The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-04-08
CONGRESS FACING
MANY PROBLEMS
Expects First to Deal
With Real Domestic
Problems
WILL OPEN WITH A ROW
Borah, Johnson and Follow
crS Plan Fight Against
Colombian Treaty

WAHIIINtION. ANN g.. Neat
wtok congress viii hc In cNtuor-
diuHry session to consider thr Vts
domestic policies OF rcadjuaimcuiI
reduction of wage scales and freight
rates. fl bring conditions down io|
an aftnr-ih'.var level ana th, r,.|
Vision of the taxation nud tapif
laws ON tho international side the
important questions concern the for
nation of a policy looking 10 uI
declaration uf peace with Germany
In the recess since the close of
the last session. a period ~ ltuy
over a month. tho republican leaders
have hocn preparing tnrirf lcgisia
tom FOR early consideration after.
April II. Whilc President Harding
aud the state department have had
ampl" opportunity reinforced 10y the
visit OF NJ. Niviaui, to learn Of the
FrVE ut Europe Ha TO peace and tho
treatment our allies expect Of ua
toward Germany and rcparntious
knoN dissolution May wait.
Indications today are that tho do
nestle questions viii absorb the.
early days of tho extra session with
The possibility that tho Knox rcso-
luton declaring the war with Ger.
mSry at an end viii appear I'm th"
senate and he made the bnsis of
the formation of foreign policy.
Those who arc familiar with the
trend OF events do not look for
early action ON this resolution, be-
lcying that the senate viii delay
its consideration until President
Harding has Indicated his complete
program on pence, which might In
clude the Knox resolution. II is
generally believed that there will bc
conference hero this summer OF
fut 40 la,
consider the disarmament question.
and that this will include thc entire
peace situation, complicated by our
failure to accept the Versailles
treaty.
1t is now reasonably certain that
domestic matters. such az the adjust
mcnt OF tho high railroad wage
scale and excessive freight rates,
viii assume commanding import
aucc. aud that this question will
get into congress IN some shape or
other. There will be an invcatiga-
tiUn by the senate interstate com
mcrce committee. of which Senator
Cummlus ~ chairman, OF railroad
rates and railroad operating eN-
ponscs. II IL very generally be
levcd that until transportation rates
ana wages and operating expenses
arc readjustcd there can be no re-
turn to normal conditions or any APP
proclable decline in living costs.
There seems TO be no definite pol
10y agreed upon by the republicans
as to the tariff and taxation pro-
gram, although there have been
many conferences between the
house and senate leaders aud be
tween them and President Harding.
The house plan appears To he the
re-enactmcnt OF the farmers omor-
gcncy tariff bill vetoed by President
Wilson, to be followed Immediately
by the passage of an anti-dumping
bill and an amendment to the tn-
dcrwood tariff law, placing an
American valuation upon imports
All these. except the last named. can
be passed I'm the house without much
trouble, because they have already
gone through that body. There are
40 democrats who will desert their
party, as they did In the last ses-
sion. TO vote for the emergency
tariff bill.
Senate for Revision OF Taxes.
In the senate the republican lead
ers. never strongly tavoring an
emergency tariff, insist that all this
emergency legislation shall be com
bined in one bill. This course will
probably be followed, ON the other
hand. there Is n movement In tn"
senate TO sidetrack the enactment
OF a permanent tariff bill until
taxation revision has been accom-
plished, although the house intends
to report a permanent tariff bin as
soon as the emergency legislation is
out OF the way.
There IS a movement under way
10 influence President Harding to
recommend direct TAXATION revision
ahead OF permanent tariff. Those
behind this plan argue that the
emergency legislation viii be ample
protection for a year or SO, dcclnr-
Ing that the prosperity of the coun-
try is moro dependent upon relief
from wartime taxation than on an
Increase In the tariff schedules, They
say that II ~ doubtful whether high
or custom duties Will have the Of
feet OF stimulating trade and ike
wise an opportunity viii be had In
the emergency tariff to test out the
workings OF changed duties
President Harding Ia expected TO
take definite stand upon these
controversies in his first message TO
congress, While no announcement
has been made. II * understood that
MIR. Harding viii follow Mr.. WILSON, s
custom and read his message 10 con-
grcss IN Joint session.
Congress To Open with Row.
Congress will open with a repuh-
lican row in the senate over tho
Colombian treaty, sent to that body
last month by President nardiug
Republican opposition, led hy Sen
ator Bornh and supported 10y half a
dozen others, is 40 strong at present
as 10 forecast a bitter fight over tho
treaty itself, but the first fight will
start when those republicans who
favor open GNsslon OF treaties will
demand its consideration I'm open
session instead Of behind closed
doors.
1t was announced tonight by re
publican opponents of the Nraty
that 90 republican senators had
agreed to vote for public cousldera-
tion of the treaty and that nearly at
the democrats would Join them. ON,
democratic leader said that the re
publicans had forced open consid
Grafton OF the Versailles treaty IN
order to be able to attack Prcsidcu
Wilson and the precedent havinl
been established IN that case. tn,