Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-05-30 | Page 4 | Congressional Inaction

!!$ CONGRESSIONAL INACTION. The duty of congress is to enact laws, g "What congress has been producing is inaction. S And now tho senate's steering committee announces that the supply (appropriations) bill will be given right of way so that con- gress may adjourn early in June for the summer vacation. This will give members the opportunity of attending the national nation-al conventions, taking their families upon "junketing trips" at the government's expense, and afford them plenty of time in which to look after their own political fences back home. i Exactly putting it: Congress postpones voto.s upon important legislation that members may have more time t pursue the votes gf the voters. 'j, So, after months of much vocal effort and little constructive legislative leg-islative work, congress sets its niaclimer' to press through the bills appropriating money for various departments of government activities, activ-ities, intending that other proposed legislation remain upon the shelf .until after the political campaign. 2 Senator Kenyon, Republican, forcefully called his party's sena-' sena-' tonal managers to account with the people for thus holding up measures mea-sures which ought to bo decided one way or the other that business and the public may know where they stand, or will stand, whether they are traveling on a highway to a known destination, or meandering mean-dering up a blind alloy. Kciiyon flayed Republican leaders for inaction on the bill for jSfjsj 'federal regulation of meat packer?, "the only bill ponding before tho v senate," he said, "which ronlly affects the cost of living to the pub- ; lie." The meat packers' bill has boon pending in the senate for h months. Tho federal trade commission has urged its passage to I' stop profiteering in. moats, to .protect livestock growers, aud for the II ' benefit of the hundreds of thousands oC grocers whose business is IS threatened by the encroaching tactics of packing establishments, t' But the senate decided the packers' bill may wait. i f "The senate should do something with this profiteering evil," i Kenyon persisted. (Lj : But the senate preferred doing nothing. . . j(, ; "Only bills for spending money will get consideration before Vacation." 1 , " That's the official decree from the senate's steering committer!. The minimum wage bill will recline upon the shclF. ii) r So will the soldiers' bonus bill. '! ! So will the bill to establish a permanent merchant marine pol- 1 1 It is probable the' Borah bill to investigate and limit political expenditures in election campaigns will be held up until after the - elccton. Nothing will be done with labor legislation suggested by the A. j F. of L., and others. . The measure to levy taxes upon stock dividends, to make up revenue losses sustained vthrOugh a supreme court decision, will not i bo considered. SNone of the laws asked for by farmers' organizations will be enacted or refused. 1 I " All the unfinished business, and the senate never had more un- Hj j finished business after a six months' session, will be held over, ii (' the steering committee's decision is not overruled by the senate itself. H , "Congress enacts" must give place to ''congress recesses."