Omaha daily bee., 1921-01-04
R!.!'skiiI R
Jed BY
President
Senate Overrides Wilson's Act
In Effort to Give Financial
Aid to Agricultural
Districts.
House Will Vote Today

Washington, Jan. 3.-Veto by
President Wilson today of the farm
ers relief bill to revive the war f.
nance corporation was followed al
most Immediately by a vote OF So
to 5 in the senate to make the bill
law despite executive disapproval.
The house will take up the measure
tomorrow and predictions were that
it would duplicate the senate's action,
making the bill a law.
President Wilson, i'll a veto mes
sage, declared he withheld his ap-
proval because the war finance cor
poration was a war credit agency,
not desirable or needed in peace
time. He said it would exert nc
beneficial influence on the situation
would raise false hopes among the
people who would expect most, and
would be hurtful to the natural and
orderly processes of BUSINESS and
finance"
Burden on Government.
The legislation, he also said, would
result in additional credit burdens,
and the government he contended,
should not be called upon further to
finance private business at public
expense" Referring to widespread
demand for abolishment of war
agencies and removal of govern
mental influences from business, the
president said he had sympathy"
with this view and added that the
nation should resume its usual bus
mess methods"
Upon reading of the veto mes
sage Senator Underwood OF Ala
bama, democrat leader, urged its
immediate consideration for which
unanimous consent was secured by
Chairman Gronna of the agricultural
committee. Senator Underwood fol-
lowed with the only address, de-
claring financial distress now was
greater than during the war and
that he felt confident of wise admin
istration of the proposed law that
would cause mo undue drain on
the treasury"
Support from South.
On the roll call % democrats were
Joined by "a republicans in overrid-
ing the veto.
Supporting the presidents position
were two democrats Senators
Gerry, Rhode Island, and Thomas.
Colorado-and three republicans
Elkins and Sutherland of West Vir-
ginia and Keyes of New Hampshire.
Senators Glass. democrat, Virginia,
and Edge, republican, New Jersey,
voted against overriding the veto,
cut withdrew their votes on account
of having pairs. Senator Penross
was paired. but announced he would
have voted to sustain the veto.
Message is Read,
The presidents message also was
read in the house. Representative
Mondell of Wyoming. republican
leader, announced it would be taken
up tomorrow at the opening of the
house. Advocates of the bill, how
ever. expressed confidence that the
house also would vote to enact the
bill The house passed the bill, 212
to 81, or much more than the neces-
sary two-thirds majority. Many of
the negative votes were cast by re-
publicans. -r..
Before the presidents message
reached the senate today Senator
Harrison, democrat, Mississippi. an
advocate of the legislation, criticised
Secretary Houston. declaring that
the treasury head, according to news
paper reports, had advised presiden-
tial disapproval of the bill without
indicating such opposition when Mr..
Houston was before congressional
committees.
Senator Edge issued a statement
tonight declaring the presidents
arguments against the bill were "ab-
solutely unanswerable."