Evening star., 1933-01-14
80 Members of Party Pledge
Support, but Success De-
pends on G. 0. P.
ROBINSON Is PREPARED
TO TAKE DRASTIC STEP
Lcng Says He Will Stop Only Upon
Defeat of All Provisions of
Glass Bank Bill.
By the Associated Press.


Democratic leaders had drastic clo
ture petition in readiness today as the
Senate convened for desperate effort
. break the prolonged filituster against
the Class bank reform bill.
The required 16 signatures had been
obtained and Senator Robinson of Ar
kansas, minority leader, was prepared
to offer the petition if necessary to
smash the filibuster, which has been
conducted virtually all this week by
Senator Long, Democrat, of Louisiana,
and others.
Most of the Signers of the petition,
an infrequently used parliamentary de-
vice, were Democrats. The list was
headed by Robinson and Senator Glass,
Democrat Of Virginia, sponsor OF the
bank bill.
Whether or not the petition would
be offered today, leaders said, depended
upon the parliamentary situation dur
inr the afternoon.
Even sponsors of the cloture petition
were somewhat doubtful that they could
obtain the necessary tWo-thirds vote
for its adoption. They said about 80
Democrats had agreed to support the
measure, but that its adoption would
depend upon the number of supporting
votes from the Republican side.
Second Night Session.
Leaders hoped for a break yesterday
the fourth day of the tight blockade
but Senator Thomas, Democrat, OF
Oklahoma, got the floor and held 1t for
six hours, the Senate going into its
second night session in as many days.
Long. who has carried the burden of
the attack against the controversial
branch banking features OF the Glass
bill, was ready to carry on today. He
asserted he would agree now to moth
ing short of the measures death.
Senator Bratton, Democrat, of New
Mexico, late yesterday proposed a sub
stitute for the branch-b banking clause
one which would limit Statewide
branches of national banks to those
with an unimpaired capital stock of
100000 or more.
Senator Watson of Indiana, the Re-
publican leader, expressed the belief
the bill, branch banking provisions and
all, could be passed if it came to a
vote, but the little band of irreconcil-
ables refused to yield an inch.
Thomas clashed with Glass at the
outset of his speech when he charged
the Federal Reserve Board had taken
$50, 900, 600 out of circulation in the past
week and cancelled the money"
Glass, who was the author of the
Federal reserve act, challenged the
statement, saying the board had no
authority to take a dollar out of Cir
culation."
He said Thomas must have meant
that the member banks of the reserve
system paid $50, 100000 of their indebt-
edness to the reserve banks, because
the patrons of the member banks had
paid their notes and the member banks
no longer required the loans"
The Oklahoman again brought Glass
to his feet when he maintained the
board, when in the friendly" hands
of the Wilson administration, placed
sufficient money in circulation to bring
high praise from the Virginia Senator.
The board had no authority to issue
dollar of currency, and if it did
would apply for some of it myself -
Glass replied.
Demands New Reserve Board.
Thomas said what the Nation needs
"is not new banking act, but a new
Federal Reserve Board"
Senator Long frequently interrupted
lnCmaS TO ask questions, DuC at oiie
point when he attempted speech Glass
forced him, through the chair, to con-
fine his remarks to a question.
At one point Long said the party
! leaders had abandoned the floor "and
refuse to listen to us on this bill"
There are no leaders, Thomas re-
| piled.
Representative Patman, Democrat, OF
| Texas, told the House late yesterday
/ that if the Glass bill became law it
would grant monopoly worth millions
OF dollars to a few great banks" by re-
! pealing th9 excess profits tax on Fed
! eral Reserve Banks.
| Patman asserted that the Federal
! Reserve act requires banks to pay an
! interest charge to the Federal Gov
| ernment for the use of Federal Reserve
notes but that provision has never
been made effective"