Evening star., 1935-03-10
BOTH BONUS BILLS
TO GET VOTE TEST
Byrns Assures Trial for Pat.
man Initiation Plan and
Vinson Scheme.

The unusual spectacle of the House
perfecting two bills for the purpose Of
selecting one for passage when the
time for a record vote Is reached. was
envisoned by Speaker Joseph W. Byrns
yesterday as the procedure to be fol-
lowed with soldiers bonus legislation.
The vote on the bonus is slated this
week and the plan as outlined yester-
day by Speaker Byrns promises to af-
ford the first test on imitation In the
present session.
Although the House Ways and
Means Committee has voted favor
able report on the Vinson bill to pay
the approximately $1,000. 100000 bal
ance of veterans adjusted compensa-
ton certificates, there was an under
standing that the House also would be
given chance to vote on the Patman
bill.
Payment Provisions Differ.
The substantial difference between
the two measures is that the VinSon
bill leaves the method of providing the
funds for payment of the bonus to the
discretion OF the Treasury by taxes or
bond issue, while the Patman bill pro-
vides for payment by the issuance of
the United States notes, commonly
known as 'greenbacks.
Representative Patman disclosed
yesterday that he had received letter
from Henry Morgenthau, jr.. Secretary
of the Treasury. saying that under
the VinSon bill bond issues would be
necessary.
The Secretary also held that Con-
greSs must appropriate a definite
amount for payment under the Vim
son measure AS it stands, the Vinson
bill merely authorizes such appropria-
ton. Patman contends the VinSOn
bill would cost the Government an
additional 600,000,000, the amount
he estimates as required to amortize
the bond issue
The Patman bill passed the House
in the Seventy-second and the Sew
enty-third sessions and each time was
killed in the Senate. There Is a gen.
eral feeling that a majority of the
for the Patman measure, with the in
flationary provisions, a third time. and
will take it in preference to the Vim
son measure in a final test.
Veteran Groups Opposed.
The Vinson bill has the support of
the American Legion; as the Patman
measure the Veterans of Foreign
Wars. When the Vinson bill was Sc
lected there was ind of gentleman's
agreement that when the legislation
was presented to the House its con-
sideration would be undertaken under
a wide-open procedure which would
give the Patman supporters a chance
The formal report on the bill will
reach the House early this week.
1t is Speaker Byrns' idea that the
Vinson bill be perfected in the House
with members remarks limited to five
minutes. When this consideration is
complete, Speaker Byrns suggests the
Patman bill also be considered and
perfected under the same so-called
five minute rule.
If the Patman measure meets de-
feat on the first non-record vote,
while the House is working in what
Is technically called the committee
of the whole" the Texan would have
an opportunity, under the rule Speaker
Byrns suggests, to force a roll call on
a motion to recommit the Vinson
measure with instruction to the Ways
and Means Committee to report his
proposal as substitute. If this motion
failed, another record vote on the
passage of the Vinson bonus bill could
be forced.
Big Majority Forecast.
Administration leaders in the House
forecast House passage of some bonus
measure late this week by the largest
ajority since the issue was placed
before Congress. The Patman bill in
the Seventy--second and Seventy third
session carried the "greenback" pro-
vision.
What is said to have been an effort
of the American Legion to have
Representative Bertrand H. Smell of
New York, Republican floor leader,
fight for q rule which would limit the
House to consideration to the Vinson
bill, failed when Mr.. Smell declined.
Smell has informed Democratic leaders
he would not oppose their plan to let
both the Legion and Patman measures
come to voeo.