The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-07


 Congress in Extraordinary session, sn
 which control passes from the demo-
 cratic party to the republicans
 Cnueu> scenes of confusion in the
 final ush to complete it's work ac-
 compauied the q sing hours of Con
 gross. in which Pre- dent Wilson, just
 back from France in his room off the
 Senate chamber. has y sign l many
 last moment measures.
 StupendOus was the record of +be
 Congress, which carried the nation
 into and through the war and which
 had been in almost continuous ses-
 sion since it was called by President
 Wilson into extraordinary session
 April 2, 1917, to declare war against
 Germany. It appropriated about
 S6O, ,000, ,00O, 900, authorized S25.OO0.-
 OOO,000 in bonds, and enacted count less measures for prose cutting the war
 and of domestic import The new
 Congress will take up the li1nitIess
 task of reconstruction problems, rati- ficaton Of the peace treaty and other vital qusttons, probably immediately after the return of President Wilson from his second visit to France.
 Special features of the SIxty-fifth Congress were many addresses bv President Wilson, including those re- commenting war with Germany and Austria, that of Jan, s, 1917, enun- ciating his lemons t2Grteen principles of peace, and those endorsing woman suffrage, announcing the arnistice terms imposed upon Germany last No veu1bsr, and his recent address de- tahtas accomplishments of his work at Paris.
 There were three sessions of the Congress. The first, extra session met April 2, 1917, following shortly altar the turbulent and successful Senate fiubuster on the administra- ton armed ship hill which marked the close of the Sixty-fourth Congress The dramatic night address of Pres ident Wilson to urge war with Ger many, which was promptly declared marked the opening of the extra session, called but a few weeks after the Presidents inauguration for a second term. The session closed Oc- tober 6, 1917, lasting 18S days. The second sessiCn-lasting 354 days and the longest in the history of Arneri- can gOvernment-began Dec, 8 1917 and adjourned November 21. last. The third and final session which ended today began Dec. 2 last, and was the statutory short session of 93 days.
 Substantial democratic maior{ties in both Senate and House since Pres ldent Wilson's inauguration six wears ago now have passed. In the new Congress, the Senate will have 49 re- pubHcans and 47 democrats and the House 233 republicans and 193 dem l ocrats' l socialist, independents and l one prohibitiouist.
 Many veterans in both houses TO l tired with todays adjournment. Tn IAe senate these included Senators l 9aulsbury of Del, president pro tempore; Lewis of III. democ-a+ic whip; Shaf-oth of Colo, ThoD7psoD or Kansas; Hardwick of Georzia ftolAs of New Hampshire, and Varda- man of Mississippi Golf of West Vir- g ma, smith of Michigan and Weeks of Massachusetts. Among prominent whose services ended were Miss Jeanette Rankin of Mon tana, the first woman elected to the ftouse; Meyer London of New York Socialist; Swager Sherley of Kenturl,v oHaHLHan or the appropriations com mittee; Hayes, California: Kea+ing Colorado; Powers of Kentucky; Eos ter Illinois; Cox, Barnhart and Dix on or indiana; Miller, Minnesota: BorIand, Missouri; Parker. New Jerr sey; Gordon, Ohio; Farr. PenrsyIz-a- ma; O'Shaunessy,, Rhode Island; Siayden, Gregg and Dies, Texas: and Cooper and Stafford of Wisconsin
 New members of the next Congress include Senators-eIect Harrison, Mis- 51ssippi, Harris, Georgia; Stanley kentucky; Cappor, Kansas: Edge, New Jersey; EINins, West Virginia: NcCormlck, Illinois, Newberry, Mich gan; and Walsh, Massachusetts
 Partisan politics, although it caused ne mandate for change from demo- 'rattc to republican control of Con- ;ress, was largely buried during the var period, war measures being hasti- y rushed through with big big-par- isan majorities. Many acute contro- -ersies, however. marked the Con Fress. Among these were the 1917- 918 question of war efficiency. de- 'eloped from an investigation of the senate military committee and reach- ng 8 climax in the dispute between | President Wilson and Senator Cham erlain of Oregon, chairman of the committee. Others involved the aague of nations, the Overman bill onferring unlimited authority on the President to reorganize government apartments, government control of ailroads and the food control act.
 During the first session of the Con ress, devoted largely to prosecution f the war, among the important passed were:
 The war declaration against Ger lany, signed April 6, 1917; the seIec- we draft act; the law for seizure of 1terned German ships; the war risk insurance bureau act; the first war eyenue bill; the food and fuel control nv; the daylight saving measure; the litial and necOrd- breaking aviation appropriation of $65O, 100000; the 'ading with the enemy act; and leasures providing for soldiers and ltlors insurance and protection of heir civil rights at home.
 Outstanding measures of the second. ng session, were:
 The Austrian war declaration: the ational prohibition resolution; the 'ebb export trade act; the alien roperty custodian bill; the laws for Jvernment control of railroads teIe- 'aphs, cables and radio utilities; the cond draft law; the War Finance act and the Overman re- "ganization bill.
 During the last session, completion the Se,000,000,000 revenue bill was le chief accomplishment in addition
 completion of waterpower oil, gas Id coal land development legis1a- 'n, auth ori2ation of additional bonds I1.A