Evening star., 1921-01-16
The Senate
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Prices of coal and proposals that
the government have supervision
in certain particulars Of the coal
industry in order to prevent
profiteering in coal will occupy the
attention of two committees Of the
Senate during the coming week.
The Calder committee on recon-
structfon and production plans to
have before it anthracite coal men,
and also to look into the charges
for anthracite coal by the dealers
in the National Capital.
The Senate manufactures COM
mittee. headed by Senator La Fol-
sideration to the bill drafted by the
Calder committee for government
supervision of the coal industry.
Hearings on this bill will be held
for only three days, Tuesday. We'd
nesday and Thursday, and on Fri
day the committee will get down
to work on the bill itself. with the
idea of perfecting it, If it requires
perfecting, and reporting it to the
Senate without delay.
Emergency Tarin Report.
The Fordney emergency tariff
has been completed by the Senate
finance committee. and will be re-
ported to the. Senate probably to-
morrow. In view OF the demo-
cratic opposition to the measure
there is practically no chance of it's
passing the Senate before March
4. when the session ends. 1t has
been loaded down with amendments
in the Senate committee, which
Will make its passage still more
difficult.
The Senate finally passed the so
called nitrate bill on Friday after
couple of weeks of debate. This
bill would provide for continued
government operation of the nj
trate plants built by the govern
ment at Muscle Shoals, Ala, dur
ing the war. There was strenuous
opposition to the bill in the SEN
ate on the part of republicans.
Four of them. however, Joined
with the democrats to put the bill
through. on the ground that these
plants would provide fertilizer for
the farmers Of the country. 1t is
believed the bill has little chance
OF getting through the House at
the present session.
District Appropriation.
The District APPROXIMATION hill
is the unfinished business of the
Senate. and will come up for con-
s1deration tomorrow. when it is
expected to pass. Senator Phelan
OF California has motion pending
to reconsider the vote by which the
Senate Friday put through a reso-
luton to curtail the strength Of the
Regular Army to 100000 enlisted
men, and will press for action on
it. He holds with Gen. Pershing
and Secretary Of War Baker that the
Army should not be reduced below
10000. 1t has now been re-
cruited up to about 223.OO0 men.
Another pending motion to re-
consider action by the Senate,
pending upon which action will
be sought this week. is the La
Toilette motion to reconsider the
vote by which the Senate passed
the Poindexter anti-strike bill.
It is understood that Senator
sideration so that the bill may be
considered in the Senate. but he
will insist upon q vote being taken
on the measure.
When the foreign relations COM
mittee meets. Senator Borah will
ask that action be taken upon
his resolution looking to a reduc-
ton in the naval programs of the
United States. Great Britain and
Japan.
Senators who have opposed
elaborate inaugural ceremonies at
the time President-elect Harding
takes the oath Of office have had
their way. and at the request of
Mr.. Harding. the plans for a Gel
ebration have been called of. The
joint congressional committee 10
now planning for a simple cere-
mony on the east front of the
Capitol, the only ceremony that is
to take place.