Republican farmer., 1919-10-24
REPUBLICANS IN
 WASHINGTON TRY FORADjOURNMENT
Should Not Be Allowed to Quit However Until Some
 Bills Are Passed
RAILROAD TANGLE IS
 USED TO KILL TIME
La Toilette May Start Off Record S1x-Day
 T'iliDuster

Washington, D. C.. Oct. 23.-The Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives is still making strenuous efforts to effect an adjournment of the special session, but to do that and convince the country that it is justified, some oe the legislation that the President and the nation at large has demanded must be passed. AS the Republicans have done nothing resembling this since the opening of the special ses- sion on May 19 the strenuousness of their endeavors may readily be under stood.
 Notwithstanding the diIatory and obstructive tactics of the opponents of the Peace Treaty and League of Nations covenant under the general ship of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. some of the Republicans profess 10 believe that this perpIeXing problem can be got out of the way by Mo- vember l. As Senator Lodge re- solutely declines to vote on anything, followers of Senate procedure fail to see his logic Every long-winded op- ponent of the Treaty is being driven into the arena to kill time, and it is rumored that Senator La Toilette is to be given a chance at a six days flibuster, or much longer as he can stand.
 The House having failed just as dismally-its much vaunted pop gun" tariff bills being jeered at by Senator Penrose, G. O. P. Pooh Bah, as 'piecemeaI Iegislation'' that he will not permit to become laws-is turning in desperation to the Esch railroad bill. As the President an- nounced his intention when the special session of Congress convened of transferring the railroads from government control on Jan. l, it would seem to behoove Congress to do something. Oratory is the sum total of the solution of this vital business problem at the present time.
 The Senate committe on Interstate Commerce has not yet reported the bill through although nearly six months have elapsed since Congress convened in special session for a special consideration of this among other pressing measures. True, the public report of a subcommittee permitted the chairman of the full committee, Senator Cummins, and others to crate a tgreat length, but. so far as action is concerned, the Senate has done nothing. Neither has any intimatton been given as to when action will be taken, the usual vague reply being, probably not until the regular session.
 The House committee on interstate commerce is still struggling with the Esch bill, which is expected to amend the present law relating to the return of the railroads along lines generally different from the Cummins idea, the Plumb plan, that of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, that known as the War1eld Plan and all others evolved by stockholders, lawyers, theorists, labor leaders, etc.
 At the present time the Esch bill not yet legitimately born-is being handled by sub committee, or nanhandled, according to the point of view. Yet the Republican floor leader Is quoted as saying that the bill we be reported to the House about October 20, and that it can be passed and the House adjourn by November 10, at the latest. This would give a three weeks interval until the opening of the regular ses- sion of Congress on December 1. But most of the Republicans who are demanding an adjournment complain that three weeks is no vacation, and is not even better than none at all. Hence the prediction heard on every sioe in Washington that neither Senate-nor House will pass a rail- road bill before January l.
 Reports from the subcommittee handling the Esch bill do not indi- cate that it can escape from the House inside the 20 days allotted to it by the present unofficial schedule. Neither is the reports of the probable fundamental points of the bill indi- cate that the House will adopt it un- animously. or if that iInpossibility was, possible, that the Senate would agree, it differing radically from the ideas of Senator Cummins-
 It is stated that the Esch plan in it's present state before the sub- committee contains none of the radi- cal suggestions made for the chang ing of the laws governing the inter- state Commerce Commission basical- ly or fundamen entally. It would in- crease the powers of the Commission and authorize it to initiate and EHske maximum and minimum rates, both for rail and water carriers.
 With the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission it would be possible to effect mergers of rail- roads, railroad earnings and equip ment, however. But the Esch bill. so far. does not provide for federal
  tees, ideas dear to the hearts Of many senators and representatives.
 Neither does it contemplate any provision for compulsory arbitration of labor disputes, or the. penafizing of strikes or strikers, and it can be seen that if the measure should emerge from the House in this state that Senator Cunmins would hava considerable to say in the Senate The Esch bill, as so far developed makes no provision for regional conn 2 nnissioners or regional traffic districts
 This summary of conditions will give the public some idea of what the Republican majority. elected on pledges Of administrative ability not possessed by the Democrats, will have to GO before the first of the new year, to say nothing of the proposed adjournment because of the "harT labor" of the last six months