Evening star., 1926-06-20
CONGRESS RECORD
I ABOUT COMPLETED
Little Likelihood Seen of Any
: Further Legislation Be-
fore Adjournment.
81 DAVID LAWRENCE.

Congress may pass few bills OF
Importance in the next 10 days before
adjournment. but the record on major
legislation has been completed. Mem
berS of both houses will appeal to
the country with abodt the minimum
of achievement for a long session.
The usual excuse offered on ses-
sion which begins in December and
automatically ends on March 4 is
: that there has not been time and that
the demand for an extra session IS
not pressing. On this occasion. Con
gress has had plenty of time, but
nearly everybody recognized the futil,
Ity of trying to get agreements on
dozens of meas that would be the
subject of protracted debate If the
adjournment date had not been set
for the end of this month.
. Groups Still Menace.
This session of Congress has ac
complished more than the last, but
its outstanding characteristic is still
the number of conflicting groups in
both houses. Some progress has been
made toward party solidarity. as the
votes on various measures will reveal
but basiCally there is the same ten
Gency toward individualism which has
Flor the last six years made 1t diff
cult to work out compromise legisla-
tion. Unless there is a spirit of COM
promise the inevitable result is in
action.
Soc most of the meritoriouS pro
posals. or rather those which have
meritorious objective but an amblgu-
Gus wording or an effect that antago-
nizes various interests, have not got
ten anywhere this session. And it
hD a Tr0lOnR
the session for there would have been
no chance of agreement.
There still is a bare possibility that
g. laSt-minute accord on farm leglSla-
tion will be reached, but 1t is not eX-
pected. The truth is many elements
I'm Congress would prefer to leave
matters as they are, for it leaves an
abundance of ammunition for the
stump.
Administration leaders are natural
" apprehensive. They cannot tell
what effect the failure Of Congress TO
pass an agricultural relief bill VIII
have on the kind of men named in
the Republican primaries, or possibly
on the complexion of Congress itself.
If business conditions continue as
they are today the Northern Repub-
ncans are confident few seats Will be
lost and that there may be some
gains. If farm conditions grow no
worse most of the losses in the rural
districts to the Republican party VIII
he irside rather than outside, Tor
there is always the chance that a
situation such as exists today Will m
crease the number Of insurgents VINO
make party solidarity difficult of at
tainment.
G. %. p. Leaders at Sea.
on the whole. it is a curious NIX
+ure of confidence and defiance Whlcn
runs through the present republican
leadership. Their belief is that the
Haleen measure can be defeated by
argument on the stump in many sec
lions of the country and that Con-
eress will merit approval for having
9r7 ssed a tax reduction law and sundry
other measures, such as the Watson
parker bill providing machinery for
industrial peact ana for having ad-
hered rigidly to budget requirements.
This minimum, of course, Is by no
means inconsequential: yet compared
70 the last session of Congress, 1t is
a better record. Judged by the stand
ard of - and 16 years ago, when Con
gresst could point to long series ol
constructive measures, this session IS
a, conspicuous example OF the ollllcui-
ties of reconciling group interests.
The wonder is not that so little mas
neen passed, but that any measures
have successfully run the galnut OF
fiIibusterS, party insurgency and Of
partisan coalitions.
Copyright. 1926