Evening star., 1925-01-21
LESSER B|LLSPUT
AHEAD Of SURPLUS
ON NEXT D. c. DAY
Committees Action Due to
Absence of Opposition to
Two Measures.
BLANTON TO FILIBUSTER
TO LIMIT AGAINST FUND
All Other Members Say He Is Set
ting Up Own Will as Bar to Con-
structive Policy.

With the $4,000, 600 District surplus
bill pending as unfinished business on
District day. next Monday, the House
District committee today showed two
other measures ahead of the surplus
bill because ii was shown that there
was no opposition whatever to them.
These are the compulsory school at
tendance bill and the Zihlman bill Tor
extension of Bancroft place between
Phelps place and Twenty-third street
northwest.
Later the committee decided to hold
a special meeting Saturday morning
at 1890 o'clock to report out several
Of the important major legislative
propositions which have been under
consideration, in order that there may
be strong program OF much-needed
bills, for which there is strong pub
lie demand, ready for action.
Blnnton to FiIibuster.
Representative Thomas l.. Blanton,
Democrat Texas, served notice that
he would filibuster to the limit under
the rules of the House against the
District surplus bill. Several mem
bers of the committee, including Rep
resentative Ralph Gilbert, Democrat,
Kentucky, and Chairman Reed, en-
deavored to show Mr.. Blanton that
by such action he was thwarting the
Will of the majority of the commit ttee
and the majority in the House and
preventing consideration of a con-
structive program of legislation for
the National Capital He was ac-
cused of setting up his judgment
stubbornly against that of 20 other
members of the House District com
mittee and against that of a joint
committee of Congress. which had
made a special investigation of the
matter.
It was clearly shown that Mr.
Blanton was in disfavor with his
colleagues because of his determina-
ton to filibuster when il had be-
come evident that the committee and
the House membership desired to
have a square vote on the District
surplus on the merits of the ques-
ton.
Misuse of Rules Charged.
Representative Gilbert told Mr.
Blanton that he was using the rules
of the House to aid him. not in his
efforts to defeat the District surplus
BILL but to prevent its orderly con-
sideration
Promise was made today by mem
bers of the committee that three of
the major measures which have been
under consideration for the District
will be ready for action at the special
meeting on Saturday. These are the
new traffic code, the five-year school
building program and the welfare bill
The motion for the special meeting
on Saturday was made by Representa-
tive Gilbert, who explained that there
was considerable criticism that the
District was not getting sufficient
legislation and that District day in
the House was consumed with deba te
on relatively unimportant measures,
while many important legislative pro-
posals for which there was strong
public clamor were being kept in the
background. He warned the commit
tee that unless this legislation was
expedited there would not be time for
its passage before the close of the
present session
representatives Gilbert, Hammer.
ZihIman, Rathbone, Beers Chairman
Reed and other members of the com
mittee stressed the fact that the Dis
trlct surplus is debt that the Gov
ernment owes to the District. and that
there should be no delay in having
the matter settled by a vote in the
House
Two Bills UnOpposcd.
representative Keller of Minnesota
asked for prior consideration of the
compulsory school attendance bill
which he said would meet with no oh.
lection. This opinion was confirmed bv
Representatives Hammer and Blanton
The bill to extend Bancroft street vUas
made special order of business follow
ing the compulsory school attendance
iii on the insistence of Representative
3.anton, who guaranteed that it would
)e passed without any objection. Renre-