Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-04-29
HEAVY PROGRAM
FOR LAW MAKERS
CONGRESS IS LIKELY TO BE KEPT
sUsY UNTIL SOME TIME
IN AUTUMN.
COLOMBIAN TREATY is FIRST
Reorganization of Government Depart
ments Seems a certainty-DiIIing-
ham immigration Bill, Which Wilson
Killed, Probably Will Pass Again.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Washington. Congress once more is
in session, and it is hard to find a
man here who is optimistic enough
to set the day of adjournment prior
to some happy hour well within the
keeping of the autumn months.
The legislative program still is in
a state Of mix Barring the fact
that the army and navy supply bills
which failed at the last session must
be given consideration, and that an
attempt must be made to secure the
sanction by the senate of the Colon
bian treaty, no one yet knows def
nitely what matters of legislation will
take precedence in the active consid-
GRAFTON of the law makers.
Some of the things to be done are
known, but just when they will be
done is unknown. There will be a re-
organization of the government de-
partments, but when this matter will
be taken up it is impossible today to
say. A bill has been introduced by
Senator Medill Mccormick of Illinois
to accomplish the department. reorgan-
ization, and it is possible that the Nc
Cormick measure may prevail, but it
seems more likely today that it simly
will be the basis of the legislation.
The Mccormick measure abolishes
the Interior department and creates
IN Is, ,o1o n re rNf
government, to be known as the
Department of Public Works and the
other as the Department of Public
Welfare. If this measure shall go
through, the Department Of Public
Works will include all the engineering
and building services which are now
parts of various departments Of gov
eminent. The Department Of Public
Welfare will include all welfare agen-
cies, like the public health service, war
risk insurance, pensions, vocational
training, and the chilrden'S bureau.
Good Roads and immigration.
1t is probable that before congress
adjourns good roads legislation will be
enacted. There are two groups of
opinion in the matter of good roads.
The members Of one group insist that
federal aid for good roads shall be
continued by matching federal dollars
against state dollars in equal numbers
in the general plans for Improvement.
The other group desires a national sys-
tenn of highways to be constructed and
maintained wholly by federal money
and authority.
The immigration bill, which was pre-
vented from becoming a law by a
pocket veto," will be called up by
it's advocates as early as possible in
the new, session 1t is probable that
the measure introduced by Senator
Dillingham; Of Vermont will be re-
passed without much change, unless
the great number of new members who
have just entered congress shall alter
the aspect of things and insist upon
what men call more libertal bill.
The Dillingham; measure. as it
passed the senate and was agreed to
by the house, limits immigration from
any one country in any one year to
three per cent of that country's nation
ais now residing in America. 1t is
said that an attempt will be made to
increase the limit to five per cent.
There is going to be struggle over
the navy bill, for the reason that the
question of disarmament is certain to
come up Senator Borah, it is known,
will seek to minimize the appropria-
lions for battleships. Both President
Harding and the secretary of the navy
believe that there should be no change
In the navy building program.
Taxation and Tariff.
Revision of the taxation laws will
occupy much time in congress. One
writer has called tariff and tax re-
vision legislative twins, because of
their quality in Importance and in
magnitude" It is not known definite
", even today, just which will have
the right of way over the other.
1t is virtually certain that the Ford
ney tariff measure, which it is claimed
will give the farmers of the country
relief, will be passed without much de-
lay, and with little or no change from
the form in which it passed congress
at the last session. 1t is said, how
ever, that some of the Senate leaders
now wish to amend the bill to elm
mate some Of the features which
marked it when it was foreseen that
President Wilson intended to veto it.
There will be an attempt to grant
free passage through the Panama
canal to vessels engaged in coastwise
trade, and in fact to ali vessels of the
United States merchant marine Sena-
tor Jones of Washington and some
other members of the senate committee
on commerce insist that the exemp-
ton which once was allowed should be
put into force again by means of new
legislation.
There are possibilities of protracted
debate in all of the greater subjects
which congress will take up for con-
siGeration within the next few months.
Soldier Relief Certainty.
Now that President Harding, on
the strength of the report of
the commission on soldier relief, has
WORDS OF WISE MEN.