Evening star., 1933-03-19
CONGRESS TO PUSH
FARM AID AS BEER
REPORT IS AWAITED
Senate Adjournment Before
Naming Conferees Causes
Delay.
AGRICULTURE MEASURE
ACTION SEEN TUESDAY
Democratic Leadership in House
Expects to Put Legislation
Through Immediately.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Farm rehef waits as the major prob
lem for the fast-fying Seventy third
Congress this week.
The bill to raise revenue for the Gov
ernnent from the manufacture and sale
OF beer-and to give the first taste of
1Sgal beer to the Americans who want
1T since national prohibition came into
ehect-has passed both Senate and
House. 1t has reached the conference"
stage, with amendments made by the
Senate to be ironed out before the bill
actually becomes a law.
Because the Senate took a recess
Thursday, without appointing conferees
on the beer bill, the beer bill has been
Senate leaders, including Speaker
Rainey and Senator Pat Harrison Of
Mississippi, insisted last night that
agreement would be reached on the beer
Dill and the measure would be sent to
the President by tomorrow night.
Silent on Outcome.
Just which house would win out in
the contest over the alcoholic content
the Senate supporting sos per cent
and the House 80 per cent of alcohol by
weight-Senator Harrison and Speaker
Rainey would not predict. They insisted
that the differences were not really ma
tertal. Some Of the House members were
1nsistent that the Borah amendment,
seeking to regulate by Federal act the
distribution OF the proposed beer so as
70 proh1bit the gift or sale of beer to
persons under 16 years Of age, should
be stricken out. This was a matter.
they said, which should be left with the
States. In other words, they desired the
States TO have complete control of dis
trtbution, with the Federal Govern
ment out Of the picture. The McAdoo
wine amendment also must be disposed
OF In conference.
President Roosevelt has sent to the
Congress his farm relief bill and the
House Committee on Agriculture. it is
expected, will be ready to report the
measure to the House by Tuesday. Once
1t has been reported, the plan Of the
Democratic leadership of the House, ac-
crdtng to Representative Byrns Of
Tennessee, the majority floor leader, Is
to push 1t through the House rapidly.
Over on the Senate side Of the Capt.
tol however, the amendments and sub
stttutes for the administration farm bill
already are being trotted out. Senator
Bulkley OF Ohio Is sponsoring a sub
St1tute plan, which he has talked over
with President Roosevelt. This substi-
tute was proposed by the Ohio Senator
after 1t had been outlined to him by
Adrian Adelman, an attorney from
Franklin, Pa. The plan would lay a
tax on the farmers of all principal crops
"a tax which they could pay in kind
or by cutting their acreage Its sup
porters insist that it would place no cash
burden on the farmer and none on the
FEDERAL Government except the money
needed for administration.
Surplus Control Seen.
Senator Bulkley expressed confidence
tnat II the plan were adopted it would
serve to control surpluses and stabilize
farm prices. No tax on professors of
food products would be required, se eas-
tenoed, such as Is now planned to aid in
the operation OF the administrations
1arm relief bill, which looks to the do
meStlc allotment plan as well as the
marginal lands" plan.
Senator Smith of South Carolina.
chairman Of the Senate COMMITTEES on
agriculture, has in mind the establish
ment OF banking system especially for
the farmers, to help take care of farm
mortgages, finance crops, etc. He in
sisted that commercial banks could not
meet the needs Of the farmers.
Inc administration farm bill has the
Endorsement of the leaders of the prin-
cipal farm organizations of the country.
Six OF these leaders sent a letter to
said: A ''i''
your special message to Congress
dealing with the necessity for a resto-
ration Of fair prices for Agricultural
products directs the attention of the
Nation to the fact that the rehabilita-
lion OF agriculture is the most irnpor-
tant factor In the program of economic
reconstruction. It is comforting and
IeaSSurlng to have you, as President.
speak and lead so earnestly and cour-
ageously IN farm matters"
Inc Dill sponsored by Representative
Steagau OF Alabama, chairman of the
House Banking and Currencv Commit
tee, to provide for direct loans by Fed
eral Reserve banks to State banks and
trust companies, is expected to have the
rlgnt OF way in the House tomorrow.
and 1t IS planned to dispose of that
measure as well as the beer bill confer
ence report before adjournment to-
morrow, If that Is possible.
II the beer bill can be finally an.
proved by the President tomorrow night.
the measure will become fully elective
py April 4, since the bill provides that
after 10 days the proposed beer NAV be
manufactured and sold. In the mean
tlme, permits to brewers may be OBJ
famed from the Government.
Plan Fight In Courts.
The drys plan to fight the beer bill
IN the courts as soon as it becomes law.
according to DR.. Clarence True Wilson,
secretary Of the Methodist Board OF
temperance and Public Morals. An
enort VIII be made to block the sale of
the beer through an Injunction, so as
to test in the courts the Constitution
atty Of the bill.
The knowledge that q court test Is
likely to follow the enactment of the
beer bill into law is cne of the reasons
why members Of the House insist that
the Borah amendment must be stricken
from the bill. They do not want the
action Of Congress in prohibiting the
sale or gift Of the beer to minors to
become basis for assault on the beer
as an intoxicating liquor and therefore
unconstitutional
Once the farm relief bill has been
fairly launched on its legislative course,
President Roosevelt Is expected to send
to the Congress another message deal
ing with emergency unemployment re-
nef-perhaps later this week.
BY confining his messages and recon-
mendations to one subject each, the
President has succeeded in focusing
public attention on those measures to
an unusual degree. Also he is able to
keep the Congress pretty well confined
to these individual measures and there
Iby speed them along.
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