Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-15
The Special Session.

The special session of the new Con-
gress, which it now appears is to be
called early this Spring, will confine its
attention, If the plans of the leaders
and Mr. Hoover are carried out, to only
two subjects, farm relief and tariff
revision. This is the part of wisdom.
First, because the farm problem and
tariff revision are the major issues
which are pressing for attention, and
second, because to throw the whole
machinery of legislation into high gear
might result in preventing prompt
action on the very measures for which
Congress is to be called.
Speaker Longworth, in conference
with the President-elect, has determined
On the appointment of only four of the
standing committees of the House. They
are the ways and means committee.
which deals with tariff legislation; the
committee on agriculture, which will
consider the farm bill, and the COM
mittees on rules and accounts, which
are necessary for the proper functioning
of the House. 1t Is simple but effec-
tive method of checking the legislative
proclivities of the House. Without COM
mittees first to consider and report on
bills and resolutions that may be intro
duced, under the rules and practice of
the House. none can be taken up for
action. The situation in the Senate is
vastly different. The Senate is a con-
tinuing body. Its committees hold over
In large part from one Congress to an
other, and 1t would be impossible to
put such check on the upper house.
The decision to hold an early special
session Of the new Congress is wise
one. The promises made in the
recent campaign called for real effort
to put through comprehensive farm
program and for revision of the tariff
One of the criticisms frequently directed
at the governmental system of the
United States Is that it is not sufficiently
responsive to the will of the people as
indicated at the polls. A Congress is
elected in November and does not come
into regular session until thirteen
months later. That is more than one
fourth Of the four-year period which
intervenes between national elections
BY calling special session soon after
March 4, the country is enabled to have
far more prompt action on the measures
in which 1t is especially interested.
It has been obvious for some time
that q comprehensive farm program
could not be undertaken and put
through In the present short session Of
Congress. No one has even considered
the suggestion that tariff bill be put
through before March 4. TO delay
these measures until next December, or
even to September, as suggested in some
quarters, would be an injustice to the
farmers and to the manufacturers.
A special session of Congress soon
after the Inauguration of new Presi-
dent has become the usual thing-not
the extraordinary. Cleveland called such
session in 1893. Mckinley. Taft,
Wilson and Harding all called special
sessions of Congress soon after they
were inaugurated to tackle important
problems that had been threshed out
in the campaigns leading to their elec-
tons to the White House. President
Coolidge's election in 1924 was but a
continuance Of administration and a
special session was deemed unnecessary.
The same thing was true in the case
of Theodore Roosevelt, after his election
In 1904 With Mr. Hoover, the situation
Of change In administration again
arises. with problems of great interest
pressing for early consideration.