The Washington herald., 1920-04-26

TOGET ACTION
Calendars of Both Houses Of
Congress Heavy With Lo-
veal Measures.
VOTE ON MONEY BILL
Clerks Retirement, School
Question and Power Plant
Action Also Due.
VOTE ON MONEY BILL

ate today. One Is the water power
bill, carrying an appropriation of
s25,ooo,0Q0 for the erection of a
huge power plant at Great Falls.
on the Potomac.
The other Is the District appro-
priation bill. carrying a revised
schedule of taxation in the District
and the half-and-half method OF
meeting expenses.
Much criticism and concern was
expressed by washingtonians when
the House struck out the half-and-
half measure and raised the taxa
tion rate from ] 1-2 to Ii per
cent. The Senate Appropriations
Committee, after numerous hear
ings. restored the half-and-haf,
and instead off the nat increase in
taxes adopted an adjustable scale
Of tax revision.
Includes Clerks Bonus.
The appropriation bill also in
cludes the bonus of $240 for gov
ernment employees, which was elm
ipated by the House and restored
in the Senate committee, and a bo-
nus of $3.50 for officers and members
of the jolice force and the FIRE de-
partment. These city employees re-
ceive a less sum because they were
recently granted a considerable in
crease in salary.
1t is generally conceded that the
bonus to Federal emrloyes and the
revised taxation scheme would pass
the Senate without serious opposi-
tion. Senator Warren, of Wyo-
ming. chairman Of the ApprUpria-
! tions Committee. said some Sen
ators were opposed to the half-and-
half plan. hut that he thought
enough votes could be secured to
pass Il.
school Report Expected.
A special committee. whichc re-
Gently completed an investigation
OF the school system of the Dis
trist, is expected to present its
report this week. Senator Harrison
of Mississippi, cl airman OF the COM
mittee. would rot disclose in ad.
vance what recommendations would
be made. but it is expected the com.
mittee will recommend many changes
in the present method OF select.
ing and promoting teachers and
other school officials, and of select.
ing the School Board.
Debate upon several petty item.
| or the rivers and harbors bill. in ad
| dition to difficulty in getting q
| quorum in the Senate. has delayed
| passage of this measure. 1t will
probably be voted upon today.
Hearings on Marriage Laws.
The judiciary Committee will hold
| this week a series OF hearings or
uniform marriage and divorce laws
A number OF sociological and gov
ernment experts will present testi.
mony. and a bill to provide national
marriage and divorce laws will
| probably be presented to the Senate
With Mexican affairs in a state
of turmoil. both the Military Affairs
Committee and the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee have been holding
frequent executive sittings to con-
sider/ Mexican questions. 1t is ex.
pected that these hearings will con-
tinue this week.
As is usual in an election year
| many pension bills have been pre-
sented in the Senate. Last Friday
the Fuller pension bill. raising the
pensions of civil war veterans to $50
month, was passed, and is expect
ed to add about S60.o00,0O0 a year
to government expenses. A bill to
pension all veterans of the Spanish
American War, the Philippine insur-
rection and the Boxer rebellion and
numerous schemes to pension vet
Grams of the recent world war. are
now pending in the Appropriations
Committee and probably will come
up for consideration this week.
EDistrict Day" in House.
Today is the regular monthly Dis
trict Day" in the House when
Chairman Carl E. Mapes of the Dis
trict Committee will be given
preference over everyone else.
Mapes willpresent to the House two
bills, those to repeal the charter
of the Washington Market Company
and to create a Department of
Weights, Measures and Markets Of
the District government.
Both bills are expected to pass as
recommended by the committee. Rep
resentative Ben johnson, of Ken
lucky, former chairman of the COM
mittee. introduced the former. while
Chairman Mapes was sponsor for the
latter measure.
Retirement Bill Up Thursday.
Thursday the Sterling -Lehlbach
Civil Service retirement bill will be
presented to the House by Chair
man Lehlbach OF the committee on
Civil Service. Reform.
Lehlbach has secured a special
order for his bill to come ahead OF
the sundry civil appropriation bill
which probably will be reported out
of the Appropriations Committee
the latter part of the week.
The bill will be minus the Smoot
amendment which places the age OF
retirement at 70 years The COM
mittee had amended II to call for
retirement OF railway mail clerks
at 60, other mail employees and me-
chanics at 62, and all other govern
ment employees at IS. |.
Republican Caucus Friday.
The Republican caucus in the
House which was postponed from
last Thursday is set for next Fri
day. This caucus was brought
about by the Republican Insurgent
faction led by Representative Roy
al c. Johnson of South Dakota who
have Joined forces with the Demo
Gratis in an effort to finance the
soldier bonus legislation agreed on
by taxes on bloated war fortunes
instead of by a consumption tax.