The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-11
IN LONG SESSION
Both Houses Hurry Thru For
malities of Opening.
More Than Hundred New Mem
berS Sworn In.
WILL BE TARIFF, SESSION
GilIett Reelected Speaker of
= HOuse-VOte PCS to 122.
Senate Beats House Getting
Ready for Business.

H.
seventh congress today sent word to
President Harding that in response to
his summons, it was in session and
was prepared to Rear from him what
in his judgment it should do Cor the
good of the Union.
The session of the house and SEN.
ate, in response to Harding's procIa-
nation of March %, got under way
promptly at noon. Fifteen minutes
later the senate, fully organized and
ready for business, recessed until 2.30
to give the house time to swear in
new members and elect officers.
New Bills Held Up.
Senators eager to begin introducing
bills sought the floor as soon as the
purely formal organization was com
pleted, but Senator Lodge, Republi-
can leader, blocked them by declaring
it was not proper to proceed to any
business until after the president was
notified that congress was ready to
hear from him. -'-'--f
Thus the new congress started out
by adopting the policy of giving Hard
ing the first word ~ peace with Ger.
many, tariff and tax revision. and the
: many other questions which are to
. come before the legislators.
kansan Seated Over Protest.
2 The house. by a straight party vote.
seated Richard E.. Bird, Repub lican
of Kansas, over the protest of Repre-
sentative Flood, Democrat, Virginia
Flood said Bird, in a swor1. statement,
has admitted spending more than
/ $4,000 in his campaign, whereas
$4,000 is the maximum allowed by
law
Flood moved appointment of a
{ special investigating committee to in
. quire into the case. Republican
Leader M0ndell moved as a substi-
tute that Bird be seated and the house
agreed.
Holmes o. BLrsum. New Mexico.
and Peter Norbeck, South Dakota,
were sworn in as senators. The usual
formal resolutions notifying the house
and the president were adopted and
Lodge then moved a recess.
Senator Hitchcock. acting Demo-
cratic leader, asked whether the
= house would be able to organize in
that time. Lodge said Representative
to conclude organization i1f two hours.
Miss Robertson Is Sworn.
In the house. Miss Alice Robertson,
! congresswoman from Oklahoma, who
took her seat today, enlivened things a
trifle by treating" male members of
the house from a box of candy.
Miss Robertson, keenly interested,
stopped munching caramels as the
= session opened, She wore a, Mrs.
r Harding blue" dress and carried a
< large bouquet of red roses. some of
which she pinned on lapels of men
from her state.
Miss Robertson was given generous
applause when she first appeared on
the floor. Representative Gillett was
chosen speaker of the house over
Claud Kitchin, North Carolina, Dem
O. ocrat.
Phe vote was 298 to 1872. Uncle
Joe" Cannon administered the oath of
office to Gillett.
Adoption of rules. the swearing in
of members. appointment of commit
tee memberships already decided and
selection of a committee to wait on
President Harding occupied but a few
minutes in the house.
The senate, having already gone
thru many of these formalities, spent
'seyen a briefer time in session.
i Tariff Bill Up Tuesday.
I Tomorrow the consideration of
tariff matters, which leaders have de-
cided to make the first business of
the session, will begin.
e More than a hundred new members
made their appearance today. Their
relatives and friends here to see them
begin their congressional career,
formed a large part of the crowds
switch filled the galleries in the house
and senate.
One of the most overwhelmi Re
publican congresses in years will thus
Suphold one of the first tenets of the
Republican party = the protective
ariff.
= May Be Long Session.
s. Foreign relations. the railroads,
Soldier relief, naval policy and a score
of other problems are threatening the
hopes of Republican leaders that the
session which opens today will be able
to quit by autumn. 1t may be forced
10 continue until the time which the
next December. Only formalities were
scheduled for today
The house will organize by swear
ing in new members and re-electing
present officers, including Speaker
Gillett.
s. In the senate. the first session will
be even shorter.
Both branches will name a Joint
committee to formally notify President
Harding that congress is in session and
awaiting any communication he may
have.
~ Harding Message Tuesday. ~
t Tomorrow Harding will appear be-
fore joint session with his first mes
sage. and then the business of con-
gress will start in earnest.
After Hardings message, the house
\ starts debate on the revised Fordney
emergency tariff bill. Framed to pro-
tect farmers from competition with
. imported products. the bill will be in
Produced today in the form that it was
vetoed by former President Wilson a
little more than a month ago.
II The first business in the senate will
be the Colombian treaty
~ The second woman member of con-
-gresS Will be sworn in today. She is
Miss Alice Robertson of Oklahoma. q
Republican like Miss jeanette Rankin,
the first woman member.
3 STRAWBERRIES BY EXPRESS.
Fifth Carload From South Arrives in
Topeka Today.
The fifth carload of fresh straw