Evening star., 1936-04-14
HOPE FOR PASSAGE
Of RENT MEASURE
STIRRED IN HOUSE
BIanton'S FiIibuSter Tactics
Arouses Resentment of
Representatives.
MRS. NORTON CHARGES
ATTACK is PERSONAL
Texan, in Letter, Promised to
Fight Her at Polls in
New Jersey.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

"I'm sure the Ellenbogen rent-con-
troll bill will pass the House the next
time it is called up"
Chairman Norton Of the District
Committee made this confident pre-
diction today-a prediction based on
DEVELOPMENTS resulting from the con-
tinued fllibuster directed by Repre-
sentative Blanton, Democrat, Of Tex
as, which has thrice delayed vote
on the measure. She feels the House
will approve the bill now in resent
ment against Blanton's tactics, If for
no other reason.
Mrs. Nortons confidence was buoyed
considerably by the demonstration the
House gave her late yesterday after
she had excoriated Blanton for writing
her a bitter personal letter.
Five Roll Calls Forced.
The latest filibuster against the bill
forced five roll calls of the House, each
recurring about 40 minutes. Although
the House convened at noon it was
O'Clock before the measure was taken
up for consideration. Even an attempt
by Majority Leader Bankhead to break
the filibuster was futile.
Fifteen minutes. later, however,
Blanton forced the fourth roll call on
a point of no quorum.
After that roll call Mrs. Norton
asked unanimous consent to speak for
Is minutes. Blanton objected. AS
she walked up the aisle toward her
seat, she looked at Blanton and de-
clared: you're afraid"
The filibuster Mrs. Norton charged,
was not directed at the bill, but was a
personal attack on her. She said
she intended to show the extent OF
the intimidation" to which she had
been subjected.
First, Mrs. Norton read Blanton's
letter to her, which revealed that the
Texan was exercised over some re-
marks she made at dinner of the
Washington Board of Trade. He re-
garded her speech as an "unjustified
attack" on him.
Primary Contest Threatened.
Blanton also challenged Mrs. Nor
ton to meet him in her own district
in New Jersey in her primary cam
paign land see whether your Demo-
Gratis will back you in your efforts to
unduly tax them"
And to this challenge Mrs. Norton
replied: so far as my district is
concerned-don't worry about 1t.
Come to it at any time and I shall
be there to welcome you. So will my
constituents. They would like to get
look at the man who several times
defeated my bill to pay 100000 owed
by the Government to Jersey City for
water supplied during the war"
Mrs. Norton also attacked Blanton
for tearing" down the Presidents
budget, by cutting the Federal share
of District expenses to $2,700,o00 and
his treatment of the District appro-
priation bill in general.
Presidents Own Figure.
The S5,7OO,0o0 Federal share recon-
rnended in the budget estimate, Mrs.
Norton pointed out, was the Presi-
dents figure. ut was his judgment,
his wish, his effort" she said. "My
feeble attempt was merely to support
the Presidents budget. You were tear
ing it down. And you not only tore
1t down, but now you say that any
one who agrees with the Presidents
budget is making 'baSeless, unjusti-
fed attack on you"
Blanton was allowed 20 minutes to
speak after Mrs. Norton read the cor
respondence. He said his father, a
virginian by birth, had told him that
while woman has no more right to
attack a man than a man has to
attack a woman, but if woman at
lacks a man, the man should never
return the attack.
He also renewed his attack on
newspaper men by saying: 81 am pre-
barred to take the slams of these little
two-bit newspaper reporters who hit
me under the belt every day."
Representative Nichols, Democrat,
OF Oklahoma closed debate on the
bill with an appeal to the House tc
pass it. He declared all questions a.
TO the constitutionality of the meas
ure should be left to the courts fol
determination.