The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-07

Division Prevents Ac-
complishnent of Much
BY Congress,
Times W1shfngton Bareaw.
1899 Nea1 York AGE

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EV7 ASHINGToN, jar, 7.-one
IW month down and two to go.
- Score, 90.
The second session Of the Sixty
Eighth Congress. due to end March
4, appears to be so evenly matched
against itself that the score may re-
main unchanged when final adjourn,
ment. comes. Thus far no legislation
of importance has been disposed of,
l%lnone. at least, that was subject to
controversy and prospects do not
favor a much better record for the
remainder of the session.
In the House the supply bills, for
the Interior, Postoffiee. Treasury,
Agriculture and the Navy Depart
ments have been passed, but their
passage is almost a routine matter.
The Senate has approved the naval
reconstruction bill and the third de-
hciency bill, but these we're mea-
sures lost in the final jam of the pre-
ceding session and were without OPP
position this time.
- #.fE 80
Muscle Shoals Tangle
The Senate proceeded early to tie
itself in a knot over Muscle Shoals.
The. agriculture committees bill,
bearing Senator Norris name. had
the right Of way, to be, voted down
or amended and passed. An attempt.
to shove through a private owner
ship and operation through
a coalition of administration forces
and such followers as Minority
Leader Underwood could muster,
precipitated q much bigger fight
than was anticipated, and left the
Senate deadlocked on the subject for
the time being.
This gave the postal pay. bill an
opening. The Administration stepped
into this also with a bill designed
to preyept the humiliation of Presi.
dent Coolidge by, the passage of the
pay bill over his veto, The bill was
a substitute that provided for raising
additional postoffice revenues by in
lcreasing postal rates. especially on
newspapers and magazines. This pre-
cipitated a situation Of bad feeling
not calculated to expedite legisla-'
ton and certain to leave the postal
pay problem squarely across the
path OF the Senate regardless of.
how the eventual vote might result.
Important Measures
Both houses have a number of
Important measures on their sched-
ules for action. in. addition to the
annual appropriation bills, but. it is
dubious il any of themp get Through.
The House committee is engaged in
hearings on the Boulder dam prof.
ect, after having held hearings
through last session, and the Senate
is just beginning similar hearings.
THE Swing-Johnson bill furnished the
basis for these hearings up to three
weeks ago, when the Fredericks bill
called the power trust bill-was
introduced. No vote before March
4 is now anticipated.
How progress might be achieved
but isn't-was Illustrated a. few days
ago. In a mass Of u~nimportant
unanimous consent" bills run
through the Senate was an approp~
riatien of'$14,50O 900 for a memorial
bridge across the Potomac River.
here, stretching from the Lincoln
monument on the north side to AR
lington and the Robert e. Lee home,
on the south side. But Senator
Borah obtained its reconsideration,
on the ground that il is too tmpor-
tant and expensive to be enacted
without more consideration
Other Measures
Oh the. calendar of the Senate are
other subjects provocative of long
debate: The Isle OF Fines treaty,
the French spoliation claims, and.
Senator PEPPERS. World Court reso-
luton. The last named should be
good for a years argument, by
Senate standards, If It. comes up at
all. Then President Coolidge's, farm
commission. is expected to report
certain bills for the benefit Of agri-
culture before the session ends.
They are bound to precipitate ex-
tended discussion, IN committee and
on the hoor-f they reach the floor.
Delays come ehout easily. The
eight-inch snowfall which recently
blessed Washington, paralyzing
transportation and getting the Sena-
tors feet wet. was, good for q half
day Of debate as to who was fesp0n-
sible for the condition into which the
streets Of the city had fallen. Goa
gress, as some millions Of the voters
haven't vet learned, is the city coun-
Gil for the. city OF Washington,
whose citizens do not vote, and the
city's troubles always wind up in
the House and Senate.
The Senate has enough to. talk
about already to, keep 1t occupied till
next fail, and 1t hasn't even begun
to talk about the question Ola big or
$50