Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-06-12
CONGRESS ADJOURNS
AND MANY BILLS DIE
What Was Accomplished
During Session of 66th
Congress Is Shown.

winding up its affairs Saturday and
taking adjournment at 1 o'clock Pres
ident Wilson was devoting almost his
entire time to signing bills. Some
measures enacted, however, were not
reached by him before the hour OF
adjournment, and automatically died
under the law prohibiting the execu.
tive from passing on legislation while
congress is not in session.
The exodus of senators and repre-
sentatives began almost Immediately
after adjournment. Many republicans
of both houses headed for Chicago TO
attend their party convention there.
The house was in a restless mood
Saturday, and efforts OF many mem
bers TO have taken up special bills
failed. Near the close the house set
tied down to give close attention to
the addresses of Representatives Mon
dell and Garrett.
Mr.. Mondell declared this congress
had made a saving of $2,374,460,817
Eight appropriation bills that passed
the house i'll the siXty-fifth congress
but failed in the senate filibuster were
reduced $9fO,510,5SS, he said, and the
estimates submitted by the govern
ment departments for the next fiscal
year were reduced by $1,433, S50,21S
Several laws were cited by Mr.. Mon
dell as constituting a record un-
equaled in American history" He in
cluded the transportation act, the
woman suffrage amendment, the mer-
chant marine bill, the mineral land
leasing bill, the waterpower act, the
civil service retirement measure, the
Volstead prohibition enforcement law,
the extension of the wartime food con-
troll act to punish profiteering, the re-
peal of practically all war laws, and
other measures.
Referring to the republican applause
which followed Mr.. Mendells speech,
Mr.. Garrett said the republican leader
had spoken ito the only audience in
the United States where his speech
could receive applause"
He declared it was absurd" to say
that the work of this congress meas
ured up to any of the past"
Turning to the republican side, Mr.
Gorrott continued.
You seldom paused in the midst of
doing nothing except to do something
worse"
Declaring that this congress had
been IAN absolutely humiliating and
shameful failure" Mr.. Garrett said no
new tax laws except some popgun
measures" had been passed, and that
the reduction Of estimates wAieA-the-
republicans called savings has been
made by every congress in the last
twenty-five years.
1--WE can not concur" he concluded,
'in a word of praise, because in spirit
you know, and the country knows, this
congress has been a humiliating fail
ure"
This session of congress began Dec.
l. Important legislation enacted in
cludes:
The army reorganization bill, pro-
Hding for a peacetime army Of 297,-
900, a national guard and a reserve
force.
The transportation act, designed to
assist the railroads over the period
Immediately following their return to
private control last March 1.
The oil leasing bill, by which thou
sands of acres Of oil and mineral lands
in the West were thrown open for de-
velopment.
The merchant marine bill, providing
for the ultimate sale of the vast gov
ernment-owned merchant fleet.
The Sterling anti-sedition act and
the Johnson bill providing for the de-
portation and exclusion of dangerous
aliens.
The Edge bill authorizing formation
of corporations to finance American
export trade.
The civil service retirement bill.
Important measures which failed to
pass included:
The soldier bonus bill, passed by the
house last Saturday night and not TAX
en- up by the senate.
The budget bill, which President
Wilson vetoed and the senate failed
to pass after the house had amended
it to meet his objections.
The bill to regulate and control the
meat packing industry.
The bill to abolish the housing cor
poration
The annual rivers and harbors sup
ply measure, left in conference.
The cold storage bills
Congress finally passed the water
power bill. pending for II years, but
it was killed automatically with ad-
journment through the failure of the
president to sign it.
=. Besides the legislation passed, con-
gress also sent to the president and
he approved Is supply measures, car
rying $2,6SS,3S5,143. Permanent APP
Dropriation bills of a total of S1,492,-
600 900 also were passed and approved.
81 70 sci ~