Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-23
RELIEF BILL ACTION
IS DUE THIS WEEK
Measure Is
Sent to Senate Banking
and Currency Group.

Congress is expected to take final
action this week on the Wagner-LewiS
relief bill. carrying s500.OO0,000 of
Federal aid to the States. Territories
and District Of Columbia in relieving
distress and suffering due to unem-
ployment.
The District Of Columbia would be
entitled to an initial Federal grant Of
somewhere between s125 900 and $780,
coo Immediately following enactment
Of the measure and it would come at
an opportune time to help meet the
heavy burden being placed en- the ex-
listing relief appropriation of the Board
of Public Welfare
The relief bill, as it passed the House
Friday. differs in only two or three
respects from the measure adopted
originally by the Senate a few weeks
ago. but the Senate must act on 1t
again because the House passed a
different bill.
Committee Gets Bill.
When the House bill arrived in the
Senate Yesterday it was referred at once
to the Banking and Currency Commit
tee. Senator Wagner. Democrat. of New
York. said he hoped to have 1t passed
on by the committee Tuesday morning.
Since the Senate already has approved
the general principles involved In the
measure, no delay is anticipated when
the parliamentary situation is such
that the House bill can be called up.
How soon this will be depends on the
progress of the imitation amendment to
the pending farm bill.
In the original Senate bill. 5000 .000,-
900 of the total relief fund would have
been allocated to the States on ratio
basis. in proportion to the public funds
spent by each State or the District.
The remaining s30O0OO,OOO. after al
lowing for necessary administrative ex-
penses. would have been distributed
upon applications to States where the
Federal administrator finds that the
combined moneys from all sources with
in the States supplemented by the Fed
eral grant on the ratio basis. would
still fall short of TIE estimated needs.
The House bNl which now awaits
Senate action allows $3.50 100000 for
distribution on the ratio basis, and a
similar amount in the discretionary
fund. Other changes in the House
plan relate to the method of appoint
ing employees needed to administer the
measure, and a restriction Of $500 a
year OH Lie SALARY W NC pdlu lIlC CCu-
eral relief administrator It is under
stood the Senate may seek to remove
this limitation from the salary of the
administrator. but probably will not OBJ
ject to the other House changes.
Allotment Of S250.00.000.
The $3.50, 900 900 to be distributed on
a ration basis would be allotted as fol-
lows: Each State and the District would
be entitled to grants equal to One-third
of the public relief money expended
locally. These grants would be made
quarterly. beginning with the second
quarter of the present calendar year,
and would be mace during any quarter
on the basis of the amount spent by
each State during the preceding quar-
ter. The bill provides that the term
State" shall include the District of
Columbia and the term Governor"
shall include the Commissioners Of the
District
If the bill can be completed and sent
to the President this week, the first step
would be for the Chief Executive to
appoint the Federal relief administra
tor. who is to handle the distribution
of the Federal aid. The appointee will
have to be confirmed by the Senate.
The relief funds are to be made available
to the administrator through the Recon-
struction Finance Corporation.