Evening star., 1927-05-31
PROPOSES SESSION
| LIMITED TO FLOOD
Louisiana Representative
Wants Congress Called
to Afford Relief.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

President Coolidge has just had sub
mitted to him an entirely new plan for
O special session of Congress to deal
with the Mississippi flood. The plan
contemplates a limited" session to
last not longer than 10 days and to
be confined strictly to relief and re-
habilitation measures. The SuggeS'
tion originates with members of the
Louisiana delegation, who have for.
mally laid 1t before the White House.
Representative Kemp, Democrat. OF
the sixth district, has worked out the
most specific proposal and was given
opportunity to elucidate 1t In detail
at the Presidents desk. A basic fea-
turc of Mr.. Kemps proposal Is that
leaders of both parties should agree in
advance to ban politics at the flood
session" and devote it exclusively to
the business for which House and Sen
ate were specially convened.
There would, in particular, accord
ing to the Kemp scheme, be no effort
to organize either house Of the Sew
entieth Congress. In the. lower branch
q Speaker pro tenn. would be appointed,
while no committees in either house
would be needed, s flood legislation
would be brought directly to the floor
in each body.
Confer With President.
The Louisiana delegation which con-
ferred with the President did not come
away with any assurance of his inter-
est in its proposals, though members
were deeply impressed with Mr.. Cool
idges sympathetic grasp of the South
lands plight. Mr.. Kemp told the
President that the rehabilitation OF
100000 people presents problems of
such proportions that only Congress
4,,1I 10 ~ fnI ~
The waters already are receding in
q large part Of. the valley. Before
many weeks the time will have come
when all of the 600,000 will be able
to return to their homes. 1t is then.
Mr.. Kemp contends, that the most
difficult phases of the situation must
be met. Unless some means can be
devised which will enable these people
to get into production, the conse.
quences will be Nationwide.
The Louisianian's plan is to have
party leaders agree on a rehabilitation
policy and commit themselves to limit
the duration Of the special session to
one week, or 10 days at most. The
session would be for the sole purpose
Of helping the people to get on their
feet economically, and would not con-
slider f1ood-control legislation in any
form. Representative Kemp urged
the President to call Congress as soon
as the foregoing assurances had been
obtained.
One of the novel features of the
idea Of a strictly flood session" of
Congress is that Senators-elect Will
liam S. Ware of Pennsylvania and
Frank L. Smith of Illinois should be
invited to stay at home. They are,
of course, entitled to seek admission
to the Senate at the next session of
Congress, but it is recognized on all
hands that if they did so at special
session, a controversy would imme-
diately be provoked, and all other
business indefinitely held up. One of
the administrations objections to a
special session before next Winter is
understood to be the fear that Ware
Smith affairs might illustrate the
principal object of calling House and
Senate to Washington.
Fears Effect of Delay.
Mr.. Kemp. on the other hand,
placed much emphasis, in his con-
versation with President Coolidge,
upon the necessity of securing re-
habilitation legislation while the
country's attention is focused on the
disaster. The Representative holds
that it might be fatal to delay and
thus dull the interest of the Nation in
seeing that full justice is done.
Representatives Wilson and Martin,
Democrats, OF Louisiana, Joined in the
demand for a special session. It is
their opinion that Congress should
authorize an appropriation Of $780,
O00,0 to be expended at the rate Of
0,000, 900 annually for reconstruction
Of levees, highways and such other
work as may be found feasible in
connection with a new program of
flood prevention. Messrs. Wilson and
Martin think that the crying need is
liberalization Of the farm loan act. or
the setting up of special credit ma
chinery for the benefit Of persons who
have lost their all and are in no posi-
ton to obtain credit through existing
channels.
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Martin favor
an extra session not limited in its
duration, but which would merely give
precedence to flood legislation.
fCopyright. 1927