Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-04
9th CONGRESS SETS RECORD
FOR FIGHTS AND IMPORTANT ACTS
LEGISLATION Included Rail Labor, Radio,
Branch Banking, Veterans Loan and
Prohibition Reorganization Bills.

S450,000 to begin construction OF me
! cruisers was included in the naval
| appropriation bill after bitter hSht
! in the House. where demands were
made that the Congress stand by inc
President" in this matter
The wet and dry fight stirred Con
gress frequently. The drNs finally
succeeded III tanning through the
so called reorganization bill for pro
hibition enforcement by invoking the
cloture rule. This, however. was the
only one of a series of dry bills that
were proposed which passed finally.
Clotare was invoked in the Senate
also to pass the branch banking hlit,
and was held as a threat over the
Senate to force action on the
cNary- Hau&en bill.
A desperate effort to obtain action
on the Johnson Swing Boulder Dam
bill designed to harness the Hood
waters of the Colorado River. was
made in the Senate during the latter
part of the second session. Senator
Hiram Johnson, leading the fight Tor
the bill, forced the Senate to remain
in session continuously for two days
and a. night. But a filibuSter by SEN
ators Ashurst and Cameron OF Arl-
IONA, aided by several other senators
from the West, blocked action on the
bill, which dies with the Congress.
Presidents Appointments Assaulted.
The Senate undertook TO inquire
into the activities of the United states
Tariff Commission. and special com
mittee. headed by Senator Robinsoh
of Arkansas Democrat was appoint
ed and extensive hearings were CON
Quoted The Presidents appoint
ments of commissioners were assailed.
tod thas nOt11i ma tinn OF
CYRUS f.. Woods OF Pennsylvania. for
mer Ambassador to Japan, to be
member of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, It also forced the with
drawaI of the nomination or a brothef
of Majority Leader Tilson OF the
House to be a Federal judge in Geor-
gia.
Many of the recommendations made
by President Coolidge for Legislation
were ignored by the Congress. Moth
ing was done about railroad consollda-
ton Muscle Shoals the merchant ma
rine farm egislation--except the Nc
Nary Haugen bill. which the President
would not approve--and coal. The
President at the opening of the second
session recommended that the surplus
revenues in the Treasury be returned
to the taxpayers through a rebate on
the taxes to be paid in March and
June OF this year But this recon-
mendation failed to meet the approval
of the Democrat and many of the
Republicans. In consequence the sur
plus will be used to reduce the national
debt. The Democrats have sought in
vain to initiate legislation looking TO
reduction in the tax rates. This did
not meet the approval either Of the
President or of the Republican ma
lority in Congress. 1t was held that
no change should be made in the rates
until the existing law had been tried
out for longer period.
Charges Church With War Plot.
In the Senate debates Senator
Hefiin of Alabama attacked the
Knights of Columbus and the Catholic
Church, alleging that they were seek
ing to embroil the United States with
Mexico because of the treatment ac-
corded the Catholic Church by the
Gales government. He was himself
vigorously attacked by Senators Reed
of Missouri. Bruce OF Maryland and
Walsh of Massachusetts, all Demo
Gratis. These Clashes have stirred bad
blood among the Democrats the coun-
try over.
At the outset of the present Con-
gress Vice President Dawes III his
inaugural address demanded that the
Senate rules be amended so as to pre-
vent flibusters through the rule per-
hitting unlimited debate. No change
in the rules has been made.
The Reed slush fund committee, en-
couraged by the decision of the SUI
preme Court in the Nal Daugherty
case holding that the Senate commit
tees had the power to compel wit
nesses to appear. has cited TO the
Senate for contempt Samuel insult,
public utility magnate of Chicago and
angel" of the Smith campaign for
nomination TO the Senate in Illinois
last year; his attorney. Daniel 7.
Schuyler. and Thomas w Cunning
ham of Philadelphia. who testified he
gave $4,000 to the Ware primary cam.
paign. All of them refused to answer
certain questions regarding campaign
contributions. In the final jam in the
Senate the citations We're not acted
upon. But Senator Reed Of Missouri
has promised TO press them when the
Senate meets again.