Evening star., 1933-06-09
SENATE IS NEARING
VOTE ON COLOSSAL
PUBLIC WORKS BILL
Contest Over Sales Tax
Major Obstacle Ahead on
Industry Control.
REED TO LEAD FIGHT
AGAINST SPECIAL LEWES
Minimum Wage Provision for Gov
eminent Contracts Is
Stricken Out.
By the Associated Press.

With contest over a sales tax the
major obstacle ahead, the Senate to-
day moved slowly toward a vote on the
colossal industrial recovery-public works
measure designed to speed better times.
Resuning consideration o: the ad-
ministration-proposed bill, the Senate
adopted an amendment providing that
not less than 100000 of the $780,
100000 construction money shall be
allotted for National Forest, Park and
Indian Reservation roads and trails.
The change was proposed by Senator
Hayden, Democrat, of Arizona and was
accepted without record vote.
Senator Reed, Republican, of Penn
sylvania planned to lead an attempt to
substitute sales tax for the special
levies proposed in the measure for pay
ing of the public works cost.
Homestead Loans Approved.
A committee amendment was ap-
proved making available $25 000, 900 for
loans for purchasing subsistence home
steads and in the redistribution of the
overbalance of population in industrial
centers."
Continuing on the public works Sec
ton, a committee amendment provid-
ing that all Federal construction con-
tracts shall contain minimum wage
rates to be predetermined by the award
ing authorities was stricken out at the
request of Senator Copeland. Demo-
crat, of New York.
This left intact, however, the pro-
visions laying down the 30-hour week
with few exceptions, calling for "just
and reasonable wages" and preference
for former service men.
Amendments Defeated.
The Senate had made way for dis
posal of the bill today through session
which ran almost to midnight in which
were defeated all major amendments to
the business section of the bill. The
Senator'S did, however, vote in q pro-
vision to allow the President to bar i'm
ports, after investigation by the Tariff
Commission, If operation of the indus
trial agreements authorized by the bill
lifted prices and wages to level giving
foreign products a wide price margin.
Only IL Democrats and l Republican
voted against this amendment which
was not backed by the administration.
Defeated last night was an attempt
by Senator Clark, Democrat, of Missouri,
to strike out the entire industrial por-
tion of the bill. Senator Fess of Ohio,
assistant Republican leader, had joined
Clark, denouncing the entire program
as Communistic. The amendment
went down, 49 to 81.
Oil Regulation Defeated.
Also defeated, without roll call, was
the administration supported amend
ment for special regulation Of the oil
industry. Senator Thomas, Democrat,
of Oklahoma, had sought its inclusion
in place of a less direct Federal regula-
ton provision written by the Senate
Finance Committee, which Secretary OF
the Interior Ickes had termed not
effective.
Earlier in the evening the Senators
had rejected, 81 to 81, Senator Reeds
attempt to strike out the authorization
for the President to impose licensing
system on industries which refuse to
cooperate voluntarily in the trade
agreement plan, and then defeated an
other amendment by Clark to eliminate
the suspension of antitrust laws by
which the trade agreements, to restore
prices and wages and control produc-
ton, are to be made possible.
In appealing for adjournment after
session lasting more than IL hours,
Reed said the membership had been
working the limit any man could bear
on the most sweeping innovation pre-
Sented to Congress in many years, ap-
propriating billions, and changing the
method of handling the commerce and
industry of the nation"
First Test of Forces.
Senators have lost their capacity to
think" he said.
The vote on the Reed proposal to
strike out the licensing provision was
the first test of the administration
forces as they went into the long night
session. In moving elimination Of the
section. Reed said it would put power
sentence to extinction" any business
of Oklahoma, joined in advocacy of re-
jecting the section, asserting he was
not willing to trust the President or
any of his nominees" with such power
Senator Wagner said it was essential
if cut-throat competition was to be
"--Vhat has dragged industry down
more than anything else," said the New
Yorker, sis cut-throat competition, long
hours and starvation wages.
I'VE are going to lift it up to wage
level of comfort and decency. Most in
dustries are dragged down by a re-
calcitrant 10 to IS per cent who work
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