, 1923-09-23
To
FACE DELUGE Of
SUPPLY BILLS
Action on General Leg
islation May Be
Slow, Report.
Special to Tho Tribune,

Especial to The TribuneO
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22=Pros-
poets for much general legislation
during the coming session OF con
gress are not overly bright. Mem
bers who have been away on vaca-
tons during the summer are drop
ping In from time to time these
days, and outside of a few optimists.
agree that the congress will have
its hands full in looking after the
enactment OF the big supply bills
by March 4.
congress will the winter find them
fer very little general legislation
Is the TACT that the House Appro-
p~riations committee, which must
first consider and report all supply
byfs. will not be able to
Hor this work until after the house
organizes in December. Ordinarily
the appropriations committee starts
its hearings on the big supply bills
in early November. and has one or
two measures ready to report as
soon as the house is organized.
This situation will make a difference
Of from three weeks L a month in
the date on which the house may
expect to receive the first OF the
II big appropriation measures the
enactment OF which is necessary to
the proper functioning of the ma
tional government.
Another reason for the above pre-
diction is found in the fact that
while there are possibly more than
the usual number OF complaints of
needed action by congress-. opinion
is woefully divided as to the specific
form such Legislative relief should
take. Even the newly elected n
tor from Wisconsin. whose cam
paign wps so f~ervently punctuated
with demands for the farmer, now
confesses he is not certain just how
to reach the situation through legis-
iation and says such measure or
before being introduced
must be very carefully consider
I'd" with a marked diversity of
opinion as to the form Of legisla-
ton the farmer must have" and
the ~insistence of others that none
Of the agricultural woes can be
cured by legislation. It seems likely
that 1t will prove a difficult matter
TO get a majority in congress I
roach an agreement on any legisIa-
ton proposed.
There will OF course be the usual
food Of bills proposing to cure
every national and many local Ills,
most Of which will not survive the
shifting process. much less the
scrutiny and amending my such
measure would be subjected to II It
reached the floor of either house.
A. q matter of fact. many of the
more conservative members contend
that there In nothing much wrong
with the country-little that con-
gross a do to help-and hat IL
themselves out. While the late
President Harding did not say so in
exact words. he did insist that the
country whs not facing a situation
anywhere 1ustifyins a special ses-
een Of congress-and this same
<view has since been expressed by
bis successor.
Wyoming win of courss receive
N usual appropriations for the
maintenance Of existing federal 40
tvities in that state. There is some
hope Of q public building or two
Of which morn later. The prospects
for new irrigation projects are not
very encouraging. due to tho
changed policy OF tho Reclamation
service which seeks to get all exist
ing projects on their feet before
taking on new work.
Some people have professed to
Zee in prospect a lively fight for the
organization of the next house Of
representatives. To one who has
watched matters Of this kind here
for years, nothing of this sort seems
likely. Regular Republicans are in
the majority, insuring the orderly
selection of committees through
seniority, and the election of
Nicko,as Longworth as floor leader.