Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-21
The Legislative Program.

With May day just around the
corrsr, congressional leaders are taking
stock Of the situation on Capitol Hill
and preparing for the final drive to
bring about as early adjournment as
possible. Many of the members of the
House and Senate face contests for
denomination and for reelection. They
would welcome an opportunity to return
to their States and districts as soon as
possible to rebuild their fences"
The House, as a matter Of fact, has
little left to do in legislative way be-
fore it will be in a position to shut its
desk and leave Washington for the
Summer. 1t has put through the APP
preparation bills, except the Navy bill
and deficiency bill 1t has passed the
one bill dealing with prohibition en-
forcement Of the Presidents program
which appears to have much chance
of final action at the present session of
Congress-the bill transferring the pro-
hibition enforcement unit from the
Treasury Department to the Depart
ment of Justice.
In the Senate, however, the picture
is somewhat different. Although the
Senate finally passed the tariff bill a
few weeks ago and sent that measure to
conference, it must still run the
gauntlet when it returns from the con-
ference. The conference report un-
doubtedly will lead to debate. The
Senate, too, has another controversy on
its hands over the appointment Of a
member Of the Supreme Court, Judge
John j. Parker, whose nomination
probably will be reported from the
judiciary committee in the next week
or ten days. The judiciary committee
has had before it for months the bill
transferring prohibition enforcement to
the Department of Justice. That meas
ure, If it is eventually brought before
the Senate, will require time. And now
1t Is reported that the President is
planning to send to the Senate the
London Naval Limitation Treaty for
consideration Aand ratification at this
session. If the Senate finds it possible
to complete such a program within the
next seven or eight weeks, in addition
to attending to number of appro-
priation bills it has not yet touched
and other measures which are knocking
at the door, it will set a new record of
accomplishment.
At present the House Is more or less
marking time. The Navy appropriation
bill has been held up until the London
Conference should be completed. When
it is brought forward in the House 1t
will give opportunity for members of that
body to express their opinions of the
new treaty, an opportunity they will
lack in the actual consideration of the
pact, for it goes only to the Senate for
approval.
The Senate for q week has had as its
unfinished business the Harris bill to
put immigration from Mexico on quota
basis. In the ofing and on the steering
committees program is proposal to
amend the Senate rules, introduced by
Senator Swanson of Virginia, to elirni-
nate the parliamentary stage in the
consideration of legislation which makes
it possible for Senators to demand votes
on all items in a bill when a bill goes
into the Senate after votes on these
items have been taken in committee
of the WHOLE" which is merely another
name for the Senate itself. The upsets
in the tariff bill, which came in the
Senate when the bill was reported from
the committee Of the whole, are respon-
sible for this demand for a change in
the rules. Next on the list is bill to
reorganize the Federal Power Commits
sion, advocated by the administration.
When this Congress completes its
present session its effective days for
legislative action will be rather num-
bered. In December the Congress will
meet again in regular session, short"
session, which must automatically close
March 4. 1t has always been difficult
to bring about the passage Of important
legislation in short session, especially
If there is any opposition to it. 1t is
all the more imperative, therefore, that
the leaders manage to get as much done
as is possible before adjournment this
Summer.
Mail clerks will no longer be required
to give attention to pictorial addresses.