The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-07
72ND CONGRESS
CONvENES, TO
FACE CRISES
Garner Named Speaker Of
House; Watson Hopes
for Cooperation.
TAXES IN FOREFRONT
Foreign Policy Also to Be
Major Issue: Hoover
Message Tuesday.
BY LYLE c. WILSON
United Press STAFF Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Dec. Z. - me
seventy second congress of the
United States came into existence
at noon today.
GavelS fell in the house and SEN
ate, calling to order the most inn
portant national legislative session
since the war.
Before adjournment is taken in
late spring or early summer, the
more than 500 men and women be-
meath the Capitol dome must pass
upon increased taxes for their own
people: a debt moratorium for
Europe; new plans of finance for
corporations and home owners.
AS congress met, a thousand
hunger marchers," demanding
money to buy food, swarmed over
Capitol Hill and sought the right TO
plead their cause from the floor
of the house and senate, but their
leaders were elected.
Garner Named Speaker
William Tyler Page, clerk OF the
house. called that body to order.
Vice President Curtis was in the
chair in the senate.
It was John Nance Gamers day
on the house side. Garner, a quick
tempered White-haired Texan, con-
sidered the ablest of rough-and-
tumble legislators, was elected
Speaker in succession to his late
friend, Nicholas Longworth. Control
of the house passes to the Demo-
Gratis
The vote on the speakership.
John N. Garner Dem. Tex, 216:
Bertram Smell rep. N. ", 207.
George J. Schneider CRep., Wis.,, 5:
not voting, 3 Garner, Smell and
Schneider.
Representative Paul J. Kvale,
Minnesota, Farmer-Labor member
of the house, voted for Schneider,
as did four Republican insurgents.
Awaiting oath in the house were
eighty-nine Representatives and a
delegate from Alaska. There were
eighteen new senators.
Senate Is Adjourned
The senate adjourned at 12;40
p. m. out of respect to Senator
Morrow (Rep., N. j., and Senator
Caraway Dem, Ark both of whom
recently died.
The senate remained Republican.
Among the eighteen senators to
take the oath was Mrs. Hattie Cara
way, the first woman in history to
become a workaday senator.
Overflow crowds sought house and
senate galleries to see the start of
congress. An obscure, ck-bench
in the senate which attracted much
attention last session no longer ex-
cited the curiosity of gallery crowds.
That desk last was occupied BY
Dwight Morrow, whose recent death
took from the senate one of its
thoroughly able men.
Uncertainty Is Marked
The keynote of the new congress
seemed to be uncertainty. It's mem
bers were deeply troubled by eco
nomic conditions with which they
so far have not been able to cope.
They were hearing emphatically
from the home folks back home.
The house galleries had begun to
fill shortly after IL O'Clock.
There was much back slapping,
especially among the Democrats.
Mrs. Mary T. Norton, New Jersey,
one of the three Democratic women
members, was the first Of the wom-
ems block of six to appear in the
chamber. She wore a purple dress
and a corsage.
Representative Bertrand H. Smell,
Republican candidate for Speaker,
appeared on the floor early, nattily
attired in cutaway. He will be @.
o. P. floor leader.
Majority Leader Watson Of the
senate said that he believed there
would be some measure of co-opera-
ton in legislation this winter.
Hopes for Cooperation
The problems to be presented"
Watson said. will be largely non
partisan in character. The mora
forum, banking laws, and financial
and economic problems in the offing
are all of this character. I have
every reason to believe there will be
some measure Of cooperation that
will result in speedy action and be
of benefit to the country"
Liberalization of rules, agitated
particularly to permit a vote on
prohibition, was scheduled to come
before the house at its opening SEES
sion.
Modification to permit a vote on
any bill by. petition of las members
appeared assured, as it has been in
dorsed both by Democrats and Re-
publicans.
This is the major change in the
program which is designed broadly
TO neck the power of leaders and
committee chairmen to block votes
on important measures.
The session probably will continue
until about June 1, adjournment be-
ing at the discretion of congress.
which is likely to sit until the ma
tional party conventions meet.
Congress is expected TO hear Pres
ident Hoover's annual message
Tuesday. He is expected to send
MS budget message Wednesday. and
probably one dealing with the mora
forum on Thursday.