The Indianapolis times., 1934-04-03
". B. BANKHEAD
LISTED FOR JOB
OF RULES CHIEF
Popular Congressman win
Succeed Edward Pou,
Deceased.
BY MARSHALL MNEIL
Times Special Writer

WASHINGTON, April 3.-New
strength will come to the sagging
house leadership when Representa-
tive William B. Bankhead Dem,
Ala) is made chairman of the
powerful rules committee, perhaps
this week.
The death of Chairman Edward
Pou Dem, N. c. leaves the way
open for Representative Bankhead's
promotion which is dictated by prec-
edent. He is now ranking DEM
ocrat of this group.
The rules committee is the polit-
ical committee of the house. 1t is
not only responsible for regular
procedure there, but it likewise mans
the legislative program of the ma
lority party permitting only those
bills that are on its calendar to
reach the floor for vote. Its chief
function in most cases is to put the
mouse under gag rule to cut off de-
bate and speed favorable votes.
Joins Leader Triumvirate
Representative Bankhead has run
the rules committee often since
President Roosevelt took Office be-
cause of the illness of Representa-
tive Pou. But his formal advance
to the Craftsmanship makes him
the third triumvirate that the house
looks to for leadership The other
two being the speaker and the ma
jority leader.
Speaker H. T. Rainey and Leader
j. w. Byrns have been under fire
this entire session, and there have
been rumOrS that the administra-
ton wants change since the house
overrode the veterans veto last
week.
With Representative Bankhead
added to the Democratic leadership
1t gains not only a man the house
likes and respects. but a man who
is generally regarded as one of the
smartest politicians among the 435.
He came within an ace of being
elected speaker when Mr.. Rainey
was chosen.
Nears Sixtieth Birthday
Bill" Bankhead, at so - he
reaches that milepost next week
still has the carriage of the full
back he once was. His broad shoul-
derS are stopped now; he carries
a cane.
But if you dressed him in mole
skins and put helmet on his head,
he would, in appearance at least,
be a threatening backf1eld man.
Representative Bankhead helped
push through the house what some
consider its most important piece
of legislation this session. the Bank
head bill, written by him and his
brother, Senator John Bankhead
Dem, Ala). This bill applies
compulsion to the Roosevelt farm
program, and some see in it the
possibility that compulsion will be
applied to other phases of the re-
covery plan.
Sponsored Cotton Bill
"Bil' Bankhead. however, ap-
parently has no such thoughts. He
and his brother talked about this
bill in the south for months. Then
they argued Agriculture Secretary
Henry A. Wallace into taking a poll
Of cotton farmers to see if they
wanted compulsion applied to the
recalcitrants who thus far hadn't
co-operated in acreage reduction.
The poll, to the surprise of every
one but Bill" and his brother,
showed the south wanted such leg
islation.
Representative Bankhead-he is
the father of Tallulah Bankhead,
whom all movie fans know-has
served nine terms in congress. There
are thirty others, of both parties,
who have been there longer. But
precedent today puts him in line
for one of the three biggest jobs
in the house.