Evening star., 1933-10-01
SENATE CONTINUES
PROBE IN COSTS Of
RELIEF PROGRAM
Complaints Charge Political
Organization Is Being
Built Up.
BY s. RAYMOND BROOKS.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
AUSTIN, Tex, September 30.-The
House of Representatives enacted Dill
late this week to suspend the operation
of Texas antitrust laws as to lntra-
State business during the two-year
period of the national recovery act to
permit compliance by business firms
with the terms Of any code approved by
the President or license issued under
the national recovery act. The bill was
passed with q provision that 1t should
not throw out pending antitrust suits
for SIT, $50 900 penalties against oil COM
panies The Senate will take up the
bill early next week, and there Is every
evidence that it will be enacted in the
upper house, as recommended by Gov.
Miriam A. Ferguson in convening the
special session.
The Senate continued an exhaustive
inquiry into the costs of the present
State relief administration. Lawrence
Westbrook, relief director. testified that
the costs were per cent during August
for administration, or $4,000.
Relief Group Hit
This inquiry is being made on bills
proposing variously issuance Of $1,000,
600, s7,50o,OOo and 100000 Of the
authorized State bond issue for public
works and relief and on methods OF
administration. Numerous complaints
were lodged against the present relief
administration, which has handled
$9,0O0,O0O of Federal relief funds, on
the ground it has built up q political
machine in all counties Of friends OF
the Ferguson administration.
The State Relief Commission was re-
buffed in Washington through action
1fo,- lob hot NO
applications would be handled through
the Federal public works organization
and would not be required to come
through the relief commission, as had
been sought by the Governor. Ordinarily
the commission assisted cities and dis
tricts in preparing applications.
The highway emergency construction
program was put extensively into opera
tion during the past week, with ap-
proximately 81 100000 OF contracts
awarded, bids on approximately $2,S00,-
600 more of constructor called, and
plans being rushed to completion OF
millions more, all to come out OF the
s24.200,O00 public works fund allotted
to Texas highways.
Harbors and Coast Guard improve
ments saw other public works funds
allotted to Texas projects. Only the
direct granting of public works dona-
tions and loans to cities and districts
still was hanging fire. The Legislature
petitioned President Roosevelt to push
these through with all permissible speed
Advertising Favorable.
The index of newspaper advertising
continued a favorable factor, partly
accounted for by the return OF lega
beer September Is and extensive ad'
yertiSiDo from that SOllrce
Gov. Ferguson has avoided the sub
mission of the subject of new taxes te
this session Of the Legislature. and ar
organized plan to push through sale:
tax apparently had been headed of
The only matters affecting State levle'
80 far admitted before the session were
to change and increase State fees or
the pari-mutuel system of betting or
horse races, and to apply part OF the
revenues of the cigarette sales tax tx
enforcement and to apply revenues o.
the cigarette and beer tax laws te
building sinking fund to pay OF such
State bonds as will be issued.