Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-23
CONGRESS FACING
EXTENDED SESSION
Many Vital Issues Crowd CAL
endar-Adjournment
Can Be Baked.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Indications are that the present ses-
sion of Congress may be one OF the
longest of the long sessions" The only
urge that normally would cause Con-
grtsS TO adjourn would be the two ma
tional political conventions in June
but a recess over that fortnight might
be taken and Congress resume It's
labors thereafter.
This possibility Is discussed because
| of the way many vital issues are crowd
ing the calendar and it is within the
power of members 70 keep Congress
from adjourning unless action on their
favorite measures is taken. Last March
Congress was compelled by constitution
al provision to end its session March 4.
and Mr.. Coolidge s:eadfastly refused TO
call an extra session for food control
or farm relief So these two big queS-
tons. together with sundry other vita!
measures will have to be decided at the
present session.
Tax Bills Delayed.
Already the normal reason for haste
in passing a tax reduction Dill mas
passed as 1t has been decided to post
pone tax discussion until after March
is. II may be that the Treasury viii
not have its figures ready for many
weeks after that so that tax bill hard
" can be finally presented for the
Presidents signature much before May
The fight on farm relief bill as vel
as the question of food control viii take
considerable time and there are sign:
that railway consolidation. Muscle
Shoals and Boulder Dam will take ur
no little time. with the increasing pres.
pect that there will be more discussion
of tariff revision. especially TO make
record for campaign purposes.
A number of inquiries such as that Of
public utilities. oil lands and resale
price maintenance will take up much Of
the time of the Senators, while the con-
troversy over the size of the Navy pro-
gram is only one of q number OF things
tina. will come out of the various appro-
rriaticn bills that viii be time-consum'
T ing.
Ever since the Coolidge administra'
ton started. the President has been abls
20 persuade the leaders to confine thei'
efforts to minimum Of legislation or al
least the measures on which there VA
some hope Of agreement.
Advantages Viewed.
But the accumulation Of important
bills now has become such that it Is
merely question for administration
opponents OF whether more advantage
will be gained by adjourning Congress
in June and going into the campaign
with a finger pointed At the failure oil
the party in power to pass needed bills
or whether ii Will be better to use the
publicity opportunities that continu-
Gus session Of Congress gives TO the
opposition party.
Congress. TO be sure. has enough on
It's hands to keep q session going with
out much interruption until the regu.
lar session of next December. This viii
become more apparent in the next few
weeks when important committee re
ports will be brought. many of them
requiring extensive debate. During a
campaign year also the tendency ol
Congress 10 debate is greater than IL
other sessions as congressional speeches
usually play an important part in the
literature Of presidential and congress
sional campaigns.
tC0nvrigat iasS.a