The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-01-03
CONGRESS BACK
ON JOB LACKS
FIXED PLAN
DEFINITE ACTION AWAITS
WILSON'S RAILROAD s.
MESSAGE
Senate Interstate Com
mittee Puzzled
Relief for Farm Loan Board and
the Leasing Bill Cp-Investiga-
tions Still Go on Before the Com
mittees.
Robert B. Smith,

WASHINGTON, Jan. president
Wilson will appear before congress
tomorrow afternoon at 1890 O'Clock
to make his address on the railroad
situation. Definite announcement of
this was made this afternoon by vice
president Marshall.
Congress today was strongly urged
to authorize the secretary of the treas
ury to purchase farm loan bonds to
the extent of $100,000,000 during the
coming year as a means of providing
capital necessary to increase food pro-
duction during the war. The recon-
mendation was made in the annual
report of the Federal Farm loan board.
The report points out that these
bonds could be resold to investors
as the demand for them develops, and
that such procedure would relieve pur-
chasers of the fear that the bonds may
be pushed for sale at unpropitious
times.
Other recommendation were:
/. That the cooperative Farm Loan
association be given another year of
trial before any move to make the
method of borrowing more direct.
That the maximum loan limit to an
individual borrower be increased from
$4,000 to $25,OOO.
That a borrower be allowed to pay
all or any part of his Indebtedness
on any interest paying date.
That joint stock land banks be per-
nitted to operate in more than two
states and that their limit of bond
issues be increased to twenty times
their capital stock, instead of Is, and
that the authorized rate of interest
be raised from 515 per cent to 6.
The report further points out that
the withdrawal of foreign capital from
the farm loan field, as a result OF
more attractive rates of interest offer
ed elsewhere has brought American
agriculture face to face with a seri-
GUS situation. The belief is expressed
that the adoption of these recommen-
dations will bring about a marked i'm
provement in this respect.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-Congress
was back on the job today with a
mountain of work before it and no
fixed program. Definite Legislative
planning will be postponed until after
the president delivers his expected ad-
dress tomorrow afternoon on the rail-
road situation. 1t was the intention
early today out of respect to the mem
ory of the late Senator Newlands, OF
Nevada, and the late representative
Rathrick, of Ohio, who died during the
holiday recess.
The senate interstate commerce
committee is puzzled today. 1t is try
ing to find out what it is investigating
and why.
Two weeks ago Senator Cummins
introduced a resolution calling for an
investigation of the feasibility of the
interstate commerce commissions pro
posal to take over the railways, also
the amount of compensation to be paid
the railroads in case such action was
taken was to be determined. The in
terstate commerce committee was
named as the probing body.
Then the president took over the
railroads The committee was still
trying to decide whether he should.
The house was scheduled to vote to-
day on the bill authorizing the treas
ury department to go to the relief o.
the farm loan board and buy up $i00,
100000 worth of farm loan bonds
which have become practically unsafe
able because of the governments alb
sorption of the money market.
The senate calendar called for re
sumption of consideration of the leas
ing bill, designed to throw open t
private development millions of acre:
of valuable mineral lands now held by
the government. The measure is tC
increase the production of oil and pot
ash, two badly needed munitions.
Investigating into the conduct of the
war continued apace. The probing
ing committee planned to continue
their work without interruption unit
they have reached conclusion of tht
remedies necessary to speed up the
conduct of the war.
The senate military affairs commit
tee went further into the question o.
clothing supplies for the army; the
senate manufactures Subcommittee
continued its efforts to fix responsi
bility for the sugar shortage, while
the senate commerce committee sum
moned still more witnesses to trace
the blame for the alleged lack of thu
shipping program speed.