The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-06
TALKING SPECIAL
SESSION IN MARCH
Republicans Want to Tackle
Domestic Problems
at Once
SHORT SESSION
FOR APPROPRIATIONS

Budget Bill May Be Pressed at Regular
Session - Strong for Retrenchment
to Be Started at Once-May Reduce
Government Employees.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6.-That there
viii be a special session of congress early
in March next is indicated by Republi-
can leaders. who say that the party can
not safely undertake the revision of the
taxation and tariff laws during the re
naming months of the Wilson admins
tration. The short session, beginning
Dee. and ending by limitation on
March 4. will be devoted largely to the
consideration of the annual appropria-
ton bills and perhaps the passage of a
resolution declaring the war at an end.
The first thing that will be pressed
at the next session will be a budget bill
to replace the measure which President
Wilson vetoed, because, he said. it in
fringed upon executive prerogatIves.
I While the budget measure proper was de-
feated and there will be no comprehen-
sive budget presented by President VIII
son as contemplated, the house amended
it's rules to provide for a general COM
mittee of u members, which will con-
slider all appropriations. This committee
will probably function unless the house
should repeal the resolution on the
ground that the creation of the commit
tee is unnecessary without budget,
Arrangements, however, have been
made to consider all appropriations by
this general committee, which will be
made up. it is believed, of the ranking
members of the other thirteen commit
tees which now deal with appropriations
for the different departments of govern
ment.
While little in the way of remedial
| legislation may be undertaken in the
coming session. there will be a strong
move for retrenchment. The Republi-
can party in its platform is committed
to a reduction of places. and if its pledges
are to become effective ii will be neces-
Sary to reduce the salary roll greatly.
Republican leaders who do not want
to be annoyed by demands for places are
advising that the pruning should be done
at this session. so that the places to be
abolished win be done away with before
the party assumes fun control of the gov
eminent In the Chicago platform it
was declared that the annual expenses
of the federal government can be reduced
hundreds of millions of dollars without
impairing the efficiency of the public ser
vice"
The platform pledges the party to re-
adj iustment to a peace-tine basis and a
10000 federal employees have been
dropped since the signing Of the arms
tice. and today there are over 10000
employees in Washington, as against 3d.
600 before the war. 1t is generally be-
lieyed that the employees can be reduced
to 10000 without injury to the public
service.
Republican leaders say that the spec
ial session must devote itself entirely to
domestic questions. They are hopeful
that the treaty dispute will come before
this session and that some basis of COM
promise will be reached 50 that there
will not be an endless debate which will
again sidetrack legislation on important
domestic problems.
There will be plenty of problems
to command the earnest consideration of
the next congress and the new admins
tration. First of all the party is pledged
to a revision of the taxation laws a SIM
plification of the income tax return sys-
TEN, and the creation of a tax board.
The party leaders have also promised
that the excess profit tax shall be re-
pealed and instead of it will be a sales
tax or some more direct tax on con-
sumption. Both parties were pledged
to the adjustment of this tax and there
fore an attempt may be made to repeal
it in the coming session, although the
disposition of the majority leaders is to-
DELAY the consideration of all tax and
tarlH matters until the special session,
when n Republican president will be-
called upon to pass upon measures that
congress may enact.
None of the Republican senator's who
hold chairmanships except Senator
Gronna. chairman of the committee on
agriculture. was defeated so the senate
should easily organize in the special ses-
sion and carry on its work. Senator
Penrose who is chairman of the finance
committee while seriously i'll. has re-
covered to great extent. and his physi-
clans say that he will be able to return
to Washington in December but must
forego arduOus work.
STICK TO THE ISSUE. .