Evening star., 1936-06-21
Record Set by 18th Congress
For Permanent Legislation
Soil Conservation, Neutrality, Bonus,
Rural IEIectrifcati0n and Relief Mea-
sures Among Those Enacted.

on the rural electriflcation bill. It was
finally passed, authorizing o 10-year
$410, 600 900 program.
Investigating committees at both
ends Of the Capitol helped to fill the
gap. A House committee. investi-
eating DR.. Francis e. Townsend and
his old-age pension organization,
wound up with contempt charges
against him.
Lobby Probe Controversy.
The Senate Lobby Committee be-
came engaged IN q controversy over its
right to subpoena the kilograms OF
persons and organizations 1t was In
vestigating. It finally shut up its
hearings, as the Munitions Committee
had done earlier when 1t became in
volved in q backflre over Woodrow
Wilson's record.
Between other measures, Congress
slowly ground out the regular annual
appropriations bills, carrying funds
totaling almost 10000. 900, 900, in
cluding the extraordinary bonus ex-
penditure.
When the House finally passed the
tax bill, still somewhat short Of the
revenue asked by the PRESIDENT. the
Senate rewrote the measure from top
TO bottom and sent 1t to conference
A bitter deadlock there was broken
only Thursday afternoon.
The relief appropriation, cut to ST.
425 ,000, 900. was carried In q deficiency
appropriation bill which totaled $2,-
375 ,000, 900, including huge appropria-
tions for the social security act and
governmental departments.
While Congress fumbled with the
tax and relief bills, the Supreme Court
invalidated the Guffey coal law and
pressure grew for new legislation on
The Wagner housing bill, calling fol-
a four-year program involving $780,
100000, was passed by the Senate
but ran into trouble in the House. A
substitute Guffey-Vinson coal bill was
pushed through the House and ran
into a Senate filibuster. A bill for
the registration of lobbyists passed
both houses, but the House turned
down the conference report, killing It
New Protection Demands.
Floods in the East brought demands
for new protective measures. An omni-
bus s320, ,000, 900 fiood-control bill was
passed, almost simultaneously with q
S272, ,0O0, 900 measure for protecting the
lower Mississippi Valley.
The London naval treaty, limiting
the size Of ships, but not the num-
Der, was negotiated in London and
submitted to the Senate. 1t was rati-
fled almost without discussion.
Some Of the other important legiSla-
ion passed at this session includes:
Repeal of the tobacco, cotton and
potato control acts, in view of the
Supreme Court decision on A. A. A
The $ls7,000, 900 agriculture appro-
priation bill, carrying a death SEN
tence" for President Roosevelt's West
ern shelter belt" tree project.
Extension for one year of the Hous-
ing Administrators authority to in
sure loans of private institutions for
home and building repairs.
New tobacco legislation to permit
State compacts to regulate crops.
Authority for unlisted securities
trading to continue
Extension of the Federal aid high
way act, authorizing appropriations
of $l25 5,000, 900 for 1888 and 1899,
to be matched by the States.
Simplification OF the liquor tax laws,
with lower duties on domestic sweet
wines and creation Of separate alco-
hol administration.
Anti-price discrimination legislation
to protect small merchants from COM
petition from big chains.