Evening star., 1934-01-04
RA|NEY IS HOPEFUL
Of RUM BILL SPEED
Expects D. C. Measure to Be
Ready for Action Some
Day Next Week.

Hope that tne DlStrlCI liquor Coh1Aoi
bill will be ready for congressional ac-
ton some day next week" was ex-
pressed last night by Speaker Rainey
in an address in the National Radio
Forum, sponsored by The Star and
broadcast over a Nationwide hook-up
of the National Broadcasting Co.
Whether the measure is ready or not,
however, Mr.. Rainey said, the House
will be prepared Monday to proceed
with the first Of its II appropriation
bills.
The remainder of the session." he
said. will be occupied principally with
the consideration of these great supply
bills"
After praising President Roosevelt's
personally-delivered message to Con-
greSS, the Speaker predicted the pres
ent session of the legislative body will
move along harmoniously with mo
dramatic incidents"
Imitation and reconciliation of silver
will be the subjects Of some earnest
speeches" he said, but whether there
is any legislation along either Of these
lines will depend upon the attitude of
the administration.
Speaker Rainey's address follows:
The regular session of the Seventy
third Congress convened at IL O'Clock
the days Of George Washington the
President appeared in person on the
first day Of a regular session instead of
the second to deliver his address to
Congress. This neceSSitated Joint
session Of the House and the Senate.
The Presidents address was typically
RooseVeltian. 1t was short, clear and
he presented with great force the mat
ters he discussed. 1t has probably been
printed in full now in the evening
papers throughout the country.
1t is not at all difficult to predict
what will happen during the present
session Of Congress. The session will
present. as it appears now. no dramatic
incidents. I have been predicting for
long time that harmony would pre-
vail on the Democratic side of the
chamber, and that not much opposi-
ton, if any, would be presented on the
Republican side to the recovery pro-
gram OF the administration. 1t would
seem that after today's session 1t Is
easier than ever to predict a harmo-
NOUS session of the Congress 1t will
not be uproarious as many newspaper
writers have insisted.
House Body to Decide.
A few days ago it appeared that the
election controversies in the sixth dis
trlct of Louisiana would provoke bitter
discussion. Today on the floor of the
House 1t was settled in a manner
entirely satisfactory to both sides. The
entire Louisiana delegation agreed that
the matters in dispute there in that
district should be referred to Elections
Committee No. 3 Of the House Of Rep
resentatives and that neither Of the
contestants should be sworn in today.
Ty7
the House. The situation there was
unusual. Nothing like it has ever
occurred in the history Of the country.
The feeling in the State is bitter in
deed, but the entire congressional dele
cation from Louisiana got together
without any difficulty The matter
presents a question of law and it was
speedily referred to the committee.
This very satisfactory solution of the
difficulty where feeling is so intense
indicates, I think, that the remaining
business Of the House during the pres
ent session will be quickly disposed Of
The general liquor bill is ready. 1t
was reported today by Congressman
Doughton of North Carolina. the chair
man Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee Of the House. For long time the
Ways and Means Committee have
been working on the bill and I was
surprised to know that even the report
vas ready. The bill will be taken up
tomorrow in the House under the
general rules of the House. and quickly
b disposed of
D. c. Liquor Bill Not Ready.
The District of Columbia liquor bill
while less important than the other. is
not ready. but additional hearings will
be had. It is to be hoped that this bill
will be ready some day next week, but
whether it is or not. We will be ready
to proceed on next Monday with one
Of the IL great appropriation bills of
the House, and the remainder of the
session will be occupied principally with
the consideration of these great supply
bills Four of them are ready now.
Ample general debate will be perrnitted,
and during the time assigned to general
debate on these bills members will be
permitted to discuss not only the bill
but other matters. 1t will not be nee
essary to resort TO stringent rules dur
ing the remainder Of this session, which
has now started out in such satisfac-
tory way. Rules will be necessary. of
course, but the rules which will come
from the great Committee on Rules of
the House will simply make in order
certain amendments to the bills which
JULIET LNlSt NOulQ IlOJ De III OrOer, ana II
it Is desired to consider in addition to
the appropriation bills any bill which is
not privileged. rule from the commit
tee Will be obtained simply making it
in order. Absolute freedom will be
given to every member of the House tc
vote as he pleases on any subject which
may come up.
Under general debate on the appro-
pr1atlon bills We may expect some ear
nest speeches to be made on the SUBJ
Ject Of initiating the currency and or
the subject of broadening the metallic
base of our currency so as to include
silver, and it may be that as the session
proceeds there will be silver legislation
Of some character. Personally, I hope
there will be. But whether or not there
is any legislation of this character will
depend largely upon the attitude of the
administration. 1t is very evident nov
that our gold buying program will pro.
ceed until we pay much more for golc
than we are now paying. England does
not seem at all disposed to return tt
the gold standard. or to Standardizt
the pound sterling and we are not 60.
ing to standardize our currency unit
we are ready to do so. 1t does not ap,
pear that that will happen in the neal
future.
1t is hoped that the Louisiana con-
test matter will be speedily considered