Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-12-05
CONGRESS HAS
AN IMPOSSIBLE.
TASK BEFORE 1T

WASHINGTON, Dec R9.-Con-
gress faces an impossible task at its
three months session beginning on
Monday.
Leaders will count themselves
lucky if they can get through the
temporary tax reduction bill, the
rivers and harbors measure. and the
dozen annual appropriation bills
necessary for the conduct Of govern
ment affairs during the next fiscal
year.
Under its stringent rules, the
house probably will have little diff
ficulty in continuing it's machine
gun fire Of legislation, but the jam
viii come under the more delibere
ate aim which the senate takes.
Even the supply bills are likely to
find the going slow i'm the senate
as they will be caught in the nav
of filibusters now threatened on sew
eral subjects. Some of them no
doubt will fail if proponents of farm
legislation insist on a special ses-
sion of the SEVENTEEN congress to
consider that veNing problem.
With sentiment as to how the tax
payers shall be given the benefit Of
the treasury surplus already sharply
divided, the administration tax credit
or reduction proposal will take UP
much time in both houses and may
well be used as a vehicle to delay
action on a number of other mat
terS.
The recurring battle over prohibit
tion will be fought on the senate
floor with the usual reverperations
in the house. Their forces aug~
mented by recent prohibition refer
enda, the vets have served notice
that they will take advantage of
every parliamentary situation, rule
and procedure to block the admin
istration measure designed to make
the Volstead act more drastic.
The administration bill for the
leasing of Muscle Shoals will furnish
the ammunition for determined fights
in both branches of congress witlt
little prospect at present for final
action before the last tap. of the
gavels at noon on March 4, ending
the life of the sixty-ninth congress,
The Lausanne treaty to re-estab'
lish diplomatic and commercial re-
lations with Turkey is set down for
senate consideration on January s
with long and bitter contest in
sight and with a two thirds majority
necessary to bring about ratification.
Since it will be k e n up on De-
cember IA, under a special order, the
rivers and harbors bill, passed by
the house at the last session, should
he put through the senate before
-
ponents of certain provisions hope
to so load the measure down with
objectionable amendments that II
will have scant prospect of final
enactment by this congress.
Besides these five major subjects,
there is a raft of other important
Legislation, either on the calendars
lor in conference. 1t Includes:
Railroad legislation proposing con-
solidation of the carriers and thu
repeal of the surcharges on paTor
and sleeping car accommodations.
The four billion dollar French debt
settlement.
Legislation for radio control.
The bill for construction of a
great government dam on the Colo
rado river,
Measures to carry out awards of
the German American mixed claims
commission and for the return of
allen property.
The McFadden branch banking
bill.
The truth-in-fabric BILL
A measure to establish foreign.
trade zones at American ports OF
entry.
A bill to prevent the sale of cot
ton and grain in future markets.
Legislation to promot the de-
velopment, protection hand utiliza-
ton of grazing facilities on public
! lands.
An act creating separate bureaus
of prohibitions and customs in the
treasury and another to put prohibi-
tion field gen S under the civil
Lservice.
The French spoilations claims.
Regulation of interstate and for
eign commerce in coal with a view
to bring about government super
vision in cases of emergencies.
So far as the senate is concerned,
there will be demands for number
of Investigations, some of which
very likely will be authorized. Reso :
lutions proposing six inquiries are
pending and a number of others are
being prepared by senators.
The special committee appointed
to investigate senatorial primary
and general election campaigns also
may resume operations during the
month. If not it will have it's re-
port ready within a few weeks and
Senator Reed, democrat, Missouri, the
chairman, will press for action upon
it.
This will bring up the cases of
Senators-elect William Ware, of
Pennsylvania, and Frank L. Smith,
of Illinois, republicans, about whose
rights to senate seats has been raised
because of heavy expenditures IL