Evening star., 1936-05-26
.S|SSON CONTINUES
RED RIDER REPEAL
EFFORTS IN HOUSE
New Yorker Is Confident
That Congress Will Act
This Session.
DISTRICT LOSES DAY
IN DEATH OF PERKINS
Special Rule Would Be Required
to Bring Up Bill-June 8
Adjournment Planned.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES Z. CHlNN.
Facing almost insurmountable odds.
Representative Sisson, Democrat, of
New York announced today he would
continue the fight for House action
this session on his bill to repeal the
so-called red rider" to the 1896 Dis
trict appropriation act, which forbids
the teaching or advocacy of COM
munism in the District public schools.
Sisson, however, feels confident
Congress will settle the "red rider
issue before adjournment, despite the
obstacles that stand In It's path, the
principal one being the tentative ad-
journment goal. which has been set
for June 6.
District Loses Day.
The death yesterday Of Representa-
tive Perkins, Republican, Of New Jer-
sey may have sealed the fate of Sis
sons bill. Out Of respect to his men,
DRY the House adjourned IS minutes
after 1t convened, forcing the District
to lose probably its last day Of the
current session.
The Sisson bill cannot now be called
up without a special rule until the
next so-called District day." which
is June 8, two days after the tenta-
tive adjournment date. House lead
ers are not inclined to grant special
rule for District legislation in the
closing days Of the session, unless
assurance Is given that bills to be
called up are noncontroversial in
character. That cannot be said of the
Sisson bill
In the first place, Sisson does not
believe Congress will adjourn the first
week in June and thinks that the
District will have another day before
the close of the session. Secondly. he
intimated he had a plan Of strategy
"up his sleeve" for bringing about
consideration of the bill next week If
Congress does end its session June 6.
Senate Assistance Expected.
In the meantime Sisson. as well as
Chairman Norton Of the District Com
mittee, expect some assistance from
the Senate in forcing the red rider
repeater to a vote before adjournment.
Senator Walsh, Democrat, of Massa-
chusetts, chairman Of the Senate
Committee on Education. is preparing
to report the Wheeler bill, a COM
panion of the Sisson bill, and hopes
to call it up in the Senate this week
for action.
Although House leaders are opposed
to granting a special rule to assure
action on Sisson's bill before adjourn
ment, Chairman Norton Of the House
District Committee said she hoped to
persuade them to set aside a special
day within the next week for its con-
sideration. That would require unan-
imous consent without a rule, and
some objection most likely would be
raised by opponents of the measure.
Mrs. Norton Aids Sisson.
Anyhow, Mrs. Norton said she would
cooperate with Sisson in pushing any
plan he works out to bring the bill
to q vote in the House before adjourn
m.nt. She was named a member OF
the special committee to represent the
House at the funeral Of Perkins and
is not expected to return to WASH
ington before Thursday.
The unexpected adjournment Of the
House and the resulting cancellation
of District day came as surprise to
many members as well as the spec
tators in the galleries, which were
crowded with school teachers, edu-
Gators and high school students, who
anticipated a lively battle over the
red rider" repeater. There were more
members on the floor than ordinarily
on District day. in response to a plea
for a large attendance sent out last
week by Mrs. Norton.