Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-03
CONGRESS- CONVENED
 YESTERDAY
Final Session of Sixty Fifth Congress Meets After Ad- journment.
SENATE MAY SEND DELEGATES
Passage of Revenue Bill Important Tt This Time-W0man Suffrage Will Come up for Consideration.

Washington, Dec. 2.--The sixty fifth congress began it's third and final session today with many important , matters before it. These include solu- tion of the railroad problem, the army and navy programs. reconstruct ion legislation, retrenchments in gov ment expenditures, war revenue legis- lation. woman suffrage and the Colombian treaty
 In view of President Wilson's state ment today that he does not expect conclusion of peace until spring, lead CTS expressed doubt whether the present senate, which expires next March 3rd, would be called upon to act on the peace treaty.
 Chairman Hitchcock. of the senate foreign relations committee said he expected several treaties would re- general treaty ending the war. but with specific separate treaties, deal ing with important matters like free dom of the seas and league Of na- tions
 While the peace negotiations are proceeding, extended debate ill the senate on all phases of the suestion in- volvd is expected by leaders. Senator Hitchcock explained tonight that in this way, the senate's views can be given to the conference.
 Many members of both senate and house do not believe all of the busi- ness now 'befolesgcongress can be transacted before March 3rd If such proves true, a special session of the sixty sixth congress is expected to be called by the president. The Republi- cans will have a majority in both houses of that congress.
 The first general legislation to come up at this session will be the revenue bill, which the senate finance com :nittee plans to report Thursday. Re- publican members decided today to file minority report opposing the plan to fix 1920 taxes and fight ill the senate and house which many members believe will prevent passage of the measure in it's present form; is forecasted.
 Work on the major appropriation bills, including the navy measure, already is under way in committees.
 Immediate steps are planned by
 
 railroad legislation, probably by a comprehensive investigation into all phases of this admittedly complicated subject.
 Action on the Colombian treaty. growing out of the Panama Canal con- troversy, is planned at this session.
 Early action also is planned on the woman suffrage resolAe1on, passed by the house last January, and its advo- cates have increased hope for it's adoption.
 Numerous Investigations are ill prospect on both the senate and house side.
 Creation of joint congressional committed consisting of members of both houses, to inquire into tho railroad situation, soon. will be sought it was said today, after presi- dent Wilson had advocated this plan in his address before congress- This committee would call railway execu- tives, labor leaders, financial repres- entatives, officials of the railroad ad- ministration and members of the in- terstate commerce commission to give their views as to the best poli- cies for future management of the rail lines. The committee then would attempt to formulate a plan for some sort of unified control and common management which most students of railroad matters are said to advocate, regardless of whether the government retains or relinquishes it's political control.
 The need for haste in this program was explained today by the president and emphasized later by railroad ad- ministration officials who admitted they anticipated difficulty in carry ing out plans for acquiring new equip ment, distributing 1t among roads and making extensive improvement con- | templated for next year, without stretching the governments war powers beyond the point where rail road companies are willing to CO., operate.
 l Any congressional committee which might be created would virtually take up the work of the old committed headed by the late Senator Newlands which conducted an inquiry into the condition of railroads before they were taken over by the government The interstate commerce commission has gathered considerable iuforma. (Continued on page six) THE WEATHER, Arkansas-Tuesday and Wednesday