Evening star., 1937-08-22
Wage.Hour Bill
Is Stranded in
House.
USUAL FROLIC
is OMITTED
Roosevelt Sends
Good WishestO to
Senators.
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

A weary Congress. went home last
night after passing the s526,00O, 900
slum clearance housing program and
an s87 100000 last deficiency bill in a
tame closing session.
The flare-up in the Senate early in
the day when Democratic opponents
Of the Presidents court plan lashed
back at Senator Guffey, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania for his radio attack on
them Friday night, furnished the only
touch of adjournment excitement to
what otherwise was dull finale.
Aside from this brief but bitter
verbal tilt in Democratic senatorial
ranks. both houses moved leisurely
through routine day of approving
conference reports and winding up
odds and ends of business until the
gavels fell, in the Senate few min
utes before Z, and in the House 25
minutes later.
Thus ended the first session of the
Seenty-fifth Congress, not to re-
convene until January, unless the
President should elect to call it back
1ntO session sooner.
President Sends Letters.
To the Senate, which had side
tracked his Supreme Court plan sew
eral weeks ago, the President sent a
letter expressing his regards and
good Wishes" and wishing its men,
bers pleasant and happy vacation"
A similar letter was sent to the
House. through Speaker Bankhead.
In the House another major New
Deal objective, the wage and hour
bill. was left stranded. Other impor-
tant issues that went over until the
next session included farm legislation
and the anti-lynching bill.
After being in session for more than
seven months, the members cf the
House apparently were anxious to get
away without the usual fanfare of
music and song. In the Senate a few
members jokingly shouted, mol" on
the motion to adjourn.
Helium Gas Bill PASSED..
In addition to the housing and de-
flciency bills, both houses completed
last-minute action on the measure
to give the Government control over
this country's valuable helium gas
and to regulate it's sale to other ma
tons for use in airships travelling to
and from the United States or its DOS
sessions.
After the deficiency and housing
measures had been completed and sent
to the President it appeared for a
while that the Senate might run on
late into the night debating the nom
nations OF T. A. NJ Craven to be a
members of the Communications
Commission, and of Samuel H. Ord
way, jr., for the Civil Service Com
mission. Both appointments were
confirmed, however.
Aid for Cotton Farmers,
One OF the last acts of the session
was to make possible price adjust
ment loans to cotton farmers on
their 1887 production. After passing
resolution pledging consideration of
crop control early in the next ses-
sion, which the President urged as
condition to the making of loans
on this years cotton, both houses
then made provision for the loans in
the last deficiency bill.
The supply bill makes not to ex-
ceed s65,oOo,OO0 available from Gus
toms receipts to pay cotton growers
the difference between the price they
get and II cents a pound, but not
TO exceed cents per pound.
The slum clearance bill, now await
Ing the Presidents signature, su-
thorizes s526, 100000 for loans and
grants to State or city public hou.s-
ing agencies for low-rent housing
projects. 1t contains an amendment
giving President Roosevelt authority
to allocate part of the fund to the
District Alley Dwelling Authority to
expedite its work of reclaimirg the
inhabited alleys Of Washington.
Authority Is Created.
A United States Housing Author
Ity is created in the Interior De-
partment to administer the program.
The bill retains the limit of cost of
$4,000 per family unit in small cities,
but allows $4,000 unit cost in cities
OF more than 100000 population.
In bringing the last deficiency bill
down to $87 100000, the conferees
struck out $4,000, 900 for benefit pay
ments under the new sugar control
quota measure, awaiting presidential
signature, and left IN only $3.50, 1000
Tor administration of the plan.
They reached a compromise figure
OF sl15,e00,000 as the limit 'of con-
tract authorization for the Maritime
Commission in planning new ship
(see CONGRESS, Page A-%)