Evening star., 1921-05-08
What Congress Is Doing
The House,.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

House Leader Mondell hopes to
get the Army appropriation bill
out of the way tomorrow. This
viii probably be followed by bill
from the committee on agricul-
ture limiting to a certain extent
dealings in futures on the grain
market.
Soon, probably by Wednesday.
il is the expectation OF House
leaders to call up for considera-
tion the bill favorably reported
by the committee on interstate and
foreign commerce providing for
giving the President in his discre-
ton authority to make provisions
for landing cables.
The deficiency appropriation bill.
on which the appropriations COM
mlttee has been working for the
last two weeks. will probably be
brought into the House the last
of the week.
The most important event dur
ing the past week vas the pas
sage of the federal budget leg
islation by vote of 344 to 8. This
places the budget bureau direct
ly under the President instead of
in the Treasury Department, as
provided in the bill as it passed
the Senate. 1t creates control
Ter general. The bill must go to
conference between the two
houses.
one of the spectacular sessions
was Friday. when Represe
George Fl. Tinkham of Boston
arose to d question of the high
est constitutional privilege en-
deavoring to force an investiga-
tion of alleged disenfranchisement
of negroes in the south. House
Leader Mondell made point of
order which was sustained by
Tinkham appealed from the deci-
sion and the House sustained the
Speaker. 2S5 to 46, after one of
the bittereSt debates for some
years.
The House adjourned over yes
tcrday in order that the birthday
of former Speaker Cannon, now
eighty-five years old. might be nit
tingly celebrated.
The hearings before a special
committee investigating the escape
of Grover Cleveland Bersdoll. mil
lionaire draft dodger, continued
during the week and were fea-
tured by verbal fireworks. The ques-
tion of veracity was raised be-
tween Judge John w. WeStcott of
Haddonfield. n. j., and Samuel I.
Ansell, former acting judge advo-
cate general of the Army, the for
mer inviting Mr.. Ansell ''outside. y
Later in the hearings Representa-
tive Johnson of Kentucky asked
Mr. Ansell if he would have acted
Eat n y
for Judas 1scariot.
Herbert Hoover. Secretary Of
Commerce, Tuesday told the House
WAYS and means committee that
there is imperative need for pro-
tecting American industries against
the inroads of revived German IN
duStrial and commercial activities.
subcommittee of the House DIS
trict committee started work on
legislation to effect merger OF
the street car companies and to
limit sale of theater tickets to the
actual seating capacity and to
regulate prices. to provide ade-
ullately for the school needs of the
District, to establish an Industrial
and domestic employees insurance
law and to establish model ma
rine insurance law in the District.
not only for the purpose OF build
ing up a profitable marine 1nsur-
ance business in this country. but
TO prevent rival nations from get
ting too intimate knowledge OF
American ships and cargoes.
The District Commissioners
sprung a surprise by sending to
the Speaker supplemental esti-
mates for the needs Of the school
system amounting to less than
s2.oO0.OOO. while the superintendent
of schools had prepared school
building budget of approximately
s. 600 900