Evening star., 1925-01-06
POSTAL PAY VETO
COMING TO VOTE
IN SENATE TODAY
Administration Leaders Con-
fident of Sufficient Sup
port to Sustain.
PARTY LINES DIVIDED
AS TEST is OFFERED
Debate Brings Out Personal Thrusts
at President for Use of Infu-
ence With Senators.

President Coolidges veto of the
postal pay increase bill was direct
issue today in the Senate. with admin
istration leaders apparently holding
sufficient strength to sustain it.
A test on the question came last
night, when two more than the neces-
sary one-third of the total vote to
prevent an overriding of the veto
We're mustered in favor of a motion
10 recommit the bill to the post Office
committee. The motion was lost, 80
to 50.
Friends of President Coolidge in
sisted that they not only would be
able to hold their full strength on the
vote that must come today by 4
o'clock, but that they would draw
some votes from those opposing the
motion 10 send the bill back to the
committee.
As soon as this vote has been taken
Muscle Shoals automatically will be-
come against the unfinished business.
and the administration measure com
bining the pay increase with a raise
IN postal rates must take its chance
on the calendar with other general
legislation. There are free predic-
tions that it will fail of passage at
this session.
Party Lines Split.
There was a rending of Republi-
can lines on the test vote last night
Such leaders as Jones of Washington
party whip, and Reed of Pennsyl-
vania, Wadsworth of New York, and
Edge of New Jersey. refused to go
along with the President Only one
Democrat-DiaI, South Carolina
Joined with the % Republicans who
sought to prevent the veto from
coming to straight-out test.
While unusually free from acrimony
and fire, Senate debate before the test
vote was enlivened by frequent al
lusions to the personal pressure which
President Coolidge has exerted TO pre-
vent his veto from being overridden.
There were references to White
House breakfasts at which Senators
ate "sausages and buckwheat cakes;
to the delicate sensibilities of the
man in the White House, -and to
the alleged rewarding of lame duck"
Senators with political appointments
for supporting the Chief Executive
in matters of legislation
Declaring the Executive was incon-
sistent in inviting now increases in
pay which he disapproved last June.
Senator George, Democrat, Georgia,
said there was nothing involved but
the delicate sensibilities of the man
in the White House, for whom l en-
tertain the most profound respect"
Referring to the recent White
House breakfasts at which groups of
Republican Senators were guests,
Senator Copeland, Democrat, New
York, said he was unable to see why
amy Senator, just because he has had
sausages and buckwheat cakes at the
presidential breakfast table, should
change his vote"
Senators were urged by Senator
Johnson. Republican, California, to
vote their independent judgment,
veto or no veto"
Asserting that the administration
pay and rate increase measure had
been brought forward to give Repub-
Iican Senators who supported the
original pay bill "a soft landing
place" Senator Norris, Republican,
Nebraska, declared that even if SEN
ators' constituents should object to
their Topping" on the pay raise
question, they could find solace in the
recollection that there always is an
avenue of escape-the harbor which
only lame duck statesmen may
enter"
Chairman Sterling and Senator
Willis of Ohio spoke in support of
the veto. The South Dakota Senator
said: I'VE should remember the ver-
dict of the people in which this was
a definite issue and he called at
'tention that the pending administra-
tion measure provides salary in
creases just as they were in the bill
disapproved. but meets the Presi-
dents objection on the economic side
by establishing rate increases to
meet the pay advances
Urges Revenue Proposition.
Senator Willis said the only
sensible proposition was to pass a
measure meeting the cost of that in
crease. He added that he could mot
subscribe to the theory advanced by
Senator Edge, Republican. New
Jersey, who has charge of the vetoed
bill, that there was no relation be-
tween expenses and income in the
Post Office Department
Senator Edge declared, and Sena-
tors George and others agreed with
him, that there was no possibility
of the rate increase bill becoming a
law at this session, and that if the
veto were sustained, the postal en-
ployes would have to wait at least
until the next session of Congress
before receiving pay advances.
Opening the debate today, SEN
stor Walsh, Democrat, Massachusetts,
argued the increase in salaries was
necessary TO give postal employees a
living wage, reciting statutes showing
that increases had been given en-
ployes of almost every other depart
sn1ent of the Government.
The Presidents veto was assailed
also from the Republican ranks when
Senator Dale of Vermont declared
for the bill and insisted his action
was not to be considered disloyal to
the Chief Executive.
First defense of the veto came from
the Democratic ranks, Senator Dial,
Democrat, urging that the bill be de-
feated for business reasons.
Senator Dial reviewed changes in
postal pay schedules in the past 20
years, asserting the present rates
compared favorably with those OF
other Government departments. He
did not agree with those who were
con fident the normal increase in
business will soon meet any deficit"
! Replying to Senator DiaFs ex-
pressed hope that the Sterling bill
might become a law. Senator Ashurst
Democrat, Arizona, declared that meas
ure to be "a makeshift, conceived in
cowardice."