The Washington herald., 1920-12-06
WILSON STILL
UNDECIDED ON
CONGRESSTALK
All Is Ready on Capitol Hill
For Today's Short
Session.
PRESS OF LEGISLATION
Impending Advent of New
Administration May Halt
Finances.
PRESS OF LEGISLATION

The final session of the sixty
sixth Congress convenes at
o'clock today for a three mohths
session which will expire automat-
icaIly at IL o'clock on March =, lS- l,
when the new administration elected
at the polls on November = assumes
the reins of government. .,,,
The first days session IN potn
Houses will be devoted TO organize
tion which is expected to consume
very little time, after which ad1ouI
nent will be taken to await the
Presidents annual message. rms
will be presented Immediately tol-
lowing the convocatiOn on Tuesday.
Up to a late hour last night II was
not known, even to the Presidents $
closest friends and advisers at the
White House, whether Mr.. wilson
would appear at the Capitol IN per-
son or send his address by messen-
ger. II the latter his message VIII
be read by the clerk of each body.
Routine Matters Today.
So far as surface indications go.
there will be nothing irregular IN
the oreanization today. All officers
Of the previous session will be re-
elected. virtually without opposi-
ton. In the Senate, Senator Lodge
will continue to lead the majority
and Senator Underwood will be Sc
lected to head the minority.
In the House Speaker Gillett, Re
publican Floor Leader Mondell and
Democratic Floor Leader Champ
Clark are expected ito continue to
serve in their respective positions
until the session expires.
One of the first steps to be taken
in both Houses will be the appoint
ment of committees to wait upon
President Wilson with the informa-
tion that Congress is Eeassembled
and that it awaits his instructions.
To Select Wilson Committee.
Senator Lodge and Senator Under
wood will be named on this COM
mittee in the Senate in accordance
with the usual custom of selecting
the majority and minority leaders
for this post. and Representatives.
MondeIl and Clark will be appointed
in the House.
The next step in the House will
be the uonlinaticn BY Floor Leader
Mondell, as chairman of the Com
uittee on Committees, of seven Re-
publican members, chosen Saturday
by the committee, for membership
on the new Appropriations &c n
mittee. enlarged to confol m to me
budget sytsem-
This session of Congress, accdrd-
ing to statements made by various
leaders in both bodies. will be de-
voted exclusively to the passage
of appropriation measures. with the
hope of getting them out-of the way
in time. so that the incoming ad-
ministraticn will be able to give its
entire time to the consideration Of
general legislation along the lines
of the Republican program.
Doubt IL IL Can Be Completed.
Whether these desires will be ac-
complished is extremely doubtful
Never since the inception of the So
called billion dollar appropriation
bills" has Congress been able 20
complete action on supply measures
before June and frequently they have
run past the end of the fiscal year
ending June 80, and it has been
necessary to enact continuing legis-
lation to enable the government de-
partments to function.
Nor is there assurance that the
program will not be intruded upon
by general legislative measures
whose importance cannot be over
looked and upon which there is a
general and insistent demand on
the part of the public for action in
order to relieve evils that have be-
come unbearable during the wars
aftermath.
Already the farmers of the Middle
West are demanding in no uncertain
tones the passage of some sort Of
relief legislation that will make II
worth while to harvest crops now
Totting in the field because of de-
preston u prices.
Demand Tax Revision.
Again a rumbling is heard, which
is said to have behind it the infiu-
ence of Senator Boies Penrose. for
the repeal of the excess profits tax
and the revision of taxation legis-
lation generally.
Many Senators and Representa-
tives, in addition. have pet" meas
ures of their own for the relief of
this or that desperate situation -
who will bring all possible influence
10 bear for action during the short
session.
Another factor which. perhaps, is
more important than all others in
connection with the passage of ap-
preparation bills before March 4, Is
the attitude of individual Republi-
can Senators and Representatives.
who will recall vividly the action of
the Democrats during the short
session beginning in December of
1912, when Taft was still President
and the Democrats were in control
of Congress.
II the rancor. still embedded in
the hearts Of those members who
went through that session is still
strong enough to control. they will
pass no supply bills until after
March 4.
They will demand that the Demo-
cratic Cabinet heads who are ask
ing for money to run their respect
i've departments for the fiscal year
beginning on July l be curbed until
the Harding administration assumes
power. when new department heads
doubtless will inaugurate new poll
i6ies.
If a different form of action is
taken. the Republicans in power will
scale down the estimates and pro-
vide for the barest needs Of the
different departments. When the Re-
publican executives come into power
they will be invited to submit, sup
Elemental estimates.
Appropriations for the operation
Of certain bureaus requested by the
Democrats, in this event. would be
turned down entirely only to allow
the same appropriation on the re-
quest of the new Republican Cab
met officers, and possibly in larger
amounts