Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-05
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
Especial to The Bulletin. }

the merchant marine ball by the house carried out the predictions that New England would back the bill, although at the last moment two Massa chusetts republicans slid over to the enemy, aft CT what was apparently week of hesi- tancy. They were Andrews and Ma
 loney, of Lawrence. There wasn't much
 surprise expressed here at the defection of Mal6ney from straight party liheSup, the eleventh hour decision of Andrews
 was shock to those New England men
 who knew how completely the district he represents is interested in shipping.
 To have voice from the Gloucester sec tion of Massachusetts raised in protest of anything that will advai1ee shipping | interests "as a dangerous precedent" caused much comment. Andrews not only voted against the measure, but spoke against 1t, few minutes before
 Massachusetts voted against the bill. Otherwise the New England delegation
 stood as a unit for it. Hersey of Maine
 said he should have voted against it had
 not the prohibition section of the bill | been included in it's final framing. In lfact New England has been largely in
 the foreground the past week Walsh
 of Massachusetts has kept the senate busy listening to resolutions or proposed | dCLlOnS. t10 WIaCheU away dL lLAC IAu
 Klux Klan and urged the president to interfere; he stated he should urge the
 passage of a merchant marine bill and | is taking the lead in framing amend
 ments or a substitute bill that he be
 lieves will get additional votes from the democrats to help put the measure through. He declined to be considered
 as the democratic floor leader in place l of Underwood, who has made it known N4 Sarx iY1 hat po.
 pacity, after the close of the present
 session.
 I 1t was Greene, of Massachusetts
 chairman, and White of Maine, high up 1 member of the committee, who sat at the leaders table and pushed through the marine legislation; it was Tilsoh, of Connecticut, who was called on By the Il speaker to preside over the tumultuous hotise all during the debate on the bill
 All republican members Of the New !I England delegation supported that meas :. ure by voice and vote except Andrews and Maloney and much credit of hay ing passed that measure rests square ly on the shoulders of men from that
 section of the country. It is believed the bill will pass the senate at an early date, unless the democrats decided to !. filibuSter and hold up appropriation bills in the same manner as they did with the tanti-lynching bill as a weapon, unless the merchant marine bill Is side track ed at their pleasure. In that case it is impossible to predict the outcome. The merchant marine advocates won't } yield willingly, but it Is an open qtes- ton whether or not they can summon :, strength to down" the fiilibusterers. The republican majority would be suf-
 ffcient if the men from the west stood
 firmly with their eastern colleagues, but if they act as joint obstructionist bloc, the bill may never come to a vote. And when the president called Sem ) ate leaders to the white house to con- fer on a congressional programme out t of the twelve senators summoned foul [ were from New England states. They were Senators Lodge, of Massachusetts
 cut and Reyes of New Hampshire. These men are senate leaders and all hold g Moreover they are men of sound com. : mon sense and experience in legislative ,l chairTnanships of great importance P work, and dependable advisers on whom F the president can and does rely.
 The Connecticut delegGtl0h Is all here
 and will be very active during the win.
 ter session. Every member of that del.
 egation hold committee assignments oi . importance both in senate and house  Q committee meetings and conductiong
 business on the floor, which has previ n ously been to their committee for hear ings or consideration.
 With Brandegee on foreign relations . Mclean on banking and currency, Til ? son on ways and means, Merritt on in: ,l terstate and foreign commerce, Free . man on rivers and harbors, Glynn or
 claims and Fenn on banking and cur
 | on hN11 0fE
 ments of high grade, and Brandegee ant ; Mclean holding chairmanShips of ma Il jor committees, 1t can plainly be seef Q that the Connecticut delegation has
 genuine working session" mapped ou e for it.
 s The question of whether or not Con gross will pass a public buildings bil l, this session is a question to conflicting 4 reports. Langley of the house commit tee is in strong favor of reporting ou such a bill, even though the cost to tn, ' taxpayers of the country will not bi t less than one hundred million dollars A Chairman Fefnald of the senate com
 nittee on public buildings is not read! to make a statement as to the advisa bility of passing such measure whilt t the country is still burdened with tre rnenro1s indebtedness on account of tn, . war. Senator Fernald of Maine, said t, t your correspondent today: II intend t, . make personal inspection of the matter | am not ready to express an officia s opinion at this moment. I shall frs . see President Harding and get hi. opinion before endorsing So sweeping bill as proposed. I shah also want t. e see how it would affect taxation and tn s treasury. When the proper time comes j. whether now or in the future. I shal .l endorse a public buildings bill It i . rolv of
 when 1t should be aofae''
 $ MT. Langley has taken very literall, . the expressed opinion of the postmaste y general that the government ought t | own it's federal buildings instead o a holding them under lease. Mr. Langle |. advocates no delay in putting tha :, opinion into a condition and if he ha s his way public bill will pass congres a at the pending session, which woult s of the entire country. But Speaker Gil l. lett is not ready to predict the passag V of such a measure.
 ll Mrs. HArding is stm . very sick wu s. man, although she was able on Thanks
 hgivflg day to receive g few soldiers wh
 carne over from the Walter Reed Mill
 itary hospital to extend greetings. Mir j. Harding left her bed and was put i o z wheel chair, and wheeled out to r.i inearby reception room where she chatte
 with the ''boys'' for few minutes Sh ia did this especially to meet the new Le lr zion commander, who later said he yer | greatly appreciated the efforts Mir
 Harding made to send personal mes
 Isages to members of that order.
 There is considerable doubt whetAs III the Velstead act will be modified at th at next congress The consensus of epinio e- is that not eflongh votes can be mustei Led to bring about a change althoNgh th