Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-20
CONGRESS SPEEDS
WORK TO GET AWAY
Both Houses Face Heavy
Tasks in HaIf-Week Be-
fore Leaving for Home.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Congress starts off on a half-Week
of work today with it's membership
On edge to pull away from the Capitol
early Wednesday, so there will be
time to reach home for the hanging
of stockings on Christmas eve.
The Senate expects to bundle up
with true holiday spirit the $6O,O0O,-
600 omnibus rivers and harborS bill
and get it out of the way by tomor-
row night. Then, if there's time left
and members feel like it, the Interior
Department appropriation bill may be
taken up before the break for home.
In the House things are different.
Today has been set aside for cOnsid-
GRAFTON of a batch of small bills on
the calendar, and leaders are opti-
miStic enough to believe they can
keep quorum the next two days I'M
til the Agriculture Department supply
bill is acted on,
Committees Are Stirring.
Unlike most pre-holiday seasons,
there's an unusual stir in the commit
tees of both houses.
The Senate judiciary committee
meets today to discuss the Harris and
King resolutions proposing investiga-
ions into alleged 'bartering of Fed
eral Offices" while Senator Reed, Dem
ocrat, Missouri. has called the special
campaign funds committee into SEES
sion to close the primary expenses
inquiry it started last Summer.
Democratic Senate leaders mean
while have decided to oppose the seat
ing of Frank l.. Smith, -desig
nate from Illinois, while Senate Re
publican leaders have frowned upon
his coming to the Senate at this time
because of the hitch that the fight
over his quahfica tons would make in
the legislative program.
May Report on Pepper.
While the Reed committee is in SEES
sion it also may act upon request
by Senator Blease, Democrat, South
Carolina, for a partial report of the in
vestigation into the primary eXpendi-
lures of Senator Pepper, Republican,
Pennsylvania, who was defeated for
denomination.
At the other end of the Capitol, the
House naval committee expects to
gather for at least one session before
the recess to discuss a bill introduced
by it's chairman, Representative But
Ter, Republican, Pennsylvania, pro-
posing construction of 10 light scout
cruisers OF 1U,UOU tons eacn.
The House irrigation committee
may vote on reporting the Swing
Johnson Boulder Canyon Dam bill
while a military subcommittee plans
to continue work on bill proposing
adjustment of Army promotions.
Cape Cod Purchase Opposed.
The rivers and harbors bill faces
stiff opposition in the Senate from
group of members who are opposed
to the section proposing purchase by
the Government of the Cape Cod
Canal in Massachusetts for Sill
100000.
With passage by the House of the
alien property bill proposing settle
ment of German and American
claims growing out of the World
War, there is q possibility that this
measure may reach the Senate in
time for scant consideration before
the holiday recess. 1t may come up
even before the Iaterior bill, but lead
ers were not in a position to say def
initely just how the program would
work out.
Chairman Borah of the foreign re-
lations committee, who has opposed the
claims measure as confiscatory, prob
ably will start a fight on the bill
when it reaches the Senate, but he
has promised Secretary Mellon, with
whom he conferred over the week
end, that he would give it most care
full consideration in difference to the
Secretary's wishes.