Did, Did Not

Last week the fond fathers of many bills who had hoped or professed to hope until now that this session of Congress would adopt their offspring began to admit to this or that Washington correspondent that nothing was to be expected.

But before numbering those lost by the wayside it is worthwhile to note the sturdy offspring who achieved preferment, the important measures that were passed:

Tax Reduction. When the House assembled last December, a tax reduction bill fresh from the hands of the Ways and Means Committee was waiting for it. Before Christmas, the House had passed it, by the middle of February the Senate too had stamped it with approval, and the bill reducing surtaxes and estate taxes to a maximum of 20%, shaving down the maximum normal tax and increasing personal exemptions became law. Such was one of the first, one of the greatest accomplishments.

World Court. Before the Senate reached the tax bill, however, it had to dispose of a proposal, pending for three years, that the U. S, adhere to the World Court with reservations. The struggle by a minority opposition was bitter and concluded with a ten days' filibuster and the application of cloture to end debate. The U. S. adhered, 76 to 17.

Debt Funding Agreements. The bitterest struggle in House and Senate was over the Italian agreement which provided for only about 25% repayment (of the present value). But the argument that Italy could pay no more carried the day. The Senate finally gave its consent (TIME, May 3) and agreements with Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Roumania, Esthonia and Latvia followed in quick succession (TIME, May 10).

Appropriations. Meanwhile Congress had been grinding the unimpressive but all important grist of appropriations which will keep the Government functioning to June 30, 1927.

Railroad Labor. A new means of solving railway-labor disputes by mediation and arbitration had been worked out by railway executives and labor leaders, was embodied in a bill and was sent forth as a full-fledged law by the middle of May--a law that incidentally abolished the old Railway Labor Board which gave little satisfaction to anyone.

Aeronautics. Three bills were passed--growing in large measure out of the to-do over aviation started by Colonel William Mitchell last fall--one gave the Department of Commerce supervision over civil aviation, the other two provided five year building programs for the air arm of Army and Navy. The Departments of Commerce, War, Navy will each have an Assistant Secretary in charge of aviation.

Public Buildings. The first public buildings bill passed since the War, was enacted to relieve the Government's housing shortage. It provided $165,000,000 to be spent over several years. To prevent the inevitable free-for-all fight that would have ensued among "pork" starved Congressmen, the unique expedient was adopted of allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to decide how the money should be spent (subject, however, to Congressional veto). Incidents. In the first rank of incidentals, aside from legislation were: 1) The ousting (TIME, April 19) of Mr. Brookhart from the Senate in favor of Daniel Steck, his Democratic opponent in Iowa in the election of 1924; 2) The impeachment of a Federal district judge, George W. English of Illinois, the tenth time in history that the House has voted an impeachment; 3) Hearings by a subcommittee of the Senate on the effects of prohibition on the country--hearings which resulted in excitement, reams of words, little else; 4) The beginning of another investigation into primary expenditures. Here must begin the list of legislation passed over, neglected, or talked to death:

Muscle Shoals. At the President's suggestion in his message last December, Congress passed a resolution directing a joint committee to receive bids and determine the best method of disposing of the Government's power-fertilizer producing political white elephant. The committee reported (TIME, May 10, MUSCLE SHOALS), but not unanimously, and Congress just couldn't find time to settle the difficult problem at this session.

Alien Property. The property of enemy aliens, seized during the War, still lies in the hands of the Alien Property Custodian. Bills for disposing of it, and for settling the cognate problem--satisfaction of claims of U. S. citizens against Germany--languished amid disputations in committee.

Postal Rates. When the last Congress increased and modified postal rates (to get funds for increasing the salaries for postal employes) it was announced that the rates were temporary and would be altered again at this session of Congress. Instead the problem was postponed another year, since the committeemen who had to face it declared they needed more time.

Coal. There seemed some likelihood when Congress assembled that a permanent arrangement for settling coal strikes would be made into law, for the anthracite strike was then three or four months old and still going. But the strike was settled (TIME, Feb. 22, COAL), interest waned, Administration leaders did not press for a bill.

Prohibition. Measures alike for making the Volstead Act more stringent and making it more lenient were announced to be dead last week.

Shipping Board. The President wanted the operation of the Government Merchant Fleet placed under a single executive head responsible to him, wanted the Shipping Board confined to regulative and semi-judicial functions. Congress shrugged its shoulders at the quarrel.

Reorganization of the Executive Branch. Plans for rearranging Government functions within the Cabinet departments and, perhaps, creating new departments have been maturing for several years. But the subject is highly controversial and Congress did not want to spend a summer in Washington settling it.

Farming. The House has passed a measure creating a division of co-operative marketing in the Department of Agriculture, a bureau to assist the farmers with advice and information on how to get rid of their crops profitably. This bill is approved by the Administration. The House defeated (TIME, May 31) the Haugen bill advanced by the farm bloc for raising farm prices by buying up the surpluses of the major crops. In the Senate this second bill was proposed as an amendment to the first, and the whole program of farm relief of any kind was threatened, since neither Senate, House nor President was deemed willing to accept the present bill.

Rivers and Harbors. The House passed a bill for improvement of rivers and harbors but it contains a number of controversial features, purchase of the Cape Cod Canal, deepening of the Illinois and of the Missouri Rivers, which will delay if not prohibit its passage by the Senate at this session.

French and Jugoslav Debts. This Spring the World War Debt Commission concluded two more debt-funding agreements. One was the $4,025,000,000 French debt proposed to be funded for about 50% of its present value, the other the small debt of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The House approved both these measures and they now wait in the Senate. No further action will be taken on the French Debt until and unless it is ratified by France.