Evening star., 1917-03-06
MUCKLEG|SLAT|0N
LEFT UNFINISHED
Some Expect President to Call
Extra Session to Fin
iSh Work.
OIL LEASE PROVISION FAILS

There was much speculation at the
when the President would call Con-
gress in special session to proceed
with the appropriation bills which
failed and other important measures.
Besides the armed neutrality bill,
which was talked to death, the appro-
priation bills which failed were the
| army bill, the sundry civil bill, the
general deficiency bill and the rivers
| and harbors bill. The public buildings
bill also failed to receive action by the
Senate.
Enough important legislation, strong
ly advocated by the administration. was
still awaiting final action when the
Sixty-fourth Congress closed. to keep
Congress busy for many long weeks.
On the administration program were
the railroad bills, designed to supple
ment the Adamson eight-hour law
These bills proposed to increase the
membership of the interstate commerce
commission, to provide for a suspen-
sion of strikes and lockouts pending
governmental investigation of the
questions at issue. to give the Presi-
crate railroads in time of war or ma
tional emergency. Great opposition de-
veloped in the last Congress to that
part of the program which sought
suspension of strikes and lockouts, and
prediction was freely made that the
President could never obtain such leg
islation from Congress.
Then there are the so-called conser-
walton measures. the bills providing for
the leasing of water-power sites on
| navigable streams and upon public do
main whether the streams be naviga-
BILE or not. and the bills providing for
leasing coal, oil. gas and potash lands
now owned by the government.
Water-power Bills in Conference.
Both houses passed water-power
bills. but they failed to agree upon the
terms of any one bill. The coal and
oil leasing bill met with opposition, not
only from senators who do not believe
in leasing system, but also from the
Navy Department. for in the Senate
an attempt was made to grant some
measure of relief to oil operators who
entered upon the navy Oil reserves in
California.
The Webb bill permitting combina-
tions Of American business men to es-
was strongly urged as necessary if
Americans are to be able to compete
with Europeans abroad. This bill
passed the House. but was held up in
the Senate.
Nationwide prohibition and woman
suffrage also await action by the new
Congress. Resolutions providing for
the submission of constitutional
amendments prohibiting the sale and
manufacture of liquor and providing
for woman suffrage We're pending in
the Senate and House when Congress
adjourned.
The Chamberlain universal military
training bill and a somewhat similar
measure approved by the army general
staff await action, and in the opinion
of many this is the most important
legislation still to be taken up for con-
sideration.
Owen Corrupt Practices Bill.
The owen corrupt practices bill, de-
signed to prevent frauds in election. is
still to be acted upon.
other measures which a new Con-
gress would be asked to consider are
the administration bill. proposing
amendments to the shipping board act
which would give the President the
power to commander American mer-
chant marine and ships that are build
ing in the United States in the event
of national emergencies; the Pomerene
civil service retirement bill, the espion-
age or neutrality bills. a bill reorganiz-
ing the naval reserve.
Some District of Columbia bills await
Ing action are:
x bill to use public schools as COM
muNity forums.
pensiNn system for the public school
teachers.
A bill establishing a probation system
in the District.