Evening star., 1932-06-28
Justice Toppled by Expediency.

The situation concerning the economy
bill may not be without precedent, as
Congress has established precedent at
one time or another for nearly every
thing under the sun. But the situation
Is so extraordinary that the hardwork
ing Senators themselves are faced with
difficulty in understanding it and the
Government employe, most concerned,
is placed in a cruelty helpless position.
Last week, after the House had ap-
proved the conference report, num-
ber of Senators realized the full mean
ing of that document and there was
introduced in Senate debate an opinion
from the controller general indicating
that one clause of the report, which
by Senate approval would become law,
placed an additional cut on appropria-
ton bills-not generally contemplated
and really turned the furlough plan
from a iob-saving eXpedient into a
ruthless proposal to discharge men and
women. There were other sections Of
the bill, as well as the conference re-
port. that were found to be wholly un-
acceptable to the Senate. The Senate
lost no time in voting to send the
measure back to conference.
But in Chicago there is a party con-
venticn. This party convention is an
extremely important function, impor-
tant to members of the Congress espe-
cially who must face reelection; so
important, in fact, that the chair
man of the House conferees was forced,
along with some twenty-five members
e of the Senate, to attend in person.
The Speaker of the House chose
to accept the action of the Senate
in turning down the conference re-
port as a challenge, and not as an
invitation to iron out injustices. He
has refused to appoint new conferees.
And as the original conferees cannot
attend to their important business in
Chicago and return in time to attend
to the relatively unimportant matters
tied up in the economy bill, the Senate
now faces the prospect of preventing
enactment of that measure before the
end of the fiscal yearly Thursday
evening If the measure is not passed,
along with the remaining appropriation
bills, the financial and business af-
fairs of the Government will be in
chaos" according to Chairman Jones
of the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee.
The Senate today. then, is consider
ing whether it will adopt the confer
ence report, bag and baggage, and write
into law one of the most illogical and
confused measures ever enacted by Con-
gress, or whether it will put in jeopardy
what good points there may be in the
economy bill and, along with them,
other appropriation bills.
The situation certainly offers no en-
couragement to those who seek comfort
in the belief that the United States
Congress acts with elaboration and
concern for the welfare of the people.
Here is a case where mere expediency
dominates the situation and threatens to
make effective hest Of inequities and
injustices that no reasonable man can
defend as warranted under any condi-
tions The Senate's objection was, gen.
orally speaking, to three points in the
bill-the "impounding clause" the sec
ton relating to discharge of married
workers and the section relating to
discharge of superannuated workers
without the benefit of the retirement
pay which the Government has con-
tracted TO furnish. The House could
have selected conferees who. with the
Senate, would have ironed out these
inequitable features within the course
Of few hours. The Speaker preferred
to view the Senate action as inviting
q fight The House can win this fight,
of course, as men and women in the
Government service approaching retire
ment age and other helpless employees
facing loss of their jobs cannot fight
back. But it will be an empty victory
for the House
In entertaining two conventions of