Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
SENATE HAS HOPES
OF FINISHING WORK
Prospects of Completing In
portant Program Bright,
With Five Weeks Left.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

With the cruiser bill fight in the Sem
ate expected to end in the passage of
the bill by the end of the coming week
If not earlier, prospects of completing
the legislative program of the present
session of Congress are Frightening. In
this program are included as major
measures the House bill for the re-
apportionment of Representatives in
Congress and those annual appropria-
ton bills which have not yet been put
through.
The apparent determination of the
leaders to give the cruiser bill the right
of way until 1t has been disposed of
has in large measure taken the tucks
out of the opposition. There has been
no question that the cruiser bill, pro-
viding for IS new modern cruisers for
the Navy, would pass the Senate by
very substantial majority once it could
be brought to a vote. The principal
fight over the bill now is not whether
it shall pass, but whether the provision
for a time limit in which the conStruc-
ton of the cruisers shall be begun shall
remain in the bill.
House FavOrs Time Limit.
President Coolidge has recommended
its elimination, on the ground that 1t
might embarrass the Treasury to be
compelled to spend the money within
the specified time. Senator Hale, chair
man of the naval affairs committee and
in charge of the bill in the Senate. Is
strongly opposed to the elimination OF
this provision. Unless there Is shit IN
sentiment before the vote is taken, the
time limit will remain in the bill. The
House has already agreed to the time
limit.
Five weeks remain before March 4.
when the present Congress expires.
the cruiser bill takes up week OF this
time before the Senate, four weeks are
still available for the consideration OF
other measures. No effort Is being
made to bring a farm bill forward,
however. for it Is the definite under
standing of the leaders now that this
measure Is to go over until a special
session, called this Spring by the Presl-
dent-elect.
The bill for the reapportionment of
the membership of the House IN ac-
cordance with the census of 1920, which
has passed the House. Is now on the
Senate calendar, having been reported
favorably from the Senate committee
on commerce. That it commands the
support of a majority of the Senate was
clearly indicated during the last week,
when, by vote of 50 TO %, 1t was taken
up for consideration on Thursday dur
ing the morning hour. 1t has opposl-
ton from Senators representing States
which will lose seats in the House
under the proposed reapportionment.
There have been hints Of filibuSter
against the bill But the bill providing
for taking the next decennial census Is
pending before the Senate too. and
Senator Vandenberg OF Michigan, who
has made a fight for reapportlonment
during the present session, plans to
offer the reapportionment bill as an
amendment to the census bill, when
that measure comes up in the Senate,
as it is slated TO do soon. There is a
strong desire to put the census bill
through. 1t must be put through be-
fore the census can be taken and there
is a multitude of jobs in the ofiing
when the cenSuS-taklng starts. Undef
the terms of the Constitution, the de-
cennial census, which is the basis of
apportionment of representation in the
House, must be made within each 10
year period. The census bill is privi-
legged measure, therefore. and has been
held SO.
Four Measures on List.
Between the fight over the Kellogg
treaty outlawing war and the contest
over the cruiser bill. with several ap-
preparation bills Sandwiched in, the
census bill has been allowed 10 wait It's
turn in the Senate Senator Vanden-
berg early gave notice he planned to
offer the reapportionment bill as an
amendment to the census bill when
ever it was brought up. There was
tacit understanding that the Senate
would wait until the House put through
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