the bill as it
passed the house.
The shipping bin has been framed
by members of the senate commerce
committee in conference with the
shipping board. 1t will be laid before
the committee tomorrow and an eff
fort will be made to hurry it to the
floor of the senate.