The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-01-22
Some Things Congress
Is Now Thinking About

disaster. Others equally as ardent IS
to the welfare If the farmer contend
thai he will work out his own sol
vatlon if saved from the annoyances
Of legislative il terfer"nce. There Is
archer group IN Congress which be-
lieves that another session is neces-
sary to adjust this country's position
in international affairs especially as
t. a world court. The President ana
many Of his staunch supporters at
the Capitol are at odds over these
questions.
Borah for Better Markets
The President believes that it
would be best for the country to have
March 4. Senator Borah, one of the
most powerful of Republican leaders,
d~isagrees with the Chief Executive III
this respect. The Idaho senator con-
tends that the condition of the Amer
lean farmer will be very little better
ed by reason of a temporary rise in
price of any particular product. lie
believes that the only way it can he
remedied is by a real system of mar
keting, not voluntary alone, but in
which the Federal Government may
have a directing hand. For that rea-
son he advocates an extra session.
The preliminary report of President
Coolidge's Agricultural Commission
showed that the only present "emer-
gency'' in agriculture concerns the
cattle growers. The Commission sup
ports the Presidents views that ex-
listing agencies are fully competent
to afford the cattle men the financial
assistance they require. The present
indications are that no extra session
will be called.
Extra Sessions Expensive
Aside from the salaries and ordi-
nary expenses, the incidental costs of
keeping Congress in session is very
great. For instance, the report of the
public printer made available this
week, shows that speech-making is a
very expensive item. The printing of
a congressional record for both hous-
es during 1924, exceeded all former
volumes of annual oratory with a
total of 19,475 pages. If these pages
were converted into ordinary news !
paper form they would furnish copy :
for the publication of a ten-page :
newspaper of solid reading matter !
for 300 days. To keep the wheels of !
legislation grinding, 17,347 bills were :
printed during 1924, one of these :
bills alone making a volume of 400 !
pages. The Teapot Dome hearings >
filled 1879 pages and cost $14,181.- .
25 for printing 1,700 copies. q
Those who have followed efforts ;
of Congress to force drastic econo- =
mics in the operation of Federal de- :
partments are always amused by the =
inconsistencies of the lawmakers. It :
has been said that it is a poor rule 7
which does not work both ways. How q
ever, Congress, in it's wisdom, appar- I
ignored this principle. Much of =
the material which appears in the 6
congressional record is extraneous E
and not worth the paper upon = =
which it is printed. =
Cabinet Changes
With changes in high official life Z
occurring almost daily, the prevailing III
question is "Who is next to go?"
The latest story is that Secretary ~
will be transferred from the I'll
department. of Commerce to the de- u
1artment Of Agriculture. Previous
O the selection of Ambassador KEEL
ogg as a successor to Secretary of
State Hughes, it was assumed in
many quarters that Mr.. Hoover tn;
be given this job. With his wide to
nowledge of foreign affairs he is tic
to be especially qualified for a ito
ortfolio Of this kind. Mr.. Hoover is nu
occupied in reducing the present sin
bread of prices between producer fan
consumer in all lines to permit am
larket reduction in prices without the
,ss of wages or profits. He will APP ter
oint a representative committee to pe1
ork out plans to this end. He has of
the department of Commerce tax
an efficient basis during his ret
st four years. The task OF a sue yea
.ssor would be relatively simple in 7
e event Mr.. Hoover is transferred on
the Agricultural department. It'll,
Old Treaty At Issue the
The Isle of Pines controversy as
nich has been revived after twenty exc
airs is a matter of more than pass the
interest. Senator Borah, chair le
an of the Senate foreign relations MOI
mmittee is opposing the ratifica- of
m OF the treaty Wnlcn would ceue exc
Isle of Pines to Cuba. The origi- II
| treaty was drafted by John Hay beir
t remained in a pigeon-hole in the mort
committee since 1904. The or r
Secretary of State is DESTROYS allo,
having the treaty ratified but his half
sition is somewhat weakened by orar
!, opposition of Senator Borah. 1t is of t
d that ten Thousand American citi- the
nave investments IN the Isle OF the
les aggregating 100000 00. They taxp