Evening star., 1931-12-23
CONGRESS PLEASED.
OVER 15DAYS' WORK
Begins Christmas Vacation
Today-Faces Hard Grind
on Return.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Fifteen days the new Congress has
labored and the leaders are we'll
pleased with the progress their forces
have made.
Today the members began a 12-day
vacation, lull preceding the really
serious grind on important legislation
which will occupy them until next June
They have successfully negotiated the
first hurdle, that intergovernmentm mora
torium whose opposition was mostly
vocal.
They face now the long road OF do
mestic economy's legislation, staked
clearly with a list of markers erected
by President Hoover. Many of the
legislators have displayed a great will
ingness to speed the program; many, in
fact, are foregoing vacations at home
to stay here and prepare the bills
against the reassembling of Congress on
January 4.
Senate Post Undecided.
Except for the unsolved struggle over
electing the President pro tempore of the
Senate, both houses have successfully
negotiated organization work. Despite
the overturn which brought Democrats
into House control, and the accompany
tees are formed They are clicking
smoothly on their way.
Not that trouble is not ahead. There
will be a good bit of opposition in the
path of the Hoover domestic program,
some Of it important. The big question
mark of increased taxation finds the
Democratic forces still shrinking from
a decision on making a program of
their own in place Of the stiff boosts
which the administration recommended
even in the face of a presidential elec-
ton next November
Prohibition, farm relief, Muscle
Shoals, veterans cash and pension de-
mands, cash outlays for unemployed,
and all the other everlasting sources of
struggle and friction, are just around
the corner.
Sought Vacation Cut.
The full-length Christmas vacation
was not approved without difficulty. The
President wanted it cut short to speed
the reconstruction corporation bill.
Senator Reed and Senator Borah, Re-
publicans, insisted upon getting back
to work December %, and young
guard Republicans, Western inde-
pendents and a few Democrats joined
in. But the leaders held out, knowing
of old that members cannot be rushed
back from distant homes in sufficient
numbers to do business. The decision
on adjournment did not come until the
last thing last night. A handful of
House members maintained the form
Of session until the Senate was ready
to quit
This is what Congress has accom-
plished to date:
Ratified the moratorium.
Passed 5000 100000 appropriation
for the Veterans Administration and
some additional items for employment
services.
Pushed consideration Of the $500 ,000,-
900 Reconstruction Corporation in COM
mittee to the point that it can be
brought out for action soon after re-
convening.
The House passed and sent to the
Senate bill to make S100 600 900 avail
able for farm and land bank loans.
The Senate confirmed numerous NOM
nations and initiated several new in
quirieS.
The feeling of the leadership was
voiced by Speaker Garner:
If you go back and study history you
will find that there has not been a new
Congress in decades that has done as
much before Christmas mean as far
as the House is concerned"
The Senator's did not consider them
selves much behind.