Evening star., 1936-07-14
TOWNSEND URGES
1-HOUSE CONGRESS.
Working Majority Is Seen
for PensioniStS Among
Representatives.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND. July IA one
house Congress, with the membership
greatly reduced from the present size
Of the House of Representatives, was
proposed today by Dr. F. E. Townsend,
&d-age pension leader.
Flanked by his advisers, the doctor
took time out from conferences pre-
liminary to the Townsend National
Convention, which meets here tomor-
row. to suggest the one-house legis-
iative system and to predict the
Townsend organization would have a
working majority" in the House and
"a number of Senators favorable to
our cause" in the next Congress.
At the same time, DR.. Townsend as
sailed both the Democratic and Re-
publican parties and said the time
has come to wipe out partyism" which
he described as "un-A American and un-
democratic"
Offers Party Substitute.
In place of political parties, DR..
Townsend said he would substitute
town hall and neighborhood group"
meetings.
He disclosed that Representative
William Lemke, the Union party can
didate for President, had been invited
to become a member of the Townsend
Board of Directors. Lemke's answer
had not been received at Townsend
Headquarters here TODAY
Townsend officials reported 5000 vot-
ing delegates were registered today,
with more expected before tomorrow'S
opening convention session.
DR.. Townsend had little to say re-
garding his plans to pay monthly pen
sions of 5000 to all persons over go, the
funds to be raised through trans
actions tax.
He indicated his opposition to a
Townsend party at this time and said
his organization would utilize the ma
chinery of the two old parties to ac-
complish its objectiveS.
Spurns Roosevelt, LandOn.
II will never vote for Roosevelt, and
I will never vote for Landon." said
DR.. Townsend Il don't know who III
vote for. but I would rather vote for a
Socialist than either of them, and
lord knows I'm not Socialist"
He added he was opposed all the
way through to the Democratic and
Republican parties as parties because
they have failed to carry out their
promises to the people.
DR.. Townsend said he expected the
convention to take some definite &C
ton on the question of its participa-
tion in the election campaign, but
what that decision would be, he said,
was entirely up to the delegates.
Lemke is scheduled to address the
convention at the closing session Sum-
day. Townsend officials said any
political action taken by the conven-
ton would be before that time.
Father Charles E. Coughlin returned
to Detroit today, declining an invita-
tion to address the Townsend conven-
tion, opening tomorrow, and refusing
q conference with Dr. Townsend.
II have no idea of meeting here
with DR.. Townsend and did not even
know he was to be in Cleveland" the
Detroit radio priest said shortly be-
fore he left by boat after addressing
last night Ohio leaders of his Ma
tional Union for Social Justice.
I'D like to meet him if the oppor-
tunity presents ITSELF" DR.. Townsend
said shortly after his arrival from
Chicago and press conference state
ment here that he could name "a
dozen men in the United States who
would make better third party can
didate" than William Lemke, head of
the new Union party, who has re-
ceived Father Coughlin's personal in
dorsement.