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Show SHORT SESSION OF CONGRESS BEGINS PRESIDENT-ELECT HARDING IS FIRST TO GIVE UNUSUAL SPEECH TO BODY. Urges Senate to Make Remaining Three Months of Wilson Administration Administra-tion a Fruitful Time. Heavy Work Ready for Members. Washington. Congress is again in session, the two houses meeting at noon tm December U, Speaker Glllett culling the house to order promptly at noon, while Vice-President Marshall let his gavel full a moment luter. A new precedent in American history his-tory was established when Presidentelect President-elect Harding addressed the senate as a member of that body. He twlil his colleagues in a brief, informal in-formal talk that while he would always al-ways he mindful of the senate's place and responsibility in the government, he would also remember, and expect the senate to remember; that he was president. Harding requested co-operation, declaring de-claring that it was not necessary for either the congress or the executive to surrender to the other. He also urged the senate to make the remaining three .months 'of the Wilson administration a "fruitful time" instead of so much waste. His speech was made at the sug gestion of Senator Lodge, Republican leader, who asked the chair to recognize recog-nize the "senator from Ohio." This short session has been looked on in prospect as a rather routine session, ses-sion, devoted largely to passage of the fourteen appropriation bills. But indications in-dications are that it will be crowded with other important business. Not only will the mass of routine be tre mentlous, but there is to be considei able foundation laying for the Sixty-seventh Sixty-seventh congress, when the .Republicans, .Republi-cans, in complete control of both legislative leg-islative and executive branches of the government, purpose an ambitious program. pro-gram. Here is some of the work which this session will be called on to dispose of: New Bills. t Fourteen appropriation hills. Reappointment of representation In the house of representatives, based on the 1920 census. A national budget bill. A bill to amend the Volstead prohibition pro-hibition enforcement law to make prohibition pro-hibition less stringent. A bill to make the Volstead law more stringent, and to give the prohibition commissioner a bigger force, more money and wider powers. A demand for a sweeping investigation investiga-tion of prohibition enforcement. Some measure of tax revision, although al-though the main program of tax and tariff revision is to be undertaken at the next session, according to present plans of Republican leaders. A soldier bonus bill. Measures to lower the cost of living. liv-ing. Proposed amendments of the railroad rail-road law. A treaty with Japan covering land ownership by Japanese in California and other states. A treaty with Colombia, settling the old controversy over the Panama canal and establishing American oil interests inter-ests in Colombia. Measures to improve housing conditions. condi-tions. Proposals to curb the power of grain exchanges to control the price of wheat and oilier grains. A large number of welfare measures. meas-ures. In addition some new investigations investiga-tions doubtless will be undertaken. The senate campaign fund investigation committee is expected to make a partial par-tial report, and will also continue its Inquiry. Having asked how candidates and parties raised the money, the committee now will ask how they spent it. -V final report may also lie made on the Newberry election case. |