The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-01-21
ME ASIIRE..
MAY STICK
NNSE matt.
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON
International News service

With six weeks remaining before
the death OF the SEVENTEEN Con.
gress, the administration today
faced the task of entacting two
major measures, the new cruiser
and the reapportionment bills. be-
fore completing its legislative pro-
gram.
The House, having completed its
share of the Congressional pro-
gram. appeared reconciled, but the
Senate threatened to prove a lively
patient right up to the final gong.
Both cruiser bill and reapportion-
ment bill have passed the House
but require Senate approval to be-
come laws. Both face serious
opposition.
Hundreds Of other bills win be
enacted by both branches before
March 4 but these chiefly will be
Of local character. So far as major
legislation is concerned and with
the possible exceptions of the
cruiser and reapportionment bills.
the legislative record of the Seven
tieth Congress and the Coolidge
administration appears to have BEEN
written.
Tariff Hearings
The chief activity of the House
this week will be to further tariff
hearings in committee session as
a preparation for the coming spe-
cial session of the new Congress.
Next in importance viii be the
hearings on radio legislation. The
i House itself will consider appropia.
ton bills, routine matter.
In the Senate, the legislative sit
uation was assuming the character
istics of a jam" The cruiser bill
has been its unfinished legisla-
tive business since January 3, but
the measure appeared no nearer
enactment than on that day. 1t
NIT ratification OF the kellogg
peace treaty.
il was laid aside again for de-
bate on the first deficiency appro-
priation bill and both were laid
aside To allow consideration OF the
nomination of Roy o, West, of
Chicago. as Secretly Of the In
terror,
FiIibuster Feared
The situation was such as to
arouse a fear In administration
minds that very carefully man
tleYered fiIibuster Is being conducted
against the Naval bill. The adj
rninistration leaders however were
helpless as under Senate rules, both
the West nomination and the ap.
preparation bill were privileged mat
tiers, which could not be ssdetracked.
The administration though planned
To get rid Of the West nomination
today, ana then concentrate on
eracting the deficiency bill by to-
morrow. This would enable Re-
publican leaders to concentrate de-
bate on the cruiser bill by We'd
ton bills probably will intervene
before the end of the week.
The first deficiency bin this year
has provoked the biggest fight in
TIE history Of that emergency
money measure, because 1t con-
tained d SIS 1000 increase In
prohibition funds and d $4,000, 900
item for payment OF tax refunds.
The prohibition item drew the dis
approval OF Secretary OF the Treas
llry Andrew w. Mellon, provoked q
split in dry ranks and led to q
ssyvet and dry debate in the Senate.
IN the parliamentary manuevcring,
Senator Harris Cd Of Georgia, re-
duced the amount asked to $4,000
900 while Senator Jones fR.l Of
washington, proposed a substitute
Of S1.25O 900. The Senate may de-
eide this question during the day.
TAX Refund Battle
Then will come a real battle
- = eHava sFr.va Max ~ i.
iar nd Of tennessee. has offered
IN amendment to the SIS, OOO. 900
item which would strip Mellon Of
all authority over tax refunds and
rebates In excess Of $4,000. He
has charged Mellon authorized
S5.6fA. OO0, 900 worth of refunds and
credits in the last six years-al
most the total income of the
Government in a single year. Some
administration leaders looked upon
the prohibition and tax refund
fights as a direct fight against
Melons reappointment to the
Cabinet.
IN the background meanwhile lies
the Ware ''slush fund" case. The
& Reed special committee probably
will meet this week to draft final
report on the case OF Senator-elect
william s. Ware R.l OF Pennsyl.
vania. This report will be highly
privileged. whether or not 1t re-
commends the exclusion OF Ware,
1t probably will lead to lengthy
debate and thus throw a new
obstacle in the path of the admin
istration program.
Unbiased observers on Capitol
Hill therefore believe the House
- ccmnleted its progran