The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-18
CONGRESS IS
TO RESTRICT
Immigration
Says Mark Sullivan Evi-
dence Shows Necessity of
Bar-Budget Bill Passage
Almost Certain.
TO RELIEVE BACKBONE
By MARK SULLIVAN

gone far enough to make it possible to
survey it as whole and see what is
about to come out. There is, first OF
all, the appreciation bills, the passage
of these is the main business of the
session. Probably most Of them will
be passed, but anyone who has follow
ed previous sessions of congress will
not be surprised if at the end of the
session some of them have not been
passed, and left over for action by the
special session that Senator Harding
will call Immediately after he has be-,
come president.
In addition, it is certain that a num-
ber of wartime measures will be re-
pealed, the repeal of a law usually in.
wolves less trouble than the passage
of new one and this is especially
true of wartime legislation. Other
than this, it is apparent that there are
three measures that have the greatest
chance of success in the present
session.
Budget Bill Certain.
One Is the budget bill.
This legislation, which goes under
rather colorless name, is one of the
most important bills that has emerged
from congress in recent years. In
that within the field of good manage
ment of the government, the budget
bill Is exceeded in importance by only
one law passed since the Civil war,
namely the Federal Reserve act.
The budget bill represents literally
years of work and effort in it's per-
fected form. 1t was passed by both
houses with constitutional objection.
Later congress amended the bill to
meet this objection and repassed it.
The senate, however, adjourned before
getting around to reconsideration
Leadership In Favor.
In the present session of congress
the weight of leadership in favor of
the prompt passage of the bill has
been overwhelmingly and easily rec
ognizable, and it was one of the COM
paratiyely few things alluded to by
President Wilson in his message.
President Wilson said that the bill
had been amended to meet his consti
tutional objection and urged that it be
passed in it's amended form.
Although President-elect Harding
gave his endorsement to large num-
ber of measures, he refused to put
himself on record in favor of any ex-
cept the budget bill He took the
ground that he ought not to attempt
to influence the present session of
congress but was willing to make an
exception regards the bcdget bill urg-
ing that it be passed.
Passage Almost Certain.
With the weight of this leadership
in both parties, it may be assured that
the budget bill will be in operation
within a reasonable time this is one
of the most satisfying things possible
to accord in the field of recent legisla-
ton. 1t would be hard to be extravag-
ant in describing the influence and i'm
portance of this measure.
Two other subjects have engaged
the attention of congress to such a de-
gree that it is reasonably certain that
some action will be taken on them,
one is immigration. The overwhelm
ing sentiment in the lower house of
crease restriction of immigration.
May Bar immigration.
The members of the House have
been warned by score Of signs that
America seems to be faced with an
influx OF immigration which both as
regards quantity and quality, involves
a menance. Evidence has piled up on
evidence Of this fact. 1t has come
from individual members Of Congress
who have studied personally the
situation at its sources. From New
York grand jury. which pointed out
the menace involved in the mass of
immigrants and from other sources,
notably from newspapermen and
others now in Europe, who have
written letters describing the charac-
ter of the immigration that is now
setting out for America and the trick
cry and fraud that are practiced to
get passports and other undesirable
results Of the exodus just preparing to
leave Europe, that congress has been
impressed by these signs is clear.
The senate seems somewhat less re-
spcnsive than House but the senate
also feels the necessity Of immigration
restriction.
Farm Relief Probable.
The one other subject that Is very
much to the fore in the minds Of man.
ayers of congress is financial relief
for farmers and others who are en-
tarrassed by falling prices on this
point there is sharp conflict between
congress and the one hand and the
treasury department.
When the fall of prices began late
ir, the summer, delegations OF farmers.
lSdueTS OIL ldI III vi anu
politicians representing the farmers
? appeared before the secretary of the
treasury and asked for some form of
relief that would enable them to get
credit with which necessary TO carry
their goods until proper time VIXEN
they mieht be able to get better
prices. The secretary of the treasury
took the ground that he could do
nothing under the law as it now
stands. and further took the ground
that it was undesirable to do any
thing.
He said that he cause of the decline
in prices was factor beyond the con-
troll Of the treasury and beyond the
control of any one else He said that
the chief cause of the decline in
prices was the cessation of huge buy
ing by govern ments at war on base of
any price the sellers might ask. the
resumption OF certain amount of in
Continued on Page Fourteen)