Evening star., 1932-06-05
HOUSE To TAKE Up
25 DISTRICT BILLS
Leader Rainey Promis e S
Hearing by Thursday
or Friday.

Thursday or Friday may be District
day in the House for consideration Of
the 25 pending District bills. House
Leader Rainey promised Chairman Nor
ton of the District Committee late yes
terday that he would give her time to
possible. but it cannot be before Thurs
day and may be later.
Without waiting for regular District
day an effort will be made to get the
two bills for industrial development CT
an expenditure of some SIS SOC, 900 passed
under unanimous consent.
Blanton Threat.
Representative Thomas L. Blanton,
Democrat of Texas, issued his def yes
terday that if Mrs. Norton or Repre-
sentative Palmiano Democrat, of
Maryland who denounced him on the
floor on the last District day for dila-
tory tactics in frustrating the efforts of
the District Committee to get District
bills passed, attempts to call up these bills
he will block them He said thet if
Representative Black of New York or
Gilbert of Kentucky calls up tie bills
to put them through
Chairman Norton said last night that
she was not looking for a fight, but
that she spoke frankly on the last Dis
trict day regarding Representative
Blantons attitude, because she thought
it time some one spoke plainly. She
has no disposition to prolong the fight.
But, she does intend to carry out her
duties as chairman of the committee
and will call up the District bills and
not delegate that task to any one else
especially since Mr.. Blanton has made
a threat.
Intends TO Force Bills.
II have never shirked my duty. 1t
is my duty as chairman of the COM
mittee to bring these bills before the
House. get no credit with constituents
or party leaders for my work on the
District Committee. But Congress must
legislate for these people of the District
who have no voice of their own in leg
islation. AS chairman of the committee
1 have worked hard, day and night. IN
the interests of the people of the Dis
trict I have received assurances that
they appreciate my work and that they
support me. I will be true to this duty.
1T is preposterouS for one member OF
the House to set himself up to decide
who shall call up bills, and to issue an
ultimatum to me that I must turn the
work over to some one else, because his
own vanity has been pricked by my
frank statement in the House on the
last District day. do not scare. I
cannot be coerced. I will bring up the
District bills myself and if they fail the
people will know who was to blame"
Blanton Expresses Position.
Representative Blanton made his posi-
ton plain in a letter to The Star. In
the closing days of the session, and with
25 District bills awaiting action, wtle
members from all parts of the country
are endeavoring to get the measures il
which they are particularly interested
acted upon, it practically requires
unanimous consent for passage OF any
measure, except the outstanding leg1sla-
ton such as revenue, RELIEF program,
economy bills, soldiers bonus and appro-
priation bills. His letter is as follows:
1.-THE statement attributed to me that
I will prevent consideration OF the 70
District bills and that same will not be
passed if called up by the chairman, Is
absolutely incorrect.
who can prevent consideration of bills,
and keep them from passing ultimately,
where the House desires to pass them.
They can be blocked only for a period.
"All that I said was that I would not
permit the chairman to call up bills by
unanimous consent, in view of the very
uncalled-for attack that was made upon
me when performing my duty justly
blocked the Infamous Bowman bill, and
tried to substitute for it the proper
Blaine bill which had passed the Sem
ate unanimously. I said that If Mr..
Black, or Mr.. Gilbert, or Mr.. Patman.
or MIR. Harlan should ask unanimous
consent to take up and pass the good
bills on the District calendar, would
make no objection. But because of the
very unjust treatment accorded me by
the chairman I would object II sucn
chairman asked for unanimous consent.
1 would appreciate it. If you would
kindly correct the aforementioned er-
roneous statement attributed to me-"