Evening star., 1932-11-16
SPECIAL congress
IN SPRING SEEN
Democrats Here Base 0pin-
ion on Heavy Program for
December Session.
tcontinued From First Page.)

the Senate. He was our leader for a
decade when the party was in the mi
nority. II Is only due him now that
he should continue as our leader when
the party will be in the rnajoriy go
Senator Thomas j. Walsh OF Montana,
discussing possibility of Spring special
session, said 1t was impossible TO predict
with certainty what conditions would be
rext Spring. He said he hoped the pres
ent Congress would be able to dispose OF
many of the important questions press
ing fer consideration and action. He
admitted that unless d program OF I'M
portant legislation could be enacted BY
March 4 and unless conditions in this
country had improved materially
special session seemed probable.
President ELECT Roosevelt will be in
conference within the next few weeks
with the Democratic leaders IN both Sen
ate and House. Undoubtedly steps will
be taken to formulate program for the
expected special session OF Congress.
Recall Special Session.
Democrats here now would much pre-
fer to have the Roosevelt administration
firmly seated In washington, and with
a grasp on all conditions in problems
confronting it, before it is forced to un-
dertake legislative program and to
deal With Congress. They remember
special session called by President Hoo
yer almost four years ago that was not
particularly happy. The Democrats
have promised to bring about better
conditions In the country. 1t is always
questionable whether legislation can ac-
Conplislf such results. The Democrats
realize that If an early session Of the
new Congress Is held and conditions are
not bettered q drift away from the
Democratic standard may follow.
Despite these qt1alff1s the Democrats
realize they must face conditions next
Spring, and that they will have to try
to fulfill promises which were made dur
ing the campaign.
Meanwhile, it appears as though the
outgoing Congress will have another
opportunity to vote on the manu-
facturers' sales tax before it passes into
history on March 4.
Congressional leaders close to the ad-
rninistration have indicated they will
not be surprised If the Treasury, rec
mounting deficit and the failure of
hC" bdACo w pAOouSC CApCOkC0 AOFSAAuC'
Bills Formerly Rejected.
The present Congress rejected both the
sales tax and beer last Spring and the
attitude on those issues of the nearly
400 lame ducks" resulting from the
primary and general elections still is
unknown to the party leaders. Wet or
ganizatiOns contend sufficient gains
have been made In the present Congress
since adjournment last July to make
immediate modification Of the. Volstead
act possible. Dry groups hold the op-
posite. view. -.
.Prohibitionists in Congress, led by
Senator Borah of Idaho, are prepared
to oppose vigorously any attempt to le-
galize beer Representative rRainey Of
Illinois, Democratic floor leader doubts
that sufficient wet strength has been
gained to overcome this opposition.
Rainey said yesterday that this is
a dry Congress He predicted both
beer and repeal of the eighteenth
amendment would pass in the new
Congress with ease, adding that spe-
cial session for that purpose should be
called early after the inauguration OF
President-elect Roosevelt.
Yield Held Far Short.
Already surveying tax Possibilities,
Chairman Collier OF the House Ways
and Means Committee that drafts tax
legislation. said the revenue. bill en-
acted last Spring has fallen far short"
of the $1,118 SOC, 900 yield estimated by
Secretary Mills for this fiscal year to
meet an anticipated deficit of $l,24i,-
10000
The deficit for the first four months
Of the fiscal year was placed by the
Treasury around $625 100000. Senator
Reed of Pennsylvania, administration
spokesman, has predicted first returns
from the increased income taxes next
March Is will be surprisingly low
Chairman Mead of the House Post
Office Committee said the, ir1creased
postage rates not only will fail to pro-
duce the $3.50, 1000, 900 estimated by the
Treasury, but have actually reduced the
volume OF mail to sich an extent the
total return will be less than at the
lower postage rate"
The 1-cent Federal gasoline tax will
expire June 80 unless Congress acts.
Collier said 1t was bearing the best
returns of all the new miscellaneous
taxes and probably would be continued.