Evening star., 1934-01-11
Roll Call on Drastic Proce-
dure Assures Administra.
tlon Pay Victory.
ECONOMY ACT TO GET
DIRECT RIGHT OF WAY
Amendment and Motion to Recon-
init Barred After Acrimonious
Struggle.

BY a roll call vote of 261 to 1I2 the
House today sustained the drastic pro-
cedure under which economy provisions
precluding amendments are to be con-
sidered as a Fart of the independent
Offices supply bill
This was the first skirmish in the
fight over the gag rule" to make in
order-without any amendment or mo-
ton to recommit with instruction-the
economy provisions, including the Gov
eminent salary policy, in the big appro-
priation bill.
The question was Oh an appeal from
the decision of Speaker Rainey adverse
to point of order by Minority Leader
Smell against the gag rule. This had
brought more than score of the lead
ing parliamentarians of the House on
either side of the aisle into bitter con-
troversy.
This first roll-csn vote practically as
sureS a complete victory for the admin
istration On the economy and Govern
ment salary program.
Bankhead States Issue.
Representative Bankhead of Alabama,
in charge of the gag rule, had admitted
that its purpose is to preserve the in
tegrity of the entire economy section
of the bill. The real question is,' he
said, whether the House will today
and hereafter follow the President of
the United States in his economy and
recovery program"
Minority Leader Smell, in answer for
the Republican forces, emphasized that
their immediate fight was to protect
the rules of the House from dangerous
interference. His point of order was
that the gag rule deprives the minority
of an Opportunity to make a motion to
recommit the bill to the Appropriations
Committee with instructions regarding
modification. He quoted ruling by
Speakers Gillette, Cannon and Clark.
Answering the challenge regarding sup
port Of the President, Mr.. Smell said,
We have no objection to the Democrats
in the House following the President Of
the United States, but demand that they
follow him according to the prescribed
rules Of the House"
Calls Rule Extreme.
He declared that the gag rule is the
closest one ever brought from the Rules
Committee and that it is not in keep
ing with the philosophy of the rules of
the House and is contrary to al de-
cisions by the Speakers.
In ruling on the point of order
Speaker Rainey declared that he ruled
In conformity with precedents estab-
Hshed by various Speakers that it is
not in order to do indirectly through a
motion to recommit with instructions
what cannot be done directly by way of
amendment.
Chairman Pou of the Rules Commit
tee told his colleagues that during his
So years OF service he has supported
every Democratic President and no one
OF these with as much enthusiasm for
the administration policies as he has
those OF President Roosevelt.
Smell Assails Rule.
Smell. in his lengthy discussion of the
rule for the Republican membership.
emphasized the contention that his
party is protesting in order to preserve
the integrity of the rules and precedents
OF the House. He called the gag rule
unprecedented and called Speaker
Rainey's decision "the most unfair and
ruthless that has been handed down in
20 years.
Mr.. Smell characterized the rule as
"the most vicious, most far-reaching
special rule that has ever been brought
On the floor Of the American Congress"
He charged the administration leader
ship with doing this at this time be
cause you know it is easier to hog-tie
your own men today than after we've
been in session five months
Smell said he thought it was to be
the policy of the Democratic admins
tratlon to cut down expenses and bal
ance the budget. but obviously no steps
have been taken in that direction.
Assails Expenditures.
"If We are going to take money out
OF the Treasury at the rate it is going
now" he declared, what reason is
there for taking SIS and $40 a month
away from civil service employees"
Representative Buchanan of Texas,
chairman of the Appropriations Com
mittee. opened his discussion on the
President. One called attention to the
executive order continuing in effect the
IS per cent Government pay cut
through the remainder of the current
fiscal year, and the other recommended
that automatic promotions De restored
to members of the Coast Guard and
Coast and Geodetic Survey as well as to
members of the Army, Navy and Marine
Corps.
With the rule out of the way, House
ieaoers expected to finish general de-
bate on the bill, taking it up late today
ior amendments to other sections and
passing IL ana sending it to the Senate
tomorrow
Advised yesterday that the gag rule
was in prospect, the American Fedora
tlon OF Labor pay cut conference issued
a statement announcing intention to
seek defeat of the rule and substitution
OF another which would permit q vote
on the pay cut itself.
Cost of Figures Scored.
The conference also hit the living
cost figures responsible for President
Roosevelt's decision to continue the is
per cent cut another six months. de-
claring they constituted the strongest
argument against this method of pay
fixing.
Recalling that the employees selected
for the survey were chosen by lot"
the statement pointed out that five
separate figures were shown for as many
groups, and that to carry this principle
out further, more groups might have
shown more figures. 1t was contended
also that living costs will be "appre-
ciably higher" in the next six months
than for the period Of the survey.