Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-08
Plenty of Work
In Sight as Both
Houses Congress Omen

Washington, Dec. 7-(P)-With re-
ceipt OF a thick sheaf of recommen-
cations from the White House and
the opening Of the doris to general
debate, congress got a fair foretaste
toda yof what it is in for during the
three months session ahead.
The days developments touched
successfully on a dozen old congress
slonal quarrels and several new ones.
The familiar issues of prohibition.
taxes, farm relief, the world court.
Muscle Shoals and Boulder Canyon
had a place in the picture and the
newcomers included a proposal to
outlaw poison gas in warfare, and a
senatorial investigation.
President. Coolidge's annual mes
sage, read by clerks in both senate
and house. was listened to with about
the usual attention, and evoked the
usual praise from Republicans and
disapproval from Democrats.
Immediately he reading was over
the senate struck into the actual
work of the session, but the house
fingered only long enough to let in a
new batch Of bills and resolutions,
and then adjourned for the day, out
Of respect for Uncle Joe" Cannon,
for many years its speaker.
The afternoons proceedings In the
senate showed that branch of the
legislative machine functioning in
session form. First, 1t ground
out resolution OF investigation, vot-
ing, 20 to z, to inquire whether Ar
thur r. Gould. the new senator from
Maine, was disqualified from senate
membership because OF his reputed
connection with a payment of $780,
900 some years ago to an official of
Canada.
Then Senator Bruce, Maryland
wet, read to an almost empty cham
Der a speech indicating the Volstead
act on many charges, and his fellow
Democrat, Sheppard, of Texas, re-
piled with a general and specific de-
NAL. Senator Edwards Of New Jer-
sey. also a Democrat, interjected a
notification that he would call up al
ter Christmas his resolution for a
national wet and dry referendum.
The poison gas treaty meantime
was given an opening when Chair
man Borah Of the foreign relations
committee gave notice he would call
it I'D tomorrow for ratification. A
fight is in prospect.
Farm relief got officially into the
tangle when Representative Nc
Keown. Democrat, Of Oklahoma, put
in bill to stabilize basic crops by
fixing a means of standardized pro-
duction. The proposal went to the
house agricultural committee.
=
ly but no less generally. Senate
Democrats held conference and de-
cided to ask for increased member
ship on the senate finance committee
which considers revenue matters.
Chairman Green, Of the house ways
and means committee, the revenue
body in the house, issued a statement
forecasting a none too hopeful out
look for any form Of tax legislation
at the present session, while Senator
Simmons Of North Carolina, ranking
minority member of the finance com
mittee, said he was "gratified tnat
the president follows the position
taken by Representative Garner ana
myself several days ago, in the de-
mand we made for non-partisan
treatment of the tax question"
Garner OF IeAdS Is AdiihiiS
ty member Of the ways ana means
committee.
Although the president did not men
tion the world court in his message,
the senator's themselves were not con-
tent to let the subject sleep. Senator
Trammell, Democrat, Florida, who vot-
ed for ratification last session, intro
duced a resolution proposing with
drawal of the Senate's approval TOT
American membership in the tribunal.
The resolution pointed out that most
of the powers had failed to accept the
Senate reservations and called on the
state department to withdraw its offer
to accept conditional membership.
Senator Trammells proposal went 10
the Senate's legislative waiting hst
without debate.
The reopening Of the Muscle Shoals
controversy saw newcomer enter the
large company Of senators who nave
proposed solutions. Senator Ernst,
Republican, of Kentucky, heretofore
virtually an onlooker in the long
Muscle Shoals debate, introduced IN
the form of a bill the proposal spon-
sored by C. Bascom Slemp to form
farmers fertilizer corporation to take
over the Muscle Shoals property Tor
so years and produce fertilizer at cost