Evening star., 1934-06-18
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Congressional passions have seldom
been so aroused or frazzled nerves so
much on edge as they were in the
Senate Saturday night, while members
fumed and fused in frantic but fu-
tile drive toward adjournment. II the
packed galleries were on hand in ex-
pectation of a show. they got their
moneys worth. though they did prob
ably not disperse with any enhanced
opinion of the Senate's dignity or ca
pacity for government When
the chamber is crowded with visitors,
there's always q strong temptation for
Senators to make speeches and cut
capers, and there was a suspicion that
the presence of crowd inspired much
Of the maneuvering that killed ad-
journment plans. The cantankerous
and chaotic proceedings showed that,
like the plans Of mice and men. the
beSt-laid schemes OF congressional
leaders can be derailed, too. Demo-
cratic Majority Leader Robinson and
Republican Minority Leader McNary
confidently looked upon their agree
ment for adjournment Saturday night
as alright and copper -bottomed. Then
the unexpected broke loose in half a
dozen directions, with disruptive and
obstructive proposals bobbing up first
from the Democratic and then from
the Republican side of the aisle. The
resultant mess, with collapse Of
adjournment arrangements, proved
afresh that follow your leader" is not
game which the Senate can be de-
pended upon to play at critical mo-
ments.
Close of the session is characterized
by the tinge of sadness that always
marks the expiration of a Congress-
when comradeships, sometimes of long
standing, are suddenly broken. In
both House and Senate are many men
who are treading the paths of political
glory in Washington this week Tor the
last time-members who face defeat
for denomination or reelection.
Casualties in the House, mainly among
Democrats, may Iun as high as so,
more or less, while possibly half a
dozen Senators. Republicans for the
most part, are not likely to answer
the roll call when the Seventy fourth
Congress convenes in January. House
members who are expected to disap-
pear are largely sc-called accidents"
men swept into Congress on the
1882 Roosevelt landslide from districts
normally Republican and which this
yea are expected to swing back to
normal political moorings and elect
Republican Representatives Even
first-termers form firm friendships on
Capitol Hill, and partings this week,
in the case of members marked for
slaughter in November, are CORE
spondingly poignant, no matter how
gay farewell show the lower branch
may stage, with music and frolic, to
speed the expiring House on its way
to oblivion.
Unofficial estimates indicate that
while the departing new deal Congress
was the shortest in q century, sitting
for only 265 days IN the course Of two
sessions, it passed more than 400 acts,
at an average of almost two day, and
authorized expenditures approximating
81 900 ,000, 900, including $4,000. .000,-
900 In the regular or second session
now about to adjourn.
r n \ X
Administration representatives pres
ent at various periods of the hectic
Senate proceedings Saturday night in
cluded Postmaster General Farley,
r. F. c. Chairman Jones and Under
secretary of Agriculture Tugwell. Jim
Farley held court from sofa In q
far corner of the chamber, continually
bottonholed by Democratic Senators.
He was not perturbed by Senator Aus
tins castigation Of the administra-
tion's airmail policy. Chairman Jones,
exercising the privilege Of q news
paper owner, listened intently from a
seat in the press gallery to Senator
Garter Glass elucidation Of the loans
to industry bill