The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-01-01
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial to Sank Centre Herald)

Especial to Sank Centre Herald)
Washington, Dec. 31-Whisper
ings about an extra session of Con
gross have reached the talking basis
The proposal for a spring session re
veals wide difference in opinion be
tween the President and compression
al leadsrs. At present it appears tina
the Chief Executive holds the Will
hand. 1t is said that Mr.. Coolidge
wants to call another armament con
verence here in the spring and de
sires to be free from congressional
criticism. His idea is that an inter
national calender at the beginning o.
the year is extremely crowded. l
is claimed that time is all too shor
to allow consideration of all impor
tant legislative measures. Senator
Borah says that a special session
session should be called to give at
tention to agricultural and genera
economic legislation.
One of the proposals is to dispose
of the recommendation of the Goa
Commission which reported nearly
two years ago. No action has evel
been taken on the recommendations
of the Federal Coal Commission after
a long and intensive study recon.
mending reorganization of the coal
industry. > .<s. ...
1t is believed that the findings OF
the special Agricultural Commission
now at work will not be available I'M
til the spring months. The senate
steering committee has framed an
elaborate program for the short ses-
sion which expires March 4. The de-
velopments of the first three weeks
of the session shows quite clearly
that few, if any of the nine major
bills reported by the steering commit
tee will ever find their way into the
statutes. True, they are on the SEN
ate calendar for immediate considera-
ton but the legislative situation pre-
cludes immediate attention.
One of the important bills on the
Senate calendar is the Smoot reorgan-
ization measure. This bill proposes
the realignment of Federal bureaus,
including the establishment of De-
partment of Education. Action of
this measure has been held up at pre-
vlous sessions because it is generally
agreed that the proposal contains
political dynamite. The Senate ex-
pected to dispose of the Muscle Shoals
program before Christmas, but parli-
amentary complications ensued with
the result that nobody knows when
the matter will be concluded.
The House made considerable
progress on appropriations bills dur
ing the early weeks of this session.
The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee took steps to keep abreast of fis-
cal legislation by taking notS of the
action of the House on each item for
governmental expenditures. This
time-saving plan was practically
wasted because of the Muscle Sohoals
project holding up Senate schedules.
Both houses have approximately
eight weeks of legislative days as
distinguished from calendar days, in
which to dispose of nine appropria-
ton bills. The House has already
passed three appropriation bills and
has made excellent progress on the
others. The Senate Appropriations
Committee is ready to report the fis-
cal measures for the Interior and Ag-
ricultural Departments but cannot
1
The legislative situation is further
complicated by the postal salary pro-
posals. Under an agreement the SEN
at will vote on the so-called bill,
which President Coolidge vetoed last
summer. At the same time another
measure, known as the Sterling bill,
has been submitted with practically
The same provisions for postal salar-
es, and carrying in addition reve-
1ue measure.
Special subcommittee of the SEN
ate and House held hearings during
he Christmas recess when represen-
;ative mail users protested against the
enormous increase in their rates. 1t
S said that the Sterling bill was
brought to the Senate in an effort to
,ring about parliamentary complica-
ions so that no postal measure would
,e enacted at this session. Several
lays mpst elapse before the postal
'ay and:poSsal.s salary propositions are
It is believed: that. several legisga.
i've measures will be introduced at I
his session dealing with retail prices,
The Chamber of Commerce of. thetI
United States has called conference.t
ere early in January in order to
clip the buying public and the mer-
liant. The national Chamber is con- !
inced that the public does not under
tand the retailer and his immediate
roblems. For this reason it is be-
eved that great benefits will fol-
DIV a discussion Of the problems of .
istribution from the standpoint of
ne merchant, the manufacturer and !
he consumer.
While it is not the intention of the .
romoters of this conference to bring !
bout legislative cure-alls, no doubt
lany legislators will sieze this OPP
ortunity to introduce free economic /
leasures. The small town merchants
nd publishers, as well as the citizens,