Evening star., 1935-03-19
Special Rule Limits Discus
sion of Measure to
10 Hours.
PERMITS CONSIDERATION
OF PATMAN PLAN ALSO
Lehlbach Says Patman Proposal
Would Free Printing Presses
for Fiat Money.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


The House adopted this afternoon
special rule for the consideration of
the soldiers bonus bill.
The rule. which provides for 10
hours of general debate and then
consideration under the five minute
rule, was adopted after brief debate
and practically without opposition. 1t
places before the House the Vinson
bill. favorably reported by the Ways
and Means Committee and supported
by the American Legion. At the same
time the rule makes it in order to
offer the Patman bill, the Andrews
Tydings bill, the Andrew bill. the Nc
Reynolds bill and other bonus meas
ures as substitutes for the Vinson bill
in committee of the whole.
After Representative O'Connor OF
New York, chairman of the Rules
Committee. had explained the rule,
pointing out that two motions to re-
commit would be permitted when the
bill is reported from the Committee
of the Whole to the House itself, Rep
resentative Lehlbach, Republican, of
New Jersey twitted the Democrats for
bringing in rule which permitted the
consideration of the Patman bill.
Two Purposes Cited.
Under the Patman bill the cash
payment of the bonus. amounting to
about $4,000 100000, would be made
with Treasury notes - greenbacks
printed by the Treasury, based only
on the credit of the Government.
Lehlbach said that the Patman bill
had two purposes. One was TO pay
the bonus and the other was TO initiate
the currency. He said that the ad-
ministration was opposed to the Pat
man bill.
You are bringing in an imitation
BILL" he said. for which there is IN
present public demand. upon which
no committee of the House has re-
ported and against which the admin
istration has set its face"
Representative Connery, Democrat,
of Massachusetts,, interrupted.
The first soldiers bonus bill was
brought before the House In 1924,
when the House was Republican and
President Coolidge was in the White
House" he said. That bill was
passed over a presidential veto"
Comment Provokes Laugh.
Yes" replied Lehlbach, but we
didn't make speeches about the coat
tails we had been elected on"
A laugh ran over the House at
Lehlbach's criticism of the Democrats
who are now opposing President
Roosevelt on the soldiers bonus.
Lehlbach declared that the passage
of the Patman bill if it eventually be-
came law, would be the opening
wedge for the use Of the printing
press to turn out great quantities of
paper. fiat money.
When the House took up the bill
in committee of the whole with Rep
resentative Cannon of Missouri pre-
siding, the first speaker was Repre-
sentative Patman. Democrat of Texas.
author of the rival bill to be offered
as the first substitute.
Thanks Steering Group.
Patman thanked the Steering Com
mittee OF 81 regional men, the chair
man and members of the Ways and
Means Committee. the chairman and
members of the Rules Committee, the
Speaker of the House and others who
had helped to get the bonus legislation
up for fair consideration in the House.
He produced a large chart graphi-
cally showing the certificates issued
to the veterans, already past due,
arguing that they are not asking for
special consideration or rights, but
the same consideration and rights as
were given to others in the payment
OF war claims and in repayment of
income taxes during war days.
The second point emphasized by
Patman was that payments should be
made in a way that would not be
detrimental to the people of the coun-
try. He insisted that by a cash pay
ment OF the bonus now, by putting
this large capital in circulation. the
people OF the country would be bene-
fitted generally.
1t was regarded as foregone con-
clusion that the House would pass a
bill for the present cash payment of
the bonus. President Roosevelt has
threatened a veto, but the sentiment
in the House apparently is too strong
to be checked.
A compromise proposal, sponsored
by Representative Andrews and Sem
ator Tydings has been offered. But it
is not believed a compromise can win
out in the House. Under the COM
promise plan the veterans would be
issued Government bonds in place of
their bonus certificates.