Evening star., 1934-03-28
VOTE APPROACHES
f. ONBANKHEAD BILL
Senate Due to Act Follow.
ing Disposal of Independ-
ent Offices Veto.
By the Associated Press.

The Senate is scheduled to put the
Bankhead cotton bill to a final vote
following disposal of the presidential
veto of the independent Offices appro-
priation bill.
A vote on the cotton bill was
blocked yesterday by a last-minute
parliamentary jam, after the measure
mad been loaded down with amend
ments, both serious and ludicrous.
HALF dozen times a final vote was
about to be taken, only TO have an
other amendment offered, and finally
the decision was postponed when ad-
minlstration leaders forced adjourn
ment for the night to prevent action
on the veto measure.
Legislation RidicuIed.
A long string of amendments added
to the bill yesterday at the suggestion
OF opponents included stringent lini-
tatlons which friends of the measure
feared would destroy its usefulness
and a couple designed to ridicule the
legislation.
The latter, offered by Senator Gore.
Democrat, of Oklahoma, changed
language permitting the Secretary of
Agriculture to make regulations for
carrying out the law to give him
power to ''enact such penal statues"
as might be necessary.
Friends Of the legislation knew thev
could remedy these in conference with
the House but were more concerned
over the serious limitations.
One, offered by Senator Bailey.
Democrat, Of North Carolina, would
permit farmers to produce up to six
bales without limitation. 1t provided,
however, that the total crop should
not exceed 100000 bales.
Bailey originally offered the amend
ment to permit eight bales, but SEN
ator Robinson of Arkansas, the DEM
ocratic leader, said this would defeat
the whole purpose Of the bill.
Bankhead Amendment o. K.d.
Another amendment, offered BY
Senator Dickinson, Republican, Of
Iowa and perfected by Senator Rey-
noldS, Democrat, of North Carolina,
would limit the operation of the law
to single year. AS passed by the
House the bill would operate for two
years, and the President could then
extend it for another
Senator Bankhead. Democrat. OF
Alabama, author of the bill, secured
approval of an amendment to increase
the tax on over-quota production from
so to rs per cent of the market value
of the cotton.
Amendments by Senator Hayden.
Democrat, of Arizona and johnson.
Republican, of California to exempt
from the tax cotton of IL inch staple
or longer. largely grown in California
and Arizona, and to prevent a State
quota from being less than 100000
bales if it had produced $50, 900 bales
within the past five years, were also
adopted.
Another Bailey amendment which
gained approval would cut the pen
atty for violations of the law from
$1,000 fine or imprisonment up to a
year down to 500 fine.
Vigorous Attack Carried On.
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah
secured approval of an amendment
eliminating authority Tor the Secre-
tary of Agriculture to buy excess cot
ton for relief purposes at a price up
to SIS per cent of the central market
price, and to use it in experiments to
develop new uses of the staple.
AS the final vote on the bill seemed
to be approaching it was subjected to
vigorous attack from both sides of the
aisle.
King said such legislation might be
justified in time of war, but no en-
ergency existed today which war
ranted it. He said it was AN i'm
position of autocratic power on the
individual and led to a regimented"
instead of Democratic society.
Reed, Republican, of PENNSYLVANIA
predicted it would lead to such re-
sentiment" that 1T will take the
whole American Army to enforce it."
He condemned it as "an invasion
of Independent liberty" and said it
would subject citizens to the will of
minor officials in Washington who
were not subject to the vote of the
people.