Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-12-14
SOL0NS BUCKLE
DOWN TO WORK
PRESIDENT WILSON'S ANNUAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS is
READ BY CLERK
CROWDS ARE DISAPPOINTED
Chief Executive Follows Physicians
Advice and Stays at Home.-No
Mention of League Is Made in
Short Communication

washington, Dec. 8. - Both houses
OF congress were in brief session YES
terday to hear President Wilson'S an
nual message. 1t was read by the
clerk, Mr.. Wilson having needed the
advice of his physician not to appear in
person to present his recommends
lions.
Galleries in both senate and house
were crowded. The crowds, drawn by
the. chance that the president might an
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-
tic 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 series of
recommendations as a confession "of
the faith in which l was bred and
which it 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 it faces dur
ing the brief session. The house re-
ceiyed a rule under which an effort
will be made tomorrow to take up the
immigration bin for prompt action. 1t
would limit general debate to four
hours. The two-day interval was al
lowed to permit Representative Siegel
Of New York, a member of the immi-
grafton committee to frame q minority
report.
No other matter in either house had
passed yesterday beyond the commit
tee stage. At both ends of the capital
however, members were 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.
The industrial situation also found a
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 ''halts and is impeded |
at times" program of Immediately
serviceable acts of legislation to aid
that recovery "and prove the indestruc-
tible recuperative force of great gov
eminent OF the people" should be un-
dertaken, Mr.. Wilson said, adding:
zone of these is to prove that
great democracy can keep house as
successfully and in as business like
fashion as any other government"
First among the recommended steps
Mr.. Wilson placed enactment of a
workable budget system.
He said he had vetoed the budget
bill passed at the last session because
Of "a constitutional objection" but as
it was later revised in the house he
believed it would. with other measures,
furnish foundations for national
budget system"
Mr.. Wilson cited figures as to the
national debt and urged rigid econo-
my in which all branches of the gov
should cooperate"
II cannot over-emphasize" he said.
the necessity of economy in govern
nent appropriations and expenditures
md the avoidance by congress of prac-
Ices which take money from the treas
Try by indefinite or revolving fund ap-
This years estimates "strikingly"
Illustrated the importance Of specific
appropriations, the president added,
he transportation act having dis
urbed" the relationship between cur
ent receipts and expenditures to the
xtent Of over a billion dollars.
at is obvious" the message contin-
ed, that these large payments have
lready seriously limited the govern.
nent's progress in retiring the floating
ebt."
The president renewed some of the
he made at the open
az of the last session, and added:
81 do not feel it my privilege at
resent to suggest the detailed and
articular methods by which these OBJ
.cts may he attained, but I have faith
nat the inquiries of your several com
littees will discover the way and the
lethod."