The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-03-11
By THOMAS L. STOKES
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Mar. II (UP)
Congressional leaders respond
ed promptly yesterday to Presi.
dent Roosevelt's second call for
dictatorial power.
Acting Immediately upon a
special message asking sweeping
authority to balance the budget
they prepared to rush through a
bill permitting him to cut veter.
ans costs and government salar-
ies-including congressional pay
to the extent of more than
$500,000,000.
Speaker Henry T. Rainey sum-
moned caucus for this morn
ing to bind his Democrats and
smother a revolt from the COM
pact and well-organized veterans
bloc, which protested yesterday
at the assault upon the war vet
Grams. Majority Leader Joseph
T. Robinson may resort to a
caucus in the senate to still the
veterans bloc. there.
Another victory for lRoose-
welt seemed assured, though it
will take a fight. 1t will form
a real test of his leadership, as
veterans benefits have hitherto
been sacrosanct from the econ
omy axe, and the bill introduced
yesterday empowers the presi-
dent to swing it Justify
Although some limitations are
imposed, the authority would be
the most far-reaching ever
granted to an American execu-
tive. It would supplement his
existing power to reorganize the
government and caps the swift
trend toward concentration of
power which began yesterday
with the banking dictatorship.
Warning that "for three long
years the federal government
has been on the road to bank
ruptcy," President Roosev e t
in his message yesterday called
for courageous, frank and
prompt action to close up the
gaping treasury deficit. He es-
timated the deficit for this fiscal
year, ending June 80, would be
1,200,000,000 and would ex-
coed $1,O00,00O,00O next year
unless something is done at
once.
Congressional leaders now &C.
customed to the "big stick" &C
guessed quickly.
Rainey appointed "hard
boiled" committee to handle the
bill in the house, consisting Of
five men who have led the hith-
erto futile battle for economy
Representative John McDuffie,
Ala, defeated candidate for the
speakership and chairman of the
economy committee in the last
session: Jacob L. Milligan, Mo-,
formerly assistant house whip;
Clifton A. Woodrum, Va, who
lost his fight for a 1G per cent
veterans cut in the last con-
gress; John Taber, N. Y, long
an advocate of army pay cuts,
and Harold McGugin, Kansas, an
ardent economy champion The
first three the Democrats, the
others Republicans.
They met today with the con-
servative senate finance commit
tee and members of the senate
economy committee to whip the
bill into final shape. AS out
lined yesterday by Robinson. the
measure empowers the president
Ito eliminate compensation
to veterans of all wars since the
civil war where the disability
was not incurred in the service,
except where the ex-soldier is
permanently disabled. Pensions
to widows and children would
not be affected.
2-To fix for purposes of COM
pension the dates of beginning
and ending of hostilities. This
would permit the wedding out of
many veterans who now draw
compensation, but whose service
was before or after the actua.
beginning or ending of the war.
The president, for instance,
could proclaim the end of the
World War as of Nov. II, 1918
instead of 1921 when the treaty
with Germany was ratified.
3-To fix the degree of dis
ability which would be pension
able and to prescribe the mini
mum numbers of days service in
any war, except the civil war, to
entitle a veterans to compensa-
ton, as we'll as to fix the time
limits for claims, the nature. and
extent of proof Of injury and
IContinued on mage tnree)