The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-12-17
PRESIDENT WILSON'S ANNUAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS is
READ BY CLERK
CROWDS ARE DISAPPOINTED
Chief Executive Follows Physleian's
Advice and Stays At Home.-No
Mention Of League 10 Made In
Short Communication

OF congress were In brief session yes
terday to hear President Wilson's an
nual message. II was read by the
clerk, Mr.. Wilson having needed the
advice Of his physician not to appear In
person TO present his recommended
tions.
Galleries In both senate and house
were crowded. The crowds, drawn by
the chance that the president might up
pear In person. or by the possibility
that his message might touch on the
league OF nations question or his own
approaching retirement TO private life,
were disappointed. Mr. Wilson con
fined himself almost wholly to domes-
tie questions. Only by Inference did
his message refer to the nearing close
Of his administration and that was In
the concluding paragraphy. The pro
posals he presented the president
wrote. were not so much a series OF
recommendations as a confession ''of
which II Is my solemn purpose to stand
by until my last fighting day"
Aside from hearing the presidents
message. congress made progress on at
least one Of the problems II faces dur
Ing the brief session. The house re-
ccived rule under which an effort
viii he made tomorrow to take up the
immigration bill for prompt action. II
would limit general debate to four
hours. The two-day interval was al
lowed to permit Representative Siegel
Of New York. member of the immi-
grafton committee. to frame minority
report,
No other matter In either house had
Pm ssed yesterday beyond the commit
tee stage. At both ends of the capital,
however, members We're deep in plans
to deal with business depression. I'M
employment and farmers relief. Dis
cussions In the senate Of the plight of
farmers delayed the reading OF the
presidents message In that body.
place In the presidents message. Re-
covery from war effects gave promise
of early completion only In our own
fortunate country" Mr., Wilson said
and even here "talts and Is impeded
at times" program OF Immediately
serviceahle acts of legislation" TO aid
that recovery land prove the lndestruc.
tlbie recuperative force of great gov
eminent of the people" should he un.
dertaken, Mr.. Wilson said, adding:
zone of these Is to prove that n
great democracy can keep house as
successfully and In ms business like
fashion MS any other government"
First among the recommended steps
Mr.. Wilson placed enactment of q
workable budget system.
He said he had vetoed the bulge,
bill passed at the last session because
Of n constitutional objection" but as
II was later revised In the house h.
believed II would. with other measures
furnish foundations for a nationa
budget system"
Mr.. Wilson cited figures as to tn.
national debt and urged rigid ccono
my In which NIL branches of the gov
eminent should cooperate"
Il cannot over-emphaslze." he said
"the necessity OF economy In govern
ment appropriations and expenditure
and the avoidance by congress of prae
tees which take money from the treas
ury by indefinite or revolving fund ap
preparations"
This years estimates "strikingly
Illustrated the Importance OF specific
appropriations, the president added
the transportation net having dis
turhed" the relationship between eur
rent receipts and expenditures to tn
extent 81 over n billion dollars.
.It is obvious" the message contin
ued, that these large payments hay
already seriously limited the govern
ment's progress in retiring the floating
debt"
Il The president renewed some OF tn
recommendations he made ut the open
. ing OF the last session. and added:
. Il do not feel II my privilege n
present To suggest the detailed an
particular methods by which these nj
jectS may he attained. bat have falt
that the inquiries Of your several con
mittecs will discover the way and tn
method"