The Bismarck tribune., 1929-04-15
THE SPECIAL SESSION


The Hoover administration enters the discharge
OF its program with the advent of the p.cial session Of
congress. 1t will begin With tho really big item Of its
proclaimed policies In farm relief there merely
prooler, Of agricultural significance national
problem. economic issue affecting the entire nation
for deals with the basic industry Of the nation And
linked with it is the problem Of tariff adjustment which
President Hoover wisely would at this time have
fined TO revision II affects the farming regeneration
to be undertaken a. this special session
This all is a big task. AS Arthur Brisbane has said.
1T is not easy confer dsorganized industry.
millions Of millions OF farms. producing without
method plan the prosperity enjoyed by welorganzed
quantity production industry that pays good dividends
In that statement is the Of the entire situation
To confer prosperity on industry operated without
method pan II the congress that situation
with solution the special session will achieve place
in American history. This much 1t should be able to
accomplish 1t should manage to make q beginning
which BY periodic evolution Of the original plan
tually would encompass the operation the nations
farms a broad national method and . nationwide
marketing plan. plan in which there would be
plus to penalize the producer by impoverishing him
inverse proportion to the bountifuncss Of his harvests
President Hoover has approached the situation very
wisely He does not desire orgy OF tariff revision
He declines to write the farm relief plan To him 1t is
sufficient that he has indicated the principle in his
prediction pledge that the problem should be considered
in special session. He rightly concevcs his duty
be to maintain open mind and leave to the congress
the formulation OF the methods by which agriculture
is to be pulled Of its slough despond Thereafter
his function becomes that OF approving the remedial
legislation or, it patiently be foolish nconsidercd
radically In conflict with constitutional requirements
to veto it. Thus far he has indicated preference for
sort Of remedial marketing system for the farmer.
Suggestion to what this sheuld be centered in far
has been in the direction OF farm board Of wide author
y to develop cooperative and orderly marketing emin
and stabization corporations
ing federal credits along with tariff adjustment Of
increased protective character.
special session the first of kind called In
years. President Harding summoned such
sion in 1922 set up agricultural tariff largely
against the competition Of the wool accumulatons dur
ing the World in Australia and other wooproduc-
Ing countries In fact the Harding administration called
two such sessions enacting the Fordney McCumber
tariff act.
President Coolidge avoided extra special sessions He
preferred to have congressman stay at home and let the
nation mark time economic and avoid the disturbing
effect Of agitation Roosevelt also managed to avoid
special sessions
The original extra session held in New York In
1850. There president until congress had can
vassed the electoral votes by which George Washington
became the counrys first chief executive. Congress
met in March and he was inaugurated in April.
There have been 2l special sessions of 20 different
congresses.
Extra sessions have largely been concerned with the
tariff The very first enacted tariff law and created
the original three administrative departments which have
since been increased to ten.
Mckinley called congress to Washington In 1897 ard
the Dngley protective tariff act resulted Taft called
another special session to raise tariff barriers still
higher with the Aldrch act. held largely respon
siblc for Tafts defeat after one term In office.
Wilson'S special sessions highly important in
American history. The first started in April 1917 and
under when this country entered the World war.
The second called In l9l9 and the senate refused
to ratify Wilson's Versailles treaty. The suf-
age amendment to the constitution adopted at this
session.