Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-02
323.81 Vote Sends Bill Back
to Senate Conference
Planned in Effort to Meet
White House Objections.
USE OF RELIEF AS CLUB
CHARGED BY BREWSTER
Maine Republican Declares He
Was Threatened With Loss Of
"Quoddy' Job if He Continued
to Oppose Presidents Plan, and
Hoeppel Makes Similar Claim
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The House today passed the public
utility holding company bill without
the death sentence" clause by VOTE
of 1923 to 81.
The bill now goes back to the Sen
ate. That body must either accept
the House amendment to the Senate
bill or send the bill to conference.
1t is expected that conference
will be asked In that conference
strenuous efforts will be made tC
whip the bill into shape satisfactory
to the President.
Immediately after the final vote,
Representative Brewster, Republican,
of Maine, took the floor of the House
and declared that he had been threat
ened with the loss of the Passama-
quoddy Dam project if he voted against
the death sentence"
Rankin Is Skeptical.
When Brewster finished, Repre-
sentative Keller of Illinois shouted
Il don't believe it,
Representative Rankin of MisSis-
sippi obtaining recognition, declared
he knew nothing of the charge made
by Brewster and added: IF the threat
was made, it was not with the consent
of the President
Rankin added that Brewster's vote
had been helpful to the power trust
The President suffered another de-
feat today at the hands of the House
when by record vote of 257 to lat
that body voted to substitute the House
bill. which does not carry the death
sentence" clause, for the Senate bill,
which is preferred by the President.
Wheeler Threatens Bill.
Threats have been made by Senator
Wheeler OF Montana, chairman OF the
Interstate Commerce Committee of
the Senate, that unless the House
finally agrees to the death sentence"
clause, the bill will be permitted to
die in Congress If such a course
were followed it would mean no hold
ing company legislation at this ses-
sion of Congress.
Whether the President would prefer
to have no legislation or to accept the
bill as written by the House and ad-
justed in conference remains to be
seen.
In his statement to the House,
Brewster said:
During the consideration of the
death sentence clause in the holding
company bill Thomas G. Corcoran, CO.
author with Ben Benjamin D. Cohen
of the bill, came to me in the lobby
of the Capitol and stated to me with
what he termed brutal frankness' that
If I should vote against the death
sentence for public utility holding
companies he would find it necessary
to stop construction on the Passama-
quoddy Dam in my district.
Calls Suggestion Repugnant.
Such a suggestion from such a
source is repugnant to every instinct
of decency in legislation and proper
regard for our constitutional oath of
Office.
During the past two months Mr..
Corcoran has been the personal repre-
sentative of the President in clearing
up the details incident to starting
construction at Passamaquoddy and
only this last week construction really
commenced with the arrival at East
port of Maj. Flemming, who is to
have charge of the project.
Il do not believe the President
would countenance any such course if
he were fully informed This state
ment on the floor of the House seems
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