Evening star., 1935-12-31
BYRNS FORECASTS
DECISIVE SESSION
Radio Forum Audience Told
Bonus Success Depends
on Harmony.

Pared expenditures, fewer laws and
quick adjournment were promised for
the coming session of Congress by
Speaker Byrns last night, speaking in
the National Radio Forum, arranged
by The Star and broadcast on coast
to-coast network of the National
Broadcasting Co.
Byrns predicted bonus enactment
''if the contending forces in favor OF
the different bills get together and
agree on a measure" He said the
Townsend plan hasn't got a chance
of passage" and listed on the pro-
gram:
Appropriation bills, neutrality leglS-
lation, national defense measures,
agricultural legislation if the Supreme
Court invalidates the A. A. A, and
possibly other substitute measures to
replace statutes which the court may
rule unconstitutional
After reviewing the needs and en-
actments of the emergency period,
Byrns asserted that now we may
expect continually reducing budget
and that business can have no reason
to fear increased expenditures in the
future"
Text of Address.
The text of Speaker Byrns' address
follows:
The second session of the Seventy
fourth Congress will convene January
3. A number of important measures
are now awaiting consideration and
fIItIIro devalopp,a,ot NOV ,,ooke II accan-
tial to consider others before the ses-
sion adjournS. Those who are familiar
with the course of legislation do not
feel that any of these measures will
justify long drawn out discussion. Ger
tainly there will be no excuse for such
delay in their consideration as will un-
duly prolong the session. wish to
emphasize now that any such delay
will be influenced by political reasons
and will not serve the best interests of
the country. The administration has
already expressed its hope for an early
adjournment. and feel sure that this
will coincide with the wishes OF
Congress.
Had not the Constitution been
changed with respect to the converting
OF the Congress, all legislation which
1t might be necessary to consider at
this session would have had to be
passed on during three month period.
can see no reason. therefore, why all
essential legislation cannot be fully,
fairly and deliberately considered with
In that time limit. Certainly it seems
to me that Congress should be able to
adjourn during the month of April or
the first part of May at the latest. I
have no reason TO anticipate that
members will permit political conSid-
erations to prevent an early adjourn
ment. There is no doubt but that this
will meet with the hearty approval of
business throughout the country and
of the people generally
First and foremost in the legislation
which must be considered are the reg
ular annual supply bills There are
nine OF these appropriation or supply
bills, plus the customary deficiency
bills and including the deficiency bill
which failed of passage at the last ses-
sion because Of the fllibuster in the
Senate. Until the President forwards
his budget message, which will be done
as soon as Congress assemblies, it will
not be possible to indicate the amount
of the budget recommendations. Under
the direction of the able and efficient
Chairman Buchanan, members of the
important Appropriations Committee
nave been in Washington during the
month of December conducting hear
1ngs, and my understanding is that
several of these bills will be ready for
consideration when Congress convenes.
Sees Cut in Appropriations.
despite the fact that there is some
criticism of the growth of expenditures
in recent years, have no hesitation in
prophesying that at the close of the
coming session it will be found that
there has been a reduction in appro-
priations for the next fiscal year, con-
siderably below those which were
made for the present fiscal year, and
which, in my opinion, represents the
peak OF the administrations financial
efforts to restore normal prosperity to
the Nation. The fact of the business
is that those who criticize expendi-
lures strangely fail to make a distinc-
ton between expenditures for the cur
rent or ordinary operations of the
Government, such as were made before
the period Of the depression and un-
employment, and those made necessary
by the depression to take care of the
needy unemployed and their families.
restore agriculture, increase the pur-
chasing power of the people and bring
business and industry back to nor
malcy. 1t should be further said in
defense Of the Congress which voted
these sums (and they were supported
by both political parties) that critics
seldom call attention to the fact that
great part of these appropriations are
elf-liquidating. They consist of large
loans made by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation to faltering banks
Many of them needed help to prevent
threatened utter collapse of the entire
banking systm, and they got it. The
result is that banks are now on a
sound and stable basis with restora-
ton of the old-time confidence of the
people in their soundness.
Then there were loans made by the
NCNOAloGA uNeAOAA AA'4NN W. FOASA W
railroads threatened with bankruptcy,
insurance companies and other indus
tries scattered over the country. There
were increases in loans made to farm
ers by the Federal Land Bank to enable
them to save their farms, and to home
owners for the same purpose. Ad-
vances have been made for rural re-
settlement, slum clearance and to
other agencies which provide work for
the unemployed, and have brought
about desirable improvements in vari-
GUS parts of the country. With return
Ing prosperity-whichi is now at hand
practically all Of these sums will be
repaid with interest within the period
fixed and will eventually be applied to
the retirement of the bonds issued to