The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-20
gress finds that 1t has not consummated Ia single bit of leRislation.

gress finds that 1t has not consummated single bit of legislation.
 Last week the Senate, with unwonted ceierity, responded to the demands of the agricultural classes of the country and passed bill tending to revive the war finance corporation, the idea being that such revival would pave a way for the transportation of domestic products to foreign markets. This bill, by the speak CT of the House, was referred to commit tee, was reported by committee, and is now on the calendar, from which it may be taken the ensuing week.
 The House, spurred into unusuel activity by the American Federation of Labor, as well as an obvious need for restrictions against a European tide of abnormal proportions, passed a bill denying the right of any immigrant to touch Amer ican shores for period of one year. This bill, regarding which the Senate promised to take immediate faction, is in the hands of a committee, and the re- port is current that it will have difficulty in reaching the floor of the Senate.
 CREDIT FOR HARDING
 There is every sndication that the ses- sion of Congress to be concluded March will be more devoid of completed ac- tion than was contemplated early in De- cculber when the session began. Then it was said by Senator Lodge, majority leader of the senate, and Speaker Gillette of the House, that enactment of appro- priation bills alone would be attempted It is now the prevailing opinion that only minor appropriation bills will be enacted, those carng for individuals and depart ments the requirement of which is most urgent
 There is no question but that Congress will conclude to act regarding the bills carrying unusually large appropriations of money only after Senator Harding is President of the United States. Congress naturally, it is pointed out, would give the republican administration all credit for any policy regarding the army and navy that might be devised. Should Congress- prior to March 4, take steps to whip the army into shape, and properly finance it, the republicans, two years or four years hence, could not claim credft for that action. The democrats could say that they secured such legislation inas- much as President Wilson, in the White House, permitted it's enactment, it's exis- tence, by withholding the veto And the same is true regarding the navy.
 But while Congress has completed no work and while it's session will De de- void of much practical legislation, con gress has been busy. It has succeedeu in laying foundations on which struc- lures will be erected within the next two years.
 Committees have heard testimony re- garding the Irish question, regarding the necessity of legislating the big five" packers out of business, respond ing in a semi -paternal capacity to the requirements of agriculture and man.. ufacturing restricting the operation of the cotton exchanges, forming cor porationf for the further develop nent and use of the nitrate plants on the banks of the Tennessee river, of pro- viding means for a large and well equipped standing army and for navy which in the Pacific will be more i'cw erful than that of Japan and in the At lantic more powerful than any Flu roPean country save England.
 The disposition to do no actual ;og's- lating expresses itself in still another direction, President Wilson has sent 10 the Senate many hundreds of nomina- tions The republicans have adopted programme as a result of which none of the more important of them will be acted upon. The republicans hold that MT. Harding should have opportunity to fill all offices under the goyera- ment Inasmuch as the democrats eight years ago set the precedent for such behavior, in the present the dem-