Milford chronicle., 1920-11-19
PREDICT EARLY CALL
TO new CONGRESS
SPECIAL SESSION is EXPECTED TO ACT
ON THE REVISION OF TAXATION
AND TARIFF PLEDGES.
WANT TREATY OUT OF WAY
BUT BTTTER-ENDERS OBSTRUCTION
THREATENS PLANS FOR AN EARLY
COMPROMISE.


of Congress early in March next is
indicated by Republican leaders, who
says that the party cannot safely un-
dertake the revision of the taxation
and tariff laws during the remaining
months of the Wilson Administration.
The short session, beginning Dec 6
and ending by limitation on March
4, will be devoted largely to the con-
sideration of the annual appropriation
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 infringed upon executive per-
ogatives. While the budget measure
proper was defeated and there will be
no comprehensive budget presented
by President Wilson as contemplated,
the House amended its rules to pro-
vide for a general committee of
twenty-one members, which will con-
slider all appropriation. This COM
mittee will probably function unless
the House should repeal the resoiu-
ton on the ground that the creation
of the committee is unnecessary
without a budget.
Arrangements, however, have Deen
made to consider all appropriations Dy
this general committee, which Will pc
made up, it is believed, of the rank
ing members of the other thirteen
committees which now deal with ap-
preparations for the different depart
ments of government.
Retrenehment to be Sought
While little in the way or remed-
ial legislation may be undertaken in
the coming session, there will be
strong move for retrenchment. The
Republican Party in its platform is
committed to a reduction of places,
and if its pledges are to become ell
fectiye it will be necessary to re-
duce the salary roll greatly.
Republican leaders who do not
want to be annoyed by demands for
places are advising that the pruh-
ing should be done at this session, SO
that the places to be abolished VIII
be done away with before the party
assumes full control of the Govern
ment. In the Chicago platform II was
declared that 1.-The annaul expenses
of the Federal Government can be re-
duced hundreds of millions of dollars
without impairing the efficiency OF the
public service"
The platform pledges the party TO
readjustment to a peace-time OASIS
and a policy of rigid economy. FEWER
than 10000 Federal employees nave |
been dropped since the signing OF the
armistice, and today there are over
10000 employees in Washington, as
against $4,000 before the war. 1t Is
generally believed that the employees
can be reduced to $4,000 without in
Jury to the public service.
Republican leaders say that the
special session must devote itself en-
tirely to domestic questions. They are
hopeful that the treaty dispute Will
come before this session and that
some basis of compromise will be
reached so that there will not be an
endless debate which will again side
track legislation on important domes-
tic problems.
The Republican Senate will find it
self confronted by virtually the same
opposition to the League OF Nations
as existed at the last session, and un-
less a compromise is arrived at the
debate that would follow the return
of the treaty to the Senate would
keep it before the Senate to the eX-
clusion of almost everything else.
IrrecOncilables More Potent
Many Republican Senators say that
the people of the country do not want
to enter the League of Nations, ana
acting upon that conclusion a move
l. A1,l fTen n
group to force through a resolution
declaring war at an end, so as 10
bring about the repeal of about Sixty
war regulations. Those who appar- ,
emily speak with some authority in
the Republican Party look for the !,
abandonment of the League of Ma
tions and the working out of an as !,
sociation that will meet with the ap- +,
proval of the irreconcilable group,
which will be stronger in the next
Senate than in the present one.
There will be plenty of problems to I
the earnest consideration OF
the next Congress and the new Ad-
First of the taxation i
laws. a sinnliti esa.ttiG;i 0ff the inUUme
tax return system, and the creation t
of a tax board. The party leaders o
have also promised tndl tuS SAScSS Z
profits tax shall be repealed and in n
stead of it will be sales tax or some c
more direct tax on consumption. Both y
parties were pledged to the abolish 9
ment of this tax and therefore an at =
tempt may be made to repeal it in the
coming session, although the DISPOSE
ton of the majority leaders is to de- o
lay the consideration of all tax and W
.ariff matters until the special sess- u
on, when a Republican President VIII :"
,e called upon to pass upon measures
hat Congress may enact. dl
None of the Republican Senators o.
Who hold chairmanships except Sena- G
or Gronna, Chairman of the Commit in
zee on Agriculture, was defeated, SO ii
he Senate should easily organize in
he special session and carry on It's b.
york. Senator Penrose, who is Chair re-
nan of the Finance Committe, while
ill, has recovered to great tu
xtent, and his physicians say that he u!
will be able to return to Washington OF
n December but must forego ardu- W
'us work. la
~ Observation-Disclosures 81