The Washington times., 1931-02-07
IRATE BORAH
MAY BLOCK
PASSAGE
Republican Leaders Expected
to Deal HarshIy With Rebel If
Extra Session Is Threatened

A veiIed threat Of revolt
against the Administrations
$4,000, 900 compromise drought
relief plan was heard in the
Senate this afternoon as Senate
and House confereeS met to
write the plan into the Interior
Department appropriation bill.
Some inSurgent leaders, in
cluding Senators BOrah (R0 of
Idaho and Brookhart (R.) of
Iowa, were far from pleased
with the compromise on the
ground 1t did not insure the
feeding Of starving citizens in
the drought areas. A few Dem
Ocfatic Senators we're reported
opposing the compromise for
like reasons.
Compromise drought relief set
clement under which a $20, 0,000,,
900 fund will be provided for
food loans to stricken farmers,
paved the way today to an
orderly adjournment of the dying
Seventy-first Congress, unless the
insurgent bloc of the Senate
foments an unexpected revolt.
The new drought-relief plan
has the Endorsement of the White
House and Of Republican and
Democratic leaders in House and
Senate. Only an insurgent-Sena-
tor Brookhart (R) of Iowa-pro-
tested it was unsatisfactory
and not certain to relieve starva-
tion conditions in the drought
areas. Brookhart insisted the
appropriation be made outright,
instead of for loans to drought
sufferers.
Gag Rule" FOreseen
Having pacified Democratic
leaders. the Administration was
prepared to deal harshly with any
tnsurgent rebellion. Under present
plans, any filibustering tactics by
the insurgents against appropria-
ton bills will be met by invoking
the seldom-used gag rule" Of
cloture. which limits debate. and
throttles dilatory maneuvers.
Cons eque n tly, Administration
leaders hopefully boasted there
was no longer any danger of a
special session of the new Con,
gress being forced after March 4
The $20,000,000 food-l loan n
measure will settle the chief con.
troversy between White House
and Senate.
Building Program
Some other relief measures re-
main to be enacted and the Sen
ate today was considering one,
to authorize a $100 900, 900 in
crease in the public building pro-
gram. This bill provides SOS, ,00O,'
900 of this sum could be spent in
the States within the next year.
One measure certain of passage
will provide a 44-hour week for
postal employees, but the Capper
Bill, authorizing free distribution
of 10000, 900 bushels of the farm
boards wheat, may be abandoned.
There was feeling of uncer-
tainty, however, over the possible
attitude of Senator Borah CR.)
of Idaho. who declared Congress
should remain in session until
proper relief was granted the
drought sufferers. Borah was
not invited to the conferences
and he may oppose the COM
promise.
Robinson Is Pleased
The agreement met with en-
dorSement of Democratic Leaders
Senators Robinson. and Caraway,
of Arkansas. Robinson said it
removed the danger of a special
session so far as he was con.
cerned.
Both Senators said they had as.
surances the Administration would
interpret the bill literally" and
that it provided food loans" for
drought-stricken farmers.
The bill itself would appropriate
$20,000,000. under these condf
tions: :
81. Make advances or loans
to individuals in the drought
and tori storm or hail stricken
areas for the purpose Of assist
ing in forming local agricuI-
tural credit corporations, live.
stock loan companies or like or
garliZatiOns or of increasing the
capital stock of such corpora
tiOnS, companies or Organiza-
tions qualified to do business
with Federal intermediate credit
banks. or to which such privi-
leges may be extended, and Of
making loans to individuals
upon the security Of the capital
stock of such corporations, COM
panies or organizations, and,
"2. To make advances or
loans to farmers for crop pro-
ductiOn in the drought and tori
storm stricken or hail stricken
areas Of the United States"
Another provision would allow
loans specifically for feeding cows
hogs, chickens and other livestocE
on the farms.