The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-06-01

W00AtbAB OOAA WWA AVAN
 Bill Held Up = Housing
 Plan Hits Snag.
 Washington, June This is that period in Washington which always is marked by more weaSeling, duty dodging, and hypocrisy than any other.
 The closing days of any session of congress are invariably more con- spicuous for the legislation Side- tracked than for legislation enacted.
 In a campaign year the politicians in charge of the senate and house machinery seem to have no scruples in ditching bills of great public in- portance. Their efforts this year have met with no opposition from the president, who apparently takes the tacit position that almost any, thing controversial - except taxes and relief-had better be put over until next year.
 Lately 1t has appeared that practically anyone who wanted to
 hire Q lobbyist to make . fuss could stop almost any bill he de- sired to have killed.
 War Profits Bill Held Up
 Congress can work with remark able speed when 1t wants to and Aould pass the following measures if 1t stayed around through June. Jupst as check list, here are some interesting bills, the fate of which is in great doubt at this session, al- though all are in one or another stage close to final action:
 The take-the-profits- out-of-war bill, modified from the senate munitions committees draft by a Senate finance subcommittee, but which would still impose a total wartime tax of 89 per cent on Q $50,0O0 income. This would have to pass as an amendment to the tax bill or not at all.
 Ship subsidy legislation, finally in the form of a compromise be-
 tween Senator Copeland and the ship owners on one side and Sem
 ators Guffey and Black on the
 other.
 The Black bill, requiring regis tration of all lobbyists who try to
 influence legislation or adnninis- trative decisions, long held up in
 conference, due to difference be-
 tween the Senate bill and the
 house bill, which Senator Black
 believes would result in no regis-
 tratiOns at all
 Anti-lynching legislation, de- prived of the battling support of the stricken Senator Costigan of Color ado, which the southern congress sional leadership may be dipended upon to smother.
 Housing Plan Stymied
 Housing legislation as called for in the Wagner -Ellenbogen bill, doom of which has seemed to be sealed by Roosevelt's conflicting statements about 1t and an appar- ent desire to compromise between those who would recognize hous- ing as permanent government rec sponsibility and those who want no housing legislation at all.
 Food and drug legislation, which everybody agrees is badly needed to protect health and human lives. A bill has been passed by the senate and another reported by @ house committee. Each bill has clauses which strengthen and clauses which weaken existing protective legisla- ton, SO the outlook is messy. .%
 The Kerr Coolidge deportation bill, which would carry out Labor Department recommendations that 1862 aliens of good character, most of them closely related to American citizens and deportation of whom would cause hardship and suffering, be allowed to re- main here.
 Although the bill also would make deportable 10000 alien crim- inals now beyond reach of deporta- ton laws, blatant "super-patriots" have blocked 1t and insisted that the 2862 be thrown out of the coun- try.
 Other Measures Halted
 The Wheeler Federal Trade Com mission bill, which would outlaw some dishonest business practices which victimize the consumer, in- stead of merely limiting ETC action to complaints of business men against one another.
 The LaFOIIette resolution for investigation of labor espionage and other violations of civil liber- ties.
 The Bankhead farm tenant bill, representing the first attempt to deal with the social economic sit- uation in the southern cotton ter- ritOry.
 The Walsh -Healy bill, covering wage standards for concerns pro- ducing on government contracts.
 Your correspondent doesn't sug- gest that all this legislation is de- sirable. But does anyone suggest that Congress shouldn't be per- mitted to take final action upon these measures, instead of allow ing them to be buried in commit tee, to die in conference, or to perish from inertia and the desire to "get away for the campaign?" Copyright 1886, NEA Service, Incl