The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-02
CONGRESS |RED.
BY DO-NOTH||VG
CHARGE
Big 0rist of Bills Passed by
House Cited in Rsbuttal
by Longworth
Continued from First Page.)
ton Of the United States in world

Continued from First Page)
ton Of the United States in world
affairs.
1.-THE constitutional amendment
on the subject of tax-exempt secari-
ties.
Child labor Amendment.
1.-THE constitutional amendment
on the subject Of child labor.
THE tax.exempt securities con-
stitutional amendment was defeated.
The other measures mentioned have
been passed. They represent at any
rate long elaboration and long eff
fort. The House of Representa-
tives cannot be accused Of doing
nothing. 1t obviously has done
much. Putting through the appro
priation bills in record time, and
adopting numerous measures Of
high importance and of large ma
tional interest, and attending fur
Their to a multitude of smaller
measures which attract no general
national curiosity or attention but
which consume much time, this
House of Representatives can at
least say that it has worked"
A humorous view Of the situation
was taken by Large
Rathbone OF Illinois. Mr.. Rathbone
said:
I'VE seem to be in bad no matter
what we do and no matter what we
do not do. If we start in and pass
a lot of laws and give the country
Ia long line of new ideas and regu.
iations we are accused of cumber-
ing the statute books and of regl-
lating the country to death. II, on
the other hand, we let week pass
without producing new law we are
called ''do-nothing" Congress. One
thing seems to be certain about us.
We have no escape. We are wrong
both times"
Expect Senate Action.
Meanwhile, it is confidently be-
lieved that in fact, in the Senate, in
spite of all the investigations, the
bills sent over from the House will
be successfully and finally handled
before many more weeks have
gone by.
From the regular Republican
standpoint the only measure Of any
true consequence which has not
yet had it's working day on the
floor. of the house of Representa-
tives is the measure for agricultural
relief. When that measure gets
passed, the regular Republican Or
ganization in the House of Repre-
sentatives viii believe that it has
concluded the whole list Of measures
. at this time required by any rea-
sonable Interpretation VI the public
welfare or of public national
opinion.
This view is not shared by GER
tain numerous Democrats, nor is
Vt shared by certain NUNS rous Re-
publican "progressives. They think
that further new laws in consid-
erablc numbers should be passed.
In particular there are many Of
them who think that there should
be tariff reduction legislation and
that there should be railroad legis-
lation and railroad labor legislation.
A great struggle is thereupon
likely to ensue in Congress. There
will be Senators and Congressman
who will say that there has been
enough legislation. There will be,
on the other hand, Senators and
! Congressman who will say that
much more legislation is needed.
These latter may possibly turn out
| to be in the majority. They may be
able to keep Congress in session
and to keep it turning out new laws
all summer long.
May Get New Record.
Thereupon this Congress, having
been much abused on the theory
| that it has been doing too much
investigating and too little iegis-
leting, will presumably. as Con-
| gresham Rathbone intiinates, get
abused for doing too much legis-
| lating.
There is a chance that this Con-
gress, when its life ends, will have
done both more investigating and
more leggislating than any other
Congress of recent times. Instead
Of being, as is now claimed, a do
nothing" Congress, it may turn out
to be an almost ''do-everything"
| Congress.
| Copyright Washington Press Service.)