Evening star., 1933-02-17
COMMITTEE HEADS
VOICE HOPE OVER
EMERGENCY BILL
Senator Capper and Repre-
sentative Norton Seek Au-
thority for District.
R. F. c. FUNDS TO BE USED
ONLY WHEN NECESSARY
Other Members of Congress Favor
Measure as Precautionary
Authority.

Emphasizing that the bill to enable
the District government to borrow from
the Reconstruction Finance Corpora
tion for relief needs is intended to be
used only to tide the city over pos
sible emergency in which existing pub
lie and private funds might become
inadequate, Senator Arthur Capper of
Kansas and Representative Mary T..
Norton of New Jersey both voiced hope
today that Congress will give the Dis
trict this precautionary authority.
Senator Capper, as chairman of the
Senate District Committee reported the
bill favorably week ago and expressed
the belief today that there will be an
opportunity before the present Congress
ends on March to have it considered
and acted upon.
Eager for Bill.
Representative Norton, chairman OF
the. House District Committee, is one
of those most eager to have enacted
the emergency legislation, which she
introduced at the request of the Dis
! trict Commissioners, authorizing such
loans, not to exceed $2,500,000. from
the Reconstruction Finance Corpora
\ ton.
\ In the House the bill has been refer
Sed to the Committee on Banking and
Currency which considered the orig
inal Reconstruction Finance Corpora
tion bill, and has not yet been sched-
uled for hearings or committee action.
Mrs. Merton said today that she will
see Chairman Steagall and other men,
bers of that committee and arrange for
early action on the emergency relief
measure, so that it may be passed be-
fore the close of this session.
II am heartily in favor of this bill,
although I am opposed in principle to
encouraging public charity on pro-
fessional scale. am especially in favor
OF passing this measure because the
people of the District of Columbia have
no voice In the making of their laws or
in saying how their taxes shall be levied
or spent They are powerless to help
themselves in an emergency and we
being constituted their guardians under
the Constitution are In duty hound to
safeguard against their being any re-
sultant suffering during q period when
Congress Is not In session. Conditions
at the present time acertainly warrant
us in taking this action which Is to be
taken advantage Of only IN an en-
ergency. That should be emphasized
this money should be loaned only when
want, after all other public and private
funds for relief work have been ex-
hausted, and only when Congress Is not
here to direct what shall be done. The
District of Columbia certainly should
not be at a greater disadvantage than
any State and penalized under the Con-
stitution from acting in an extreme
emergency. 1t Is emphasized that in
an event of this kind the people of the
National Capital should be able to voice
their own desires"
''The authority may never be needed"
said Senator Capper, "but it is good
thing to have 1t for an emergency"
Recently Postponed.
The bill was reached during a call of
the calendar in the Senate several days
ago, at which time Senator King of
Utah, ranking Democratic member of
the District Committee, asked it be
postponed for the time being, pointing
out that members who wanted to be
present when the bill is taken up were
not there at the time. Senator King
added that there would be chance to
take the bill up later. The measure
may be reached again on the next call
of the calendar.
Representative Will R. Wood (Repub-
Gcan) of Indiana, former chairman of
the House Appropriations Committee,
who made the point Of order in the
House against an increase of tax on in
tangibleS so as to set up an emergency
relief fund under the District appro-
priation bill for the coming fiscal year,
and who Is ready to support the S625, 900
relief item in that bill, is also in favor
of the bill authorizing the lOan
For use only in times OF stress when
Congress is not in session, this borrow
ing power should be granted to the
District as stop-gap against suffer-
ing" said Representative Wood 1T
must be guarded strictly. Properly
safeguarded, I believe the District
should be placed in position to care
for its really needy in an emergency
when Congress is not here to exercise
Its constitutional supervision"
Representative William j. Granield,
Democrat, OF Massachusetts,, a mem
Der Of the subcommittee that drafted
the District appropriation bill, expressed
his strong conviction that I'VE should
consider it our duty to place the Ma
tional Capital, as municipality, in a
position where it can take care of those
who are in dire need as a result of un-
employment when we are off the job"
Passage Held Necessary.
Representative Anthony j. Griffin,
Democrat, of New York, a member of
the House Appropriations Committee
and formerly on the District Subcom-
mittee, who has always taken a SYM
pathetic interest in District legislation,
said today that lit is absolutely neceS-
sary that this bill be passed. I am
ready to take the lead in putting ade-
quate relief funds in the District ap-
preparation bill.
1 am convinced that such action
should be supplemented by such a
measure as this placing the District IN
a position where it can spend It's own
money for the relief of its own needy
people in an emergency or when Con-
gress is not in session. Here, OF all
places in the country, in the National
Capital, there should be an object
lesson for the whole country in the
care Of the needy and wiping out un-
employment suffering.
"At the same time" continued Mr.
Griffin, there should be strong safe
guards against the National Capital be-
coming haven for the needy of other
If the word was spread that relief funds
in large quantities are available 1t is
a difficult situation to handle and
hope that Congress will not increase
the worries of the District Commits
sioners and the Board of Public We'll
fare by refusing to cooperate in grant.
ing this authority to be used only a.
q last resort"
o. E. S. to Hold Country Dance.