Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-15
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Seventy-first Congress, burdened
with the task of aiding the American
farmer and the American manufacturer,
met at noon today.
The opening session of both Houses
were largely routine. The House gave
its time to organization. swearing in all
its members and electing Speaker
and other officers, already determined
upon. Speaker Nicholas Longworth was
reelected by the huge Republican
majority over the Democratic candidate.
Representative John Garner of Texas.
The Senate completed its organization
during the special session of that body
Immediately after the opening Of the
present administration, and was ready
for business when il assembled today.
The leaders, however, planned to do
little until the farm bill is ready, which
may not be until the end Of the week
or the first Of next. Vice President
Curtis pounded the session to its open
ing exactly at noon.
President Hoovers first message to
Congress is to be transmitted tomorrow
by messenger. and will be read in both
houses. Its details have been closely
guarded, but it is generally understood
that it will deal with but two subjects.
farm relief and tariff revision.
AS the session opened, all kinds of
guesses were advanced as TO when it
would end, ranging from July to Sep
tember. 1t has been the. announced
purpose of the Republican leaders, fol-
loving the recommendations of the
President, to confine the legislative pro-
gram principally to farm legislation and
tariff.
Tariff Linked teeFarm Aid.
The revision of the tariff is considered
an important part of the program of
farm relief The leaders have de-
termined that the tariff revision must
60 further than the agricultural sched-
ule, however, and grant relief to other
American producers who need such
relief There will be strong opposition,
however, on the part of the President
backed up by the Republican leaders in
Congress, to any general advance in
all the tariff duties. a
While the House committee of agri-
culture has framed farm relief bill
which in the main follows the lines
supported by President Hoover, the Sem
ate committee so far has been unable
to complete work on its bill Senator
George Norris of Nebraska, Republican
Progressive and a supporter of Smith
in the presidential race last Fall, threw
monkey wrench into the proceedings
of the committee last week, when he
proposed that the export debenture
plan, supported by the National Grange
as a means of helping the American
farmer, be included in the McNary bill.
which was before the committee for
consideration.
Message to Discuss Issue.
The Presidents recommendations
with regard to farm relief and tariff
revision will be before the Congress
within "a hours, however, and what
he says in his message may have q
definite effect upon the final draft of
the farm bill by the Senate committee.
The ways and means committee prob
ably viii have the tariff bill ready to
submit to the House by the end OF this
week or the first of next. The program.
however, calls for completion Of the
farm bill before the tariff measure is
taken up.
Three other measures at least are
likely to come before the Congress for
consideration. They are the census bill,
the bill for the reapportionment of the
House (which passed the. House last
session, but was begged down in the
Senate) end bill to repeal or postpone
the national origins clause of the innmi-
grafton law. @
Want Limited Program.
Efforts will be made to bring other
measures up for consideration, but the
Republican leaders are opposed to any
thing being taken up which is not in
the nature Of emergency legislation.
They fear that a general legislative
program will interfere with the consid-
GRAFTON Of the problems of major in1-
portance for which the special session
was called-farm relief and tAriH re-
vision. They are anxious to give the
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