Evening star., 1937-12-15
CONFIDENT
Of 0FbEAT|NGATTACK
ON WAGE MEASURE
Bankhead Plans Night Ses.
sions if Necessary for
Final Action.
AMENDMENTS RULES
MAY BRING LONG DELAY
House Group, Meanwhile, Calls
Off Hearings on War Refer
endum Proposal.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
House leaders expressed confidence
today they could defeat an impend-
ing move to send the wage and hour
bill back to committee for revamp-
ing.
Speaker Bankhead said he was sure
the leadership would prevail and an
nounced his intention to hold night
sessions. if necessary, to complete
action on the measure this week
Dallying tactics. however, kept the
House from considering amendments
to the bill A quorum call was de-
manded and ordered, when only a
handful of members gathered for
the days work
More involved parliamentary weap-
ons were in the hands of those en-
deavoring to sweep the administra-
tions measure into discard. Rules re-
garding amendments made possible an
indefinite delay in obtaining a vote
on it.
The House Judiciary Committee,
meanwhile, called of hearings on a
measure requiring national referen-
dunn before any war could be declared.
Points to Petition.
Chairman Summers, pointing out
that by signing a petition members
had ordered direct House action on
that resolution, said the committee
decided under all the circumstances
it would not at this time proceed with
hearings"
The Senate. like the House, was
threatened with night sessions. Ma
jority Leader Barkley was consider
ing whether to order a meeting to-
night to continue debate on the farm
bill. One of the first matters to come
up today was new demand by Sem
ator Vandenberg, Republican of Michi-
gan, for limitation on expenditures
to be made under the measure. A
similar Vandenberg proposal was de-
feated yesterday.
These are details of the complicated
situation confronting the House at
noon.
Chairman Norton of the Labor
Committee wanted to substitute a re-
printed version of the bill, containing
several committee amendments, for
the draft originally offered last sum-
mer. Democratic chieftains are back
ing the committee legislation.
Substitutes Ready.
Under the rules, any other substi-
tues had to be voted on before the
Norton proposal was disposed of. At
least six members, all from the North
or West, had substitutes ready. Adop-
tion of any one of them would sup
plant the committee bill.
All but two of the substitutes would
impose uniform wage-hour standards
on all industries in interstate COM
merce and leave enforcement either
to the Department of Justice or the
Federal Trade Commission.
One of them. introduced by Repre-
sentative Dockweiler, Democrat, OF
California, had the Endorsement of the
American Federation of Labor. 1t
provided for fiat hour
minimum wage and 40-hour week.
The committees bill, however, con-
tanned flexible provisions empowering
Government authority to fix mini
mum wages up to 40 cents an hour
and work week of - hours or more.
1t would permit consideration of local
economic conditions, living costs and
freight rates in determining such
standards.
Denounced and Praised.
The House heard both denunciation
and praise Of the legislation yesterday.
Neither the opposition nor the support
was confined to sectional groups, some
Southern members having finally
agreed to support the administration
measure because of its wage diff
ferentials.
Republican Leader Smell Of New
York asserted the country was deter
mined to relax Government restric-
tions on business and declared Con-
(See WAGE-HOUR, Page A-3)