Evening star., 1933-03-16

The House today passed the econ
omy bill, including minor changes
made by Senate amendments, short
ly before pm This sends the
measure to the White House for the
Presidents signature.
By the Associated Press.
Word spread on Capitol Hill today
that the changes made by the Senate
in the economy bill were acceptable to
President Roosevelt and plans were laid
for immediate agreement by the House
to the amendments.
Emerging from joint conference Of
the Senate and House committees that
had handled the legislation, Chairman
McDufhe of Alabama and Harrison of
Mississippi said there was nothing in
the amendments to affect the main
purpose Of the measure-the extension
to the President Of power to cut vet
erans allowance and Federal pay an
estimated half billion dollars.
The President was represented at the
conference by Budget Director Douglas.
The expectation was that the mea-
sure would be given final House ap-
proval shortly after noon and that the
President probably would sign it before
nightfall.
House Vote Delayed.
Immediate action on the amendments
was delayed in the House, however, by
objections Of Representative Shannon
Democra9 of Missouri to consideration
at the outset Of the session. The spe-
cial economy committee was instructed
to consider the amendments.
After Chairman McDufde of this COM
mittee announced that the amendments
met the approval Of the White House,
he obtained unanimous consent for
vote on all amendments at one time,
and the House recessed until 80 pm.
to given the committee time to consider
them.
When the House reconvened, how
ever. an hour was set aside for debate
on McDuf1e's motion to approve the
amendments en- bloc.
McDufie explained there were Al
amendments to the bill, the vast ma
jority involving clarifying language"
Some of the amendments, he said, were
vital.
Protective" Proposals.
After the joint conference today Nc
Duffle said all amendments added by
the Senate were protective" as far as
the veterans and Government employees
were concerned
Harrison echoed McDufde's senti-
ments.
Among the various features Of the
economy bill is repeal of the existing
furlough plan, under which Govern
ment employees are now working under
an 8Ha per cent pay cut. The new
measure substitutes maximum reduc-
ton Of Is per cent, based upon lower
living costs.
The emergency measure has no ef-
feet on filling vacancies, making pro-
motions and other routine administra-
tive regulations that were provided In
the economy bills of the past two years.
AS passed, 81 to l3, by the Senate
last night, the measure included q host
OF amendments, although only a few
were considered of major import 1t
was estimated that these took $4,000
600 from the total annual savings, but
the bill still would give the President
authority to reduce veterans expendi-
lures and Federal salaries upward of
$500, 100000
Up to the President.
Representative Byrns of Tennessee,
Democratic leader, said even before the
bill was returned to the House from the
Senate that his branch was ready to do
what the President asked.
II the President says the amend
ments are all right" Byrns had said,
I'VE can dispose of the bill in half an
hour. If he says no we are ready to
back him up to the limit"
All predicted, though, that the tre-
mendous support which had pushed the
measure so far through Congress would
send it to the White House before night.
That support saw only four Demo-
cratic Senators-Clark of Missouri,
Long of Louisiana, McCarran of Nevada
and McGin of Kansas-voting against
the bill as 1t passed the Senate. One
other of that party, Overton of Louisi-
ana, was paired against 1t. And 43
Democrats voted for it.
As sent back to the House the bill
would:
Let the President have unusual au-
thority to cut pensions and compensa-
tions to all veterans, save those Of the
Civil War.
Reduce Civil War veterans benefits 10
per cent for a year.
Permit the President to cut the pay
of civil and military Federal employees
to establish the. same ratio between in
come and living costs that obtained in
the first six months Of 1928, provided
no reduction exceeded Is per cent.
Cut salaries Of House members and
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