Evening star., 1928-12-02
Multitude of Industry
Measures Are Pending
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

A multitude of legislative proposals
directly affecting business and industry,
and hence the interests not only Of
stockholders and those engaged in man
agement, but of the whole body of
the people in their role Of consumers,
is scheduled to come before Congress
during its session which will begin Mon
day.
The clatter Of sad-eyed but greatly
heartened farm relief cannot drown
out the insistent knocking of many
other measures less spectacular but
nevertheless important, as they demand
admittance and consideration. That
distant but growing rumble Is tariff
revision, impatient because only three
months of life remain to this Congress
and gathering momentum for mass
assault upon the legislative breastworks
as early as possible in the Seventy
first Congress if no opportunity is pre-
sented this Winter
Already the calendars of the two
Houses bear the imprint of measures
of Importance, some of which have re-
ceived action in one branch of Con-
gress More are we'll advanced in COM
mittee consideration. Others await in
itiation.
Boulder Dam Bill First.
Enactment this Winter of a McNary-
Haugen agricultural stabilization bill
would surprise no one, but 1t will have
no more than a mere bowling acquaint-
anceship with older measures of similar
designation. The Senate has as its first
order Of legislative business the Boulder
Dam bill, heretofore fruitful of
filibusters, while no decision has been
reached as to definite course of action
regarding disposition Of Muscle Shoals
since the President gave the joint
resolution passed last session O.
pocket veto. and both of these subjects
embody principles Of intense interest to
public utilities and other industries. A
drive for further restriction of immigra-
ton Is certain. Much discussion, even
II no final action, is In sight In regard
to financial questions tinged with a
public interest, with stock market loans
In the forefront and Federal Reserve
Board policies and powers slated for
X-ray examination.
The Senate has on Its calendar a
bill to create a prosperity reserve"
through construction Of public works In
periods OF recession In private industry,
a subject discussed widely during the
recent presidential campaign.
Bills passed by the House and await
ing action on the Senate calendar of
especial interest to business include one
to put crimp In the sale of products
OF factories operated by convicts by
dtvesting prison goods of their
interstate character and making them
subject to the laws of the State where
offered for sale; and another to regulate
practice in the Patent ONCE so as to
prevent fraud upop the thousands of
ambitious inventors.
Senate committees have before them
bllls already passed by the House pro-
vlding FOR the 1880 census. which en-
braces many items Of concern to buSi-
| ness and industry; extending the postal
collection delivery service. and amend
Ing and consolidating the trade mark
laws.
While the House cleared its calendar
OF the major State bills which had
reached that stage before adjournment
May 20, having only six Senate meas
ures Of restricted interest on its CAL
ender now, but pending before House
committees are various bills which have
passed the Senate, among which is one
to provide for an investigation of the
feasibility OF crop insurance and an
other to create a hydraulic laboratory.
Cotton Bills Pend.
Both branches Of Congress have bills
pending In various stages of advance
ment which are designed to regulate
trading In cotton, and one on the Sen
ate calendar would prohibit futures
trading in both cotton and grain.
On the Senate calendar awaiting de-
bate, is a bill to repeal the Pullman
surcharge by the railroads OF the coun-
try. The Senate previously has acted
tavorably on similar measures. but the
House thus far has declined to act
on the ground that Congress should
not legislate on specific railroad rates.
but should leave this subject to the
Interstate Commerce Commission. A
railroad measure of wide Importance
on the House calendar Is the Parker
bill, designed to facilitate mergers Of
the rail carriers into great systems.
The House calendar also carries bill
to repeal old statutes restricting i'm
portation of cigars from Cuba, which is
Intended to bring about new parcel
post convention with the island repub-
lie and around which warm fight will
revolve II 1t is pressed.
Many familiar measures remain In
the committee stage. Among them is
the price maintenance bill, which. II
enacted, would legalize resale price
fixing of competitive goods and thus do
away with cut-price sales In the COM
modities affected.
Despite the limitation upon the life
of this Congress and the time which 1t
must consume necessarily in enacting
appropriation bills for the 1890 fiscal