Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-03
CONGRESS EXPECTED
To ADJOURN EARLY.
LAWRENCE ASSERTS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial .LclSed Wife to The Journal,)
Copyright, 1924

Copyright, 1924
WASHINGTON, May 1.-The
White House expects an early ad
journment Of congress.
The legislative program in the
house Of representatives has been
Virtually completed and were it not
for the unfinished business in the
senate, congress could adjourn in a
week. But the delay in the senate
will mean at least 80 days more
work. Assuming that no filibusterS
are attempted, congress may be able
to adjourn in time for the national
conventions so that the members NAV
devote their whole time and atten.
ton to the presidential campaigns
and the congressional contests.
The Democrats will not block the
Republican plans for an early ad.
journment. They are in no mood to
stimulate the Republicans to work
any harder than they care to work.
They are getting ready to charac-
terize the Republican record as a
do nothing" session, anyhow.
There are signs that the big bust.
ness interests Of the country want
congress to finish its work and 90
home. The long delay in handling
the tax revision bill has not helped
business. The thought is advanced
that when congress once acts on the
tax program and business knows
~ II Nv no 1cf
of the incomes being earned during
1924, much Of the uncertainty which
has begun to envolpe industry here
and there will disappear. Also, the
present bill carries in it q flat re-
duction of 25 per cent in 1928 in.
comes on which the quarterly in.
stallment already has been made.
Something Definite Wanted
When the public knows definitely
that sums already laid aside for tax
payments will be saved. a percapti.
Bile increase in the buying power of
the nation is expected to be noted.
Few differences between the house
and senate on the question of tax
revision have arisen, and none that
cannot be ironed out quickly in con.
gress.
Congress has not adopted an agri.
cultural bill, and there are indica.
tons that labor WI press for pas.
sage of the Howell bill, which elm.
mates the public from the railroad
labor board and substitutes repre-
sentatiVes of capital and labor alone.
The late President Harding
thought the trouble with the rail.
road labor board was exactly the
opposite, that the Interested parties
ought to be eliminated and the whole
board made up Of disinterested rep.
resentatives of the public. Mr..
Coolidge probably will share that
view, though the chief basis for a
veto, if the bill comes to him fol-
action, will be his objection to the
expenditure of $500,00O as provided
for in the proposed legislation No
provision for that sum has been
made in the budget.
The railroads are fighting the
Howell bill on the ground that the
present transportation act has not
had chance to demonstrate its
value. a fight on railroad legisla-
ton may precipitate controversy
over the suggested repeal Of the So
called guarantee clause. Investors
have been worried about the posi-
bility for some time. Should con-
Sress dispose Of the question by fail
ing to change the transportation act,
the holders of securities will be con-
siderably cheered. This is another
important factor in the demand for
an early adjournment Of congress,
for the less the house and senate
tinker with the business structure,
the better the interested parties like
it and the more chance, they say
for a business revival in the remain
der of 1924.
Chance for a Delay
The McNaryH augen bill will
cause real fight. 1t may even de.
lay adjournment. The champions
of the measure are in dead earnest,
and the opponents are insistent that
no such piece of legislation will pass.
The differences are irrecOncilable.
They represent two schools of
thought on agricultural economics.
The president is preserving an atti-
tude of apparent neutrality, but his
message to congress would seem to
be guide to his future attitude and
there prevails at this time confidence
that he will not sign the measure.
The fact that the Norbeck bill was
beaten is taken nowadays as a prece-
dent, for in that fight the farm bloc
was shattered. A combination OF
southern Democrats and eastern Re.
publicans beat the bill. A similar
alignment would kill the McNary.
Haugen bill and save the president
the problem of acting on it at all
Some of his friends are sure he will
not have to act on it. They want
some agricultural legislation, how
ever, and just now the CurtisAswell
bill seems to have administration IA
vor. IT. would attempt to coordinate
farm cooperative organizations I'M
der a federal marketing board.
There are enough things on the
calendar to delay adjournment. The
regular Democrats and Republicans
will not block an early adjournment
but maybe the radicals will.