Evening star., 1937-05-21
ECONOMY BATTLE
WAGED ON RELIEF
House Lines Closely Drawn,
as Vote on Program Is
Expected Today.
BACKGROUND

DiSd ppointing tar revenues hare
served as springboard for deter
mined economy driue by congress-
slordl bloc. Major issue in contro-
perSy is relief appropriation, NTH
President asking 81, 500 600, 900 and
some OF economy Senators seeking
curtdilment BY as much as so per
cent. Efforts also made to slash
other appropriations.
BY the Associated Press.
The House battle over the size OF
next years relief fund developed to-
day into contest between administra-
tion forces and groups wanting to
increase or decrease President Roose-
velt's recommendation for $780,
100000.
Observers described the final vote,
probably late in the afternoon, as an
important test Of sentiment on the
economy issue.
Harry L. Hopkins, works progress
administrator, addressed a strategy
meeting of House leaders Just before
the House met.
The meeting was held behind closed
doors in the Office of Representative
Boland OF Pennsylvania, the Demo-
cratic whip. Majority Leader Ray
burn and more than a dozen of Bo-
lands assistant whips attended.
Boland declined to comment on the
object of the gathering You're up
awtully early" was Hopkins only re-
mark to news men on his arrival.
Among those attending the session
was Representative Better, Democrat,
Of New York, spokesman for u House
group seeking to earmark $300,000.-
600 of the relief fund for the Public
Works Administration.
Later Boland said plans had been
completed to steer the bill to passage
without any amendments or earmark-
ing that would be contrary to the
wishes of the President"
Cannon Makes Plea.
Later, when the House convened,
Representative Cannon, Democrat, of
Missouri, acting chairman of the House
appropriations Committee, took the
floor to plead for $l,5O0,OO0,000
The bill calls for 81 SOC, 100000, and
it is an economy bill. 1t is the first
step toward discontinuance Of the
emergency relief program. 1t is a
compromise between two extremes
s2,000,000,000 on the one hand and
81 900 100000 on the other"
Cannon said the relief program
would entail a total expenditure of
s2,2l4 100000 this year.
The President" he declared, ''has
said needs justify the continuance of
the program on the same basis. But
he says we must balance the budget"
Cannon said the President or House
leaders have never attempted to
coerce the House or any members to
vote for $1,5OO,OOO, ,OOO."
But he has recommended that
amount"
The Missourian contended that Re-
publicans wanted to reduce the
amount to create hard times"
They are looking ahead to the next
election" he said.
He warned Democratic colleagues
the people "at the next primary
would ask them if they stood with their
President or the Republicans.
Supports President.
Representative McReynolds, Demo-
crat, OF Tennessee, advocating a bill
llon-dollar bill, replied to Cannon that
I yield to no man in support Of the
President.
THE people will not say that we
voted with the Republicans, but that
the Republicans voted with us to save
the Democratic party and the tax
payers"
McReynolds told colleagues it was
the duty of Congress to say what the
amount should be.
"The other day the executive sent
us word it did not want the legislative
department encroaching upon its
rights.
Neither do we want the executive
encroaching upon the legislative" he
declared. Both Republicans and
Democrats applauded.
The President, in vetoing a $5,00O,-
900 appropriation for the New York
World Fair, offered an opinion of the
Justice Department that the appropri-
alton measure violated the Constitu-
ton by placing responsibility for
spending in the hands Of an agency
outsids Of executive control