Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-19
SPECIAL CONGRESS
TO- START MONDAY
Historical Session Expected
During Next Few Weeks
at Capitol.
MANY PROBLEMS PRESENTED
Policy of Two Parties in Next
Campaign to Develop From
This Meeting.
[ Special to The Times Dispatch. ]

Especial TO The Times -Dispatch
WA NGTON. May ls.-what
promises to be the mos; important ses-
sion OF Congress held during a per;od
o! peace. since those sessions imme-
diatclY following the War Betneen the
states. VIII begin tomorrow. with the
rehSScmbling Of the House and Senate
and the REORGANIZATION Of both bodies
under Republican control. This session
VIII not only address itself TO the para
noun, issues OF peace. including the
consideration of the terms Of the
treaty with Germany which the presi-
dcni VIII lay before it, and the league
OF nations al the same time, but il
W., MI neat WIN the equally important
propiems and policies Of the recon
struct!on. Of the rehabilitation of
american business and OF general re-
adjustment of national. as we'll as in
tcrnational. interests.
lncidcntdllT. the coming session will
iaE the foundation for the next prcsi-
dential campaign. It Will develop the
ISSUES upon which that campaIyu will
be made. il will either show that the
i'cmocraic party has not the capacity
70 guide the country safely through
,ne coming period Of domestic stress
and regeneration. or it will strengthen
public confidence in the party that
fought Il successful war and carried
through the most gigantic military
project the nation ever undertook This
VIII All be brought out in the swccD-
ing investigations which the new Con
gress. under Republican auspices, will
launch.
Appropriations Needed.
Although the congressional program m
IS more or less unshap ped and will re-
main so until the Pres !dcnt is in "A no
s!ttoh |" submit treaty which the
Ierman government has signed. Ger
tam phases Of the program can bc
definitely outlined even now First of
all viii come the urgent appropria
,ions. Peace treaties, politics, PARTISAN
snip ana everything else must be put
aside temporarily for the conSidc Grafton
OF those appropriations which failed
ti the last session through Republican
hlinustcr!nG ana those appropriations
which have been found necessary by
the developments OF the past three
months.
These ,aappropriations will probably
exceed $4,000. .0Oo.Ouo The estimates
are not definite enough at this time 10
nN even an approximate total, however
The railroad administration alone viii
require something like $1,000. 900 Ooo,
and the shipping Board will doubtless
ASK Tor half as much NOR Many OF
the lhlger supply bills were held UP on
march and they must lie brought for
ward again. ren;roduceti. again de-
batcd and finally voted upon
The fact that there is mutnv on
the part OF the Senate "progrcs.ivc"
Republtcans against Senator Warren.
candidate for The cha airmanship of the
senate Appropriations Committee
thrcatening to hold up his election.
"!li not delay the preparation of the
appropri alton bills. These must orici-
nate IN the House any way. and.by the
iiinc they reach the Senate a chair
man viii have been named to succeed
"eHa'oF Martin, the retiring Democrat.
Probcrs Whct Knives.
md while The peace treaty is being
concluded in Paris and the appropria-
ton bills are being whipped into
shape. the Senate and House majori-
iies WI! he organizing their investiga-
lions. NJ least dozen groups of
pFohcrs are even now whettine their
KNIVES for the progressive operation 10
he performed upon the Wilson admin
islration. some OF them will be car
rica on through The expenditures COM
miitees OF the House and others
through the Appropriations and other
major committees. There are no fore
casts OF any special bodies OF investi-
gators 10 be created But that is not
significant. Nothing in parliamentary
Iife Is so easy to initiate as congress
slonai investigation. and. a rule.
holninG is so utterly barren OF results
of the domestic problems to be faced
the most acute have to do with the sur
render of the railroads. the return of
the telegraph and telephone companies
10 their owners and the future of the
American merchant marine. Many very
serious questions are involved in the
disposition OF these vast properties. and
u there Is any real stateSmanship in
the new Congress il will have an on
portunity for constructive lcgisla ton
OF a high order in dealing with these
questions.
II must be remembered that the Fed
era government dare not by the mere
stroke OF Il pen hand the railroads
and wire services back to their owners
There is far more 10 be done than that
All of these services have been sad
d.ed with new obligations since the
Sovernment took them over. The pay
rolls of the railroads have been in
creased almost $1,000 10000 by the
Two director generals. 4 vast amount
Of new rolling stock has been pur-
chased. Extensions have been made.
improvements have been inauguratcd
IinnninS * Needed.
Competitive conditions have been
abolished for the time. The railroads
have Almost been remadc during the
past two years, and 10 thrust them sud-
denly back into the hands of their
stockholders would bring disaster.
Some provision must be made for the
defecits between railroad earnings and
expenses, some new rate level must
be established or other means found
of increasing railroad revenues
Ana 10 some extent the same situa-
tion applies 10 the wire services. They
charges. Competition has been elimi-
mated among them. Both Interstate
and intrastate rates have been raised,
but the latter AS applied to the tele-
phohc companies. are under attack in I
the courts. Congress must find some |
means of protecting the owners OF the |
wire services, as well as the owners Of |
the railroads. before they are dcliv- |
cred once more to their stockholders |
That body must determine whether or
not competition is to return AS before: /
10 what extent government regulation !
is to be maintained, and what govern
mcnt agency is to provide that reeula-
ton.
The futul.s OF the great news mcr-
chant fleet OF the United States must
be determined at this session OF Con-
Gress. The Shipping Board will sub
nit ii proposition for the sale of the |
ships to private interests. This will |
bc opposed in sonIt1 quarters but if il |
is finally adopted. the further question
whether or not the government is TO |
continue building ships or to aban- |
don that end Of the industry 10 private !
interests must be answered
OncS ions of fnInro ~, iIi,n... ...I