Evening star., 1932-03-09

After the House disposes Of the new
tax bill it will face the acid test on
the prohibition issue in the shape of
the roll call vote on the resolution
for resubmission of the eighteenth
amendment. This wet and dry roll
call is not pleasant prospect for
many of the members. After that is
over with new trouble is ahead in the
shape of two veterans bills, vote on
which probably cannot be lodged. One
is the Rankin bill Representative Ran
kin OF MississippD, providing pension
for widows, orphans and parents Of
World War veterans. The other is the
Patman bill Representative Patman
of Texas, providing for the immediate
cash payment of the soldiers bonus
certificates. The Rankin bill, it is es-
timated will cost the Treasury some
thing like $161 100000 in the first five
years, and how much more after that
In perpetuity no man can guess be-
sides establishing new precedentS in
pension policies The Patman cash
bonus bill would mean billion or two
dollars on top OF the billion paid out
last year. when the present loan values
OF bonus certificates were lifted to so
per cent. Most members of Congress
appear to feel that the Government
can i'll afford either expenditure at
present, but few members with an cleo
tion approaching want to go on record
against the veterans. 1t had been
hoped that both the Rankin and Pat
man bills might be safely pigeon -holed
in committee. But the new rule of
the House by which a petition of 145
members may force vote to discharge
a committee, which has just been in
voked so successfully by the vets is
kn
drive for the veterans bills. Repre-
sentative Rankin last week filed such
a petition for his pension bill If it
works there as is expected, Repre-
sentative Patman will follow suit with
his cash bonus bill.
IS =
With the coming Of Spring the House
Democrats are early agltating for a base
ball game with their ancient foes, the
Republicans The explanation of Demo-
cratic zest for q match game lies in the
fact that they have recently recruited
an ac5 pitcher Representative Richard
M. Kleberg of Corpus Christi, who re-
claimed the one district in Texas held
by Republican Congressman at the
recent by-election. is the old University
of Texas pitcher sought by big league
clubs back in 1908. Kleberg first leaped
lAlO llS pitCllCO d GWO-1lL
game against the Detroit Tigers. Hughev
Jennings, then the Bengal manager. of
fered him contract calling for salaly
Of s17.500 per year--a fabulous sum in
those days.
Though 1t was more than 20 years
ago, the details of that famous ball
game which Representative Kleberg
pitched against Detroit are still re-
called wherever Texans gather Kleberg
lost his game to the big leaguers 2
to in IA innings. Sam Crawford hit
him for home run as the first man
to face him in the first inning. The
big Wahoo barber drove the first ball
pitched out Of the lot. Kleberg him
relf scored run for the University of
Texas team in the ninth inning to
make it 1-all. In the fourteenth, a
tumble. a fielder's choice and a single,
gave Detroit the game. Ty Cobb
struck out four times facing the whirl-
wind Kleberg. Trained by Christy
fast fade-away delivery in contrast to
the slow fade-away which gave the ia
nous 'old master" of the New York
Giants his reputation.
y X
The Honorable Pat Harrison, Demo-
cratic Senator from Mississippi. recently
delivered himself of resounding speech
scintilating with wit and sarcasm at
tacking extravaganza in governmental
expenditures and particularly the folly
and waste of the vast quantity of Gov
ernment publications. He cited many
examples and among them a bulletin
| entitled THE Love Life of the Bull
Frog" which he said had been issued
by the Department Of Commerce. This
title afforded Pat a splendid vehicle
for his hunor and he made the most
Of 1t. Commerce Department oflcials