The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-06-18
CONGRESS QUITS;
BUDGET BILL DIES
Senate Fails to Act on Measure
Amended to Meet PreSi-
dents Views.
BONUS LEGISLATION FAILS.
Ship Sale Enactment is Signed BY
WiIson-Pay Raise for Post Office
Employees Also Approved-cIos-
ing Hours Unusually Tranquil.

WashingtOn.-The SiXty-SiXth Con-
gress ended its second session adjourn
ing sine die. Unless a grave emer-
gency arises which makes necessary
special session, it will not meet again
until December 6.
The close of the session was marked
by none of the hectic rush that gener-
ally attends a getaway of Congress,
but there was the usual applauding and
cheering in the house chamber after
Speaker Gillett's gayel had released
the members for the first long vaca-
ton Congress has had since the
United States entered the war.
The session of Congress began on
December 1. Important legislation en-
acted during that time included:
The army reorganization bill, pro-
viding for peace time army of $4,000
officers and men, a national guard and
reserve force.
The transportation act, designed to
assist the railroads over the period i'm
mediately 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 and south were thrown
open to development.
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 the forma-
ton Of corporations to finance Ameri-
can export trade.
The civil service retirement bill.
The postal pay increase bill. /
Important measures which failed of
passage Included:
The soldier bonus bill, which was
passed by the house last Saturday
night, but was not taken up by the
senate.
The budget bill, which President Will
son vetoed and which the senate failed
to pass after the house had amended
it to meet the Presidents objection.
The bill to regulate and control the
meat packing industry.
The cold storage bill.
The bill to abolish the housing cor
poration.
The annual river and harbors supply
measure, which was left in conference.
Representative Green of Iowa, who
introduced two bills at the request of
of
visions, said that unfortunately both
bills failed to reach the senate" They
were passed by the house, but did not
get out of the Senate Finance Commit
tee. He says they will undoubtedly
be passed when Congress meets again
in the winter. One of the bills con-
tained some new taxes for personal
service corporations. Although other
corporations following the Supreme
Court decision got back their stock
dividend taxes, the personal service
corporations never contested this point.
1t would be logical, says Mr.. Green, for
them to do so. The new bill, however,
would have instituted a constitutional
tax for corporations of this character.
The other bill contained number of
administrative provisions. 1t also pro-
vided that profits arising from a gift
might be taxed. This was designed to
impose a tax, for instance, upon a
block of stock given by a man to his
wife. Under the existing law the
recipient of the stock pays no tax upon
it, whereas the person who first owned
the gift had to pay this tax. There
were also some provisions in this bill
simplifying taxes upon United States
bonds.
Congress finally passed the water
power bill, which had been pendi~g for
twelve years, but it was killed auto
| matically with the adjournment of
Congress through failure of the Presi-
dent to sign it.
Besides the legislation passed Con-
gress also sent to the President and he
approved sixteen supply measures, car
| rying a total of $2,6SS, 1886, ,143