Evening star., 1924-06-09
CONGRESS PASSES BY
JAM OF LEGISLATION
Fails to Act on Many Proposals,
: Including Farm Relief, Shoals :.
and Dry Law Changes.
RECESS PROBES SCHEDULED
Treaties Await Confrmation-Pay
Increases Also Lost.

More than a score of legislative
proposals dealing with outstanding
Questions of domestic policy, with
farm relief, Muscle Shoals, railroads,
prohibition and reclamation, as the
headliners, were left on the congress
sional calendar Saturday night, to be
taken up when the next session be-
gins, in December.
In addition, the world court issue
was left untouched SO far as affrma-
tive action was concerned plans to
curb rum-running by reciprocal
natlons similar to that made with
Great Britain were halted by the
senates failure to ratify several
treaties recently negotiated; failure
put a stop to preparations for an i'm
mediate tightening of restrictions
along the Canadian border; and ne
EQUATIONS for remaking the whole
FABRIC or commercial treaties to At
still when that with Germany, in
tended as a model. remained unap-
proved in the hands of the Senate
foreign relations committee.
Inc only technical effect the adjourn
ment of the session will have on these
measures will be to postpone action.
so Tar some of the more active
issues are concerned, however, the in
terVention of the summer recess ia
expected to have the effect of compell-
ing .ne new session next December to
buiid from the ground up. This is
particularly true Of farm LEGISLATION.
which will have to be reshaped entire.
~ In view of the failure Of the Nc
Nary-Haugen bill and all attempts to
frame is an acceptable substitute In
yrr
Smith-Hoch resolution, looking to a
downward revision of railroad freight
rate on farm products failed to receive
senate approval, and the Norbeck reso-
luton calling for a bounty of 35 cents
bushel on exported wheat was not
acted upon -o'
Prohibition Probe During Recess.
AZ the December session also the
nsht Will be renewed to materiaIIv
modify the Esch- -Cummins law. For.
mldaole groups of Democrats and in
surgent Republicans in both houses
nave announced their intention of
feex,ng f.abor ,saa sSnol,shment iii Of the Railroad
HOWELL -Barkley bill and OF maline
changes in the rate making and other
provisions.
AS 10 prohibition. the Senate will
nave before IT the cramton bin. ap-
proved by the House. to divorce pro
n
ternal revenue bureau. In addition
6oth houses will have access TO the
innings of Senate committee which
during the recess Will Investigate
1te ~hole question OF the dry laws.
II Is expected that efforts will he
renewed to have prohibition onicers
placed under the civil service and
to modify the Volstead act anu
Reclamation legislation, in line
VII Wlen recommendations con, of Secretary
be pending before the House' Th.
bill approved by the House irrieatian
committee is similar to that which
.ne senate tried in the closing days
OF lhe session 10 attach to the de-
hciency appropriation bill.
Navy Bills Pending.
determination of the Navy. en-
oattleships and construction of eight
new light. cruisers and six ,gunboats
must be acted upon. by the. senate,
Ihe House has approved the pro
gram.
Also pending will be bills providing
for the election OF a governor by the
Porto Ricans, dealing with Philippine
independence, to modify the national
BANKING laws, to reorganize the exec
utive departments OF the government,
to expend' s53,000.000 for rivers and
hhrbors. to provide penalties for
lynching, to appropriate $165,00o. 900
for highway construction, to control
aviation and radio activities and TO
authorize the Boulder Canyon dam
project.
By December the Post Office. De-
partment is expected to be in position
to make recommendations as to the
rate increases necessary to provide
postal salary increases along the lines
OF the bill vetoed yesterday by Presi-
dent Coolidge. The omnibus pension
bill. adding new names to the pension
~ leo b
ton. and the Bursum pension bill. in :
creasing civil and Spanish war vet
erans' compensation, vetoed by Presi.
dent Coolidge, will be on the calendar.
Treaty Before Senate.
There will be a revival of the fight
over naval oil reserves when an at
whatever conclusions may be agreed
upon eventually by the Senate oil
committee. The Senate also must
vote on the seating of Senator May-
Held democrat, Texas, whose election
has been contested.
Probably the first action to be sought
in the field of foreign relations will
be a decision on ratification Of the
treaty recognizing Cuban sovereignty
over the Isle of Pines. Chairma n
Lodge of the foreign relations com
days after the opening of the De-
cember session he will seek to have
consideration of the question begun
in open session: The treaty with Tur-
key also is before the foreign rela-
tions committee. but there has been
no indication as to when action will
be taken.
Appropriation bills will have the
right of way at the December ses-
sion. which under the law, must ad
journ on the following March 4. The
short session will make it necessary
that unusual legislative speed be
maintained If all of the pending busi-
ness is, to be disposed of. The fact
that the committees are all organ
lied, however, will permit a great
deal of business to be done during
the recess, including the preparation
by the appropriations committee of a
large part of it's program.