Evening star., 1937-01-02
Congress Session Beginning
Tuesday Promises Bitter
Conflict.
AT LEAST $500, 100000
SOUGHT FOR RELIEF
House Leadership Fight Between
Rayburn and 0Connor to Be
Settled Monday.
BY the Associated Press.

Members of Congress, assembling to-
day for the session beginning next
Tuesday, found heavy first months
work already cut out for them.
Administration demands to extend
the neutrality law to the Spanish
civil war will be the opening busi-
ness. Before the month ends two
other major legislative problems will
arise.
Relief funds are nearing exhaustion.
A new appropriation Of at least $780,
100000 will be asked to carry through
the remainder Of the fiscal year end
ing June 80. Extension of the Presi-
dents monetary powers, expiring
January 80. also will be sought forth
with.
Most Of the Democratic chieftains
were expected to be on hand today for
final procession conferences.
On the House side legislative prob
lens were subordinated temporarily
by the warm battle between Repre-
sentatives Rayburn of Texas and
O'Connor of New York for the priced
post Of Democratic leader. This dis
pute will be settled at party caucus
Monday. Reelection Of Speaker Bank
head was conceded.
A host of controversial problems In
the background indicated long, Bit
ter congressional session despite rec
ord-breaking Democratic majorities In
both Houses.
After action on the proposal to
block arms exports to Spain. relief was
expected to provide the first battle
ground. President Roosevelt was re-
ported by close friends to be leaning
toward an upward revision of his pro-
posal for a supplementary appropria-
ton of s500,00O, 900.
Harry L. Hopkins, relief admins
traitor, has been authoritatiyely re-
ported fayoring a much larger fund,
with strong support from the so-called
liberal" group on Capitol Hill.
The monetary issue has not yet
crystallized in Congress, but admins
tration leaders expressed confidence
they could push through extension Of
the Presidents authority to devalue
the dollar and to operate the $2,000..
600 900 stabilization fund.
President Roosevelt will deliver his
annual message Wednesday, after Con-
gress has verified his reelection by
counting the electoral votes In a cere-
monial joint session.
Advisers at the Capitol expected
little hint, at least until his inaugu-
raj speech January 20, Of his plans
for shortening hours and raising
wages. Many plans were reported
under study, but the Chief Executive
was described in informed quarters
as inclined toward a new Federal law.
He was said to be interested In q
proposal to create a commission to
fix maximum hours and minimum
wages for individual industries deemed
to be in interstate commerce.
Congressional chieftains discounted
the possibility of important tax
changes this session. Senator Bark
ley, Democrat, of Kentucky, said he
saw no occasion for new tax legisla-
ton except on the expiring nuisance
taxes.
Barkley forecast the corporate tax
law, enacted last year, would be al
lowed to stand at least a year before
any changes were considered. First
returns under it, he said, would not
be made until March, and experience
under the law would be necessary to
demonstrate the need for change.
Each Claims 200 Votes.
In the House leadership contest,
Rayburn and O'Connor each claimed
upward Of 200 votes today as they
planned last-minute campaigning. A
third contestant, Representative Rankin
OF Mississippi, was silent as 10 the
number of his supporters.
Rayburn Is chairman of the House
Interstate Commerce Committee, which
brought out such New Deal legislation
as the holding company regulatory
act. O'Connor heads the influential
Rules Committee. through which bills
have to obtain right of way to the
House floor.
The extent of sub-surface negotia-
tions for votes was so indefinable that
neutral observers were unwilling to go
beyond asserting that the race was
wide open.
The candidates were not discIos-
ing the identity Of many supporters,
particularly those of the border-line
variety who might be swayed by late
developments.
The sectional issue has been raised
repeatedly because Reyburn comes
from Texas, and the South already
has numerous key positions in the
House. The latest pronouncement from
Representative Mccormack, Democrat,
Of Massachusetts,, indorsed Rayburn
and asserted that the main question
involved In the fight was not the
section the candidate comes from, but
the type of leadership he stands for.