Evening star., 1937-06-14
INQUIRIES HELD UP
FOR RELIEF BILL
Steel, Jobless Studies Put
Aside to Dispose of Meas
ure-Batt|e Expected.
BACKGROUND

haze fought against 1850 100000
request OF President.
House committee cuts total once,
membership later tried to earmark
one-thTd OF sum. Administration
leadership prevailed, houeUer, and
DILL Uent to Senate about as desired,
BULLETIN.
The Senate approved today a
proposed Nation-wid study of un-
employment and relief by COM
mission to be appointed by the
President.
BY the Associated Press.
Two Senate inquiries, those of un-
employment and relief and of the steel
strike situation, we're showed aside to-
day to allow disposition of the con-
troversial relief appropriation bill. De-
bate is expected to begin tomorrow.
Now calling for sl,500 100000 as re-
quested by President Roosevelt, the
measure also carries committee
amendment by which community
sponsors of w. P. A. projects would
be required to advance 40 per cent
are expected to arouse controversy
on the Senate floor, while adoption
Of the latter provision would make
certain a new fight in the House.
where the bill was passed without any
such qualification.
Paul V. Betters, executive director
of the United States Conference of
Mayors, said today the proposal to
shift 40 per cent of the relief burden
to State and local communities would
mean collapse" of the Federal relief
policy
Contract Abrogation.
Betters declared in statement that
adoption of the proposal would also
mean "abrogatlon Of a contract and
pledge entered into by the cities and
States with the Federal Government"
Since 1885 it has been accepted
that the proper division of RESPONSE
bility for meeting the relief problem
in this country was that the Federal
Government should take care of the
employable relief cases and the cities
and States should provide aid to the
unemployables," Betters said This
was contract proposed by the Fed
eral Government itself and accepted
by the cities and States 1t was
what other countries, particularly Eng
land, had found to be correct solu-
tion.
AS attention turned to Federal relief
devices, Public Works Administrator
1ckes said today the P. w. A. had
proved that public works can be used
as an effective weapon" against de-
pressions.
Two More Years Needed.
Looking back on four years of P
W. A. activity, Ickes said he felt the
country should be proud of its 25,ll7
projects involving expenditure Of So
1854 487 as Of May /.
He predicted it would take two
more years to complete projects still
under construction, but added that
the agency now is "curtailing its
activities and outstanding the Nations
credit.
Chairman Byrnes, Democrat, Of
South Carolina, Of the special Senate
committee, said investigation, of un-
employment and relief was ''indef-
mite" The inquiry was urged by
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico.
Representative Maverick, Democrat,
Of Texas proposed the creation of
permanent unemployment commission
to make study of relief and unem-
ploynent.
In statement accompanying his
legislative proposal, the Texan said:
TO continue making large appro-
priations on unemployment without
knowing what we are doing is not only
sip-shod and ignorant, but a grave
dereliction of duty"
The House tomorrow will debate the
$l94,0oo,0 900 appropriation for flood
control, river and harbor projects,
Panama Canal operations and other
non-military activities of the War
Department. On Thursday, If the
way is clear, the House will take up a
bill to provide method of impeach-
ing Federal judges through some
form OF trial board" to be set up by
the Supreme Court. Impeachment
now reposes alone with the Senate.