The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-02-10
BIG
DISTRICT
BILLS
Linthicum's FiIibuster Has
Killed School Program and
Other Needed Measures

vitality important District legis-
lation must fall by the wayside
during the present session of Con-
gress. Among the local bills vir-
tually doomed by a filibuster in
the House yesterday are the
Great Falls hydro-electric bill, the
traffic bill, the five-year school
building program, and the volun-
tary street railway merger bill.
There is but one more District
day in the House, February %,
and the District Committee is con-
fronted with the delicate task Of
selecting one Of these bills for
House action on that day. 1t is
held unlikely that more than one
of the bills can be passed in one
day if there is disposition on
the part of any member to fill
buster, as they are all of a highly
controversial character.
Blame on Linthicum.
The plans of the District Commit
tee for the passage Of District
legislation yesterday were blown
sky-higt by the throwing Of
series OF monkey wrenches into the
legislative machinery.
To Congressman j. Charles
Linthicnm of Maryland goes the
major portion of the blame for
blocking the most important Dis
trict legislative program presented
to the House i'm many years.
Disappointed by his failure to in
cIude butter within the provisions
Of the Lampert pure milk bill,
passed by the House yesterday,
Linthicum launched a one-man fill
buster which wasted nearly one-haf
of the entire five hours devoted by
the House to District legislation.
The District Committee had
listed for passage three bills which
had not been expected to arouse
controversy.
These were the milk bill, the
public welfare BILL and the Lamond
street embarrassing bill.
The committee anticipated passage
Of these bills within the first hour
or hour and a half yesterday.
the Great Falls bill and follow 1t
building bills.
Delayed BY Calls.
Linthicum demanded a quorum
call before the first measure was
called up, made a point of no
quorum during the reading Of the
bill, but was over-ruled by the
chair, which counted quorum.
and then demanded another call
during the final vote. on passage OF
the bill.
Each call took more than a half
hour Of the time Of the House.
AS a result the milk bill, which
members of the District Committee
had confidently expected to pass
within less than an hour, con-
sumed more than three hours.
The welfare bill regarded as one
of the five most important District
bills pending In Congress-. was then
passed.
On motion of Congressman
Thomas L. Blanton Of Texas. the
House added to the hill an amend
ment providing a mothers pension.
which is designed to put an end to
the practice of taking children from
poor parents and farming them
out"
Under the Blanton amendment
the destitute mother will be given
the money to keep her own child.
The Blanton amendment involved
serious parliamentary tangle,
however, which delayed passage OF
| the measure.
The amendment was ruled out on
point of order. After a vigorous
debate the decision of the chair
was overthrown by a vote Of the
House and the amendment was
adopted.
AS a result of the delay yester-
day, the rules committee may be
asked to grant a special rule for
| the consideration of the new rent
bill, though House leaders are OPP
posed to such a step unless 1t be-
comes absolutely necessary.
1t is the wish of the leaders to
have the rent bill called up on Dis
trict day, even though this results
in the failure of all other pending
District legislation, owing to the
pressure of national business in
the House.