New Britain herald., 1924-02-04
CONGRESS EXPECTS
 ID ADJOURN JUNE 1
Has Two Big Tasks to Complete
 in Next Four Months
BY GEORGE II. MANNING.

Washington Bureau or \. b. fEFAIuI
 Washington, Feb. 4.-Adjourumcnt
 Of congress lbout June l, four
 months hence. in time for the na- tional conventions is beginning to be
 more or less confidently predicted by
 both leaders and the rank and file Of
 both parties in the national logisla- ture.
 Despite the constant interruptions which have been holding up the smooth working Of congress ever since ii met two months ago, ii is be- ,lieyed that in the next four months it will be possible to complete the two main tasks before the present session-passag of the appropriation bills for the coming fiscal year. and enactment of a new tax law.
 These two things are admitted to be practically the only measures Of major importance whose passa gc can be predicted with any certainty at all: and the republican leaders of both house and senate are conccn- trating their efforts along these lines. paying but scant attention to other matters, which, barring unexpected developments. are not of an cmcr- genCy nature. For events of the past two months have demonstrate conclusiyely that the present make up of congress is such as to render agreement on anything so extremely difficult that it is deemed useless 10 attempt 10 force any legislation which is not demanded by dire necessity.
 While the house was in the throes Of organizing and rewriting the rules, which has just been completed within the past two weeks, the senate, lack ing any important business 10 trans act confined itself 10 marking time, passing few small bills Of more or less private character, and taking frequent adjournmcnts from Thurs day to Monday. Then with the sen sational developments in the Teapot Dome oil reserve lease, the hearings Of the senate investigating committee crowded everything else completely out of attention, and even the house interrupted it's business 10 devote q day 10 passage of an emergency ap- propriation for ihe prosecution of the persons involved in the scandal.
 Along with all these delays there has been pessimistic undercurront of talk heard to the effect that the ap- propriation bills are not being report ed as apidly as they should, and that at the present rate they may keep congress in session several weeks longer than usual.
 But tThis report rails to stand up when examined and compared with laF la .,,F ,a.. lay. there is every indication that all the appropriation bills will be re- ported to the house on at least IS ,arly a date as two years ago, which iS a proper comparison, as that was a long session, just as the present one. In that year the last Of the npprn. priation bills was reported to the house on April 5 and passed on April t3.
 Hearings on the appropriation bills have been in progress before subcom- mittcCs since December 11. The in. ! trrior department bill reported several ! syeeks ago was delayed by inter- party . mranglcs over the rules and the tax program; but was finally passed by l the house last Thursday. The post OitNf HbI bfdHbIf HtDnl lllfil hp- ' propriations have been combined in one bill. which IS now before the . house under debate. Hearings arc in progress on the war and agriculture department bills; they have been com pletod on the navy bill; are now starting on the District Of Columbia bili; and win be commenced carly this week on state and justice. Com nicrcc and labor; which will leave only the legislative appropriation bill . and the indepo ndent office measure to be drawn.
 The interior bill and the combined post oifice-treasury bin aggregate about onc-third. of the annual appro- piiations Of the government. With the war. navy and agriculture depart ment bills out. more than half the work of the appropriations commit tec will haze been hnish,d q.
 Passing to the tax reduction bill. the situation is not quite so clear. it The republican Confcrc nee allowed tiic ways and means committee until February II to bring in their bill ! he democratic and republican mcm- bers of the committee can agree on practically every feature Or tht bill except the maximum surtax ratr: but on this they are utterly al odds. With no agreement possible. tho only pos sibie action will he for the republicans to write their bill is they wish. vote it out, as they can do. and leave fl for the house 10 settle.
 In either case. inc bill is going 10 be written actually on inc floor of tho house. The abolishment of the old Underwood ruic throws any bill wide open for amendment on inc foor-5nd this wiIl apply particularly 10 the tsx bilI nder thc new rules just adopted 1t sfi1 be impossible. ac- cording to til" admission of Chair man SnrlI Of the rules committee. 10 I