Show This Weel h In Washington D. D C. C i iI I I I Washington Dec Dee 22 The The second re regular ular session of or the We Congress s meets on Jan 3 but tho the army of lobbyists tor fora a. a hundred special interests has boon been on the job for several se weeks and every returning returning return return- ing lug member Is made mado aware by more moro or 01 lets less means of communication com corn mUI n that it would be smart for him to vote yote for this that orthe orthe or orthe the other proposal or proposal or else elso Or elso else in a n year ear when all tho the Representatives cs come up for re reelection reelection reelection re- re election calls for little explanation Of or course It is never never Or or hardly aver put Aver put as ns bluntly as to say ray to a member of Congress that If he I doesn't vote for a given al althe the heat will be turned on all and he will lose a lot of or votes which would be bo extremely useful in his district lt But nut when wIlen it is considered that practically half of tho the members cl's now sitting sit sit- sitting ting got In by such close margins that n a. a shift of only a thousand orso or orKO KO so votes would have elected theother the other fellow it would seem as if iC it wouldn't take tako much more than a hint to swing wing a n good many members members' mem mem- 1 h bers' bers rs rs' votes I That is tile the popular notion of or tho II 1 1 bb i t k It Tf 1 1 n n eon 5 the mw 0 o y s 0 s 1 v vu iv n. J. J iv II v as wade made the theme of many a romantic romantic roman roman- tic lIc piece of fiction and a lot of folks who dOllt dont don't 1 I know how wheels ls actually go round in Washington aro are inclined to think of or their Congressmen Congressmen Con Con- gressmen as rather spineless weaklings weaklings weak weak- lings concerned concerTed with nothing but hut their own own personal continuance in iii office That is a wrong picture for or several reasons reasonS' High Principles First It is not as as- easy to Influence UtA average Congressman or Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor lor to vote in favor tavor of any measure which ho does docs not honestly bell believe ve veIs is for the public welfare as many folk think it is The avera average e of nigh and honorable principles principle on every question of Importance that comes comos comesup comesup up for Cor consideration in Congress congreSSi is I probably higher her than in any other otherl l legislative body in the world There Ther are honest differences differences' of ot opinion ond and a n preference to follow the i party leadership but the record of ot tho the t ses session ion of this Congress carr car r rles rles es Its own evidence that there aro many members who put their ion hon ost cst convictions above party pones policy To be suro sure there will be a lot lotof lotof lotof of votes cast and on Important questions ques because Ot or their possible effect upon the success of oC one Dart party or the other but on n the whole the controversial Issues will bf bP de- de by the majority op opinion ion nf of their merits There Thero is no likelihood of or a short session I There will be too many many questions on which members If of both hoth parties will want to put them them- I selves on record for one thing And J I for tor another the activities of or the lobbies working with pressure pressure- blocks Inside of Con Congress ress will be greater reater than in tho the first session Possibly more mOTe controversy will be beI aroused over the tax situation tItan than J Jon on any other one subject It is difficult dif dlf- I for outside observers to see j I how increased taxes can bo he avoided if even oven part of or the Presidents President's program program program pro- pro J gram for Cor enlarging the tho national ie- ie Tenses is carried through And on nn j that matter the belief in Washington Washing solIdly solidly sol gOl- sol sol- ton lon is that the public is pretty idly behind the President Bolter Botter Feeling Toward Business The problem Is how to raise the additional billion or so without cutting cutting cutting cut cut- ting essential expenses in oilier other and without adding to Inc tax burden on business There Is a a. much more tender fc fesl- fesl l' l lIng Ing lug toward business apparent here than t there ere has been in the past i iThe The force of the argument of or bust j ness Hess interests that they cannot put more men to work if they ther are not noL allowed to make profits proUtS Is being felt Celt at bot both ends of or Pennsylva-ila Pennsylva Increasing Increasing in increasing In- In Avenue The only alternative t to tJ to tobe tobe tobe creasing taxes however seems seems- be additional borrowing and in increasing increasing in- in creasing national debt be beyond ond its j present legal limit Any economies however drastic made in other departments departments de dO- seem certain to be offset t by DY increased expenditures e res lor for the and ana Navy The agricultural relief situation is ono one of or the things which this session session ses ses- sion Slon will be bo called upon to readjust One une of or the most powerful pressure blocks in Congress backed by rileI the rile most powerful ot of all the lo lobbies bles is I the farm block The American Farm Bureau Federation has come out with its definite plans approved by the Secretary of or Agriculture for Tor Tora fora a new pro processing tax on farm prodUCts products prod prod- trots to be be used for the purpose of r giving farmers a price for for their products which would put their purchasing purchasing purchasing pur pur- chasing power on a parity with that of ot industry Less coalition Talk I There is less talk however ab iut ut iuta a coalition ot or Labor and Agricultural tur tural ll lobbies Or Organized labor Is beginning to realize that its interests interests inter inter- ests are not the same as hose of the tUe who are capitalists and employers em cm- of ot labor I I The Labor lobby is less powerful than it formerly was because o of th the s split lit between the American FederatIon Federation Federation Federa Federa- tion of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations I II II I A program along that line liner is being being be be- ing worked out in the Department of or Justice It would attempt to remore remove re re- I I II move more all nIl obstacles legislative or I otherwise in the way of consumers' consumers I obtaining goods at the lowest prices 1 J at which prod producers or dealers are of willing to sell them One effect of such a drive would be to kill the j I Patman bill introduced at the last last session taxing chain stores out rt of business Also contemplated are removal ro- ro moval inoval of or all existing restrictions on order mall distribution Of Inert hajJ Ln disc and the removal of tax battle bartle 1 to commerce between the St states Some changes in the Fey Fed r 1 l 1 Housing laws to lo remove d control of or prices of or building 1 m Cl med and labor are arc talk talked ed of I Those arc are only a few tew high in what looks loob like a busy a ahe ahead d. d I |