Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-18
HOUSE TEST VOTE
BEATS S6O,OlO,OIDO
DROUGHT AID PLAN
Jones Amendment Doubling
Fund Defeated by Margin
of 189 to 1873.
ROBINSON IDLE AID
PLAN LOSES IN SENATE
Move Taking From Hoover Right
to Allocate Funds Defeated
by Three Ballots.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
On test vote the House today re-
jected the Jones amendment to in
crease the amount of the admins
trations drought relief measure from
$4,000, 900 to $6o,0oO,OOO.
BY a vote of AZ to 80 the Senate a
few minutes later receded from its sup
port of the Robinson amendment to
the $116,O0O0OO bill for the relief of
unemployment, bringing the two Houses
closer together on this relief bill.
1t was hailed as victory for Presi-
dent Hoover The amendment offered
by Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader, would have taken
from the President the right to allocate
the funds provided IN the bill as the
conditions and emergency might war
rant.
Party lines were disregarded, some
Democrats voting to recede from the
amendment and Republican-Progres-
sives voting against recession.
Calling for a S60,000,000 authorize
ton. Representative Jones, Democrat,
Texas, pointed out only half OF it might
be appropriated at the outset, but more
would be available if needed for later
appropriation.
Jersey, opposed the Jones amendment,
saying, You come here today pitting
our unframed Judgment against the
most highly trained judgment In relief
We have ever had"
Those whose States will be benefited
by this bill should hesitate before they
vote against a 100000, 900 appropriation
today" Representative Aswell, Demo-
crat, Louisiana, said. This is bust
ness proposition, not matter Of charity
and relief"
The teller vote for rejection was
189 to 133 Under the rules, record
votes are not permissible when a meas
ure is being considered in committee
of the whole House as was the case
here.
Representative Jones, Democrat,
Texas, who sponsored the increase, de-
Inanded count by tellers, those for
and against passing m line between the
tellers.
President Hoover continued to keep
in close touch with the situation, con-
ferring early with Representative Tilson.
The House Republican leader told him
the prospect was for House passage be-
fore nightfall of the $50, 600, 900 drought
loan bill. backed by the administration
leadership.
The figure is $4,000 900 higher than
recommended by Secretary Hyde, but
at that only half as high as that con-
tanned in the Senate measure.
The Senate saw a renewal of de-
termined and 90 far successful efforts to
reject a preferred compromise with the
House on the public works bill. 1t de-
cided also to seek more testimony on
unemployment relief, although the APP
preparations Committee which is to take
it had not decided when to begin.
Compromise Held Likely.
The drought bill debate was wide
open in the House after the Republic
cans yesterday suddenly abandoned eff
forts to force through their own meas
IRE with the aid of special parlia-
mentary tactics. and decided to rely on
the sheer weight of the normal party
majority to vote down Democratic at
tempts to amend it. Yet they antici-
pated having to split the difference in
conference with the Senate as to
amount, perhaps coming out with a
$4,000, 900 figure through such COM
promise they hoped TO kill of the pro-
vision to authorize food loans, strongly
opposed by the administration.
The Senate. which yesterday refused
to recedetfrom two of the amendments
TO the public works bill which House
members had rejected in conference,
began today with debate on the major
points at issue, with Democrats striving
to keep in the bill a restriction on Presi-
dent Hoover's power to shift funds
among the several projects, and also q
clause requiring employment OF local
labor at prevailing peak wages on all
works.
Chairman Jones of the Senate con-
ferees, had moved that these provisions
he abandoned along with those TO re-
lieve Alabama and Georgia of obliga-
tons to match certain Federal road
funds. 1t was the latter that the Sen
ators kept in the bill yesterday by a
vote of AZ to 80.
Holiday Seems More Distant.
The Christmas holiday which would
have begun some time next week in
nominal course, appeared more distant
as the leadership Of both parties IN
either house reasserted determination
To get the two measures 10 the White
House before resting.
They realized the almost insurmount-
able obstacles to passing all other es-
sential legislation in the two months
that will remain to this Congress after
the holidays, unless these highly con-
troversial issues are out of the way.
Should the Senate persist in standing
for its provisions in the public works
bill, the House will be called upon to
vote on the amendments or again call
for conference.