Evening star., 1937-12-18

By the Associated Press.
A climactic House rebellion which
shelved the wage-hour bill check
mated administration leaders today in
their efforts to push through much of
the Roosevelt program before adjourn
ment next week.
In tense, overtime session, the
House sent the battered measure back
to the Labor Committee last night
despite an appeal from Majority
Leader Rayburn that such a step
would mean "the death of wage-hour
legislation"
The 216-to-198 vote, which dealt the
administration its first major legisla-
tive defeat since the Senate killed the
Roosevelt court bill last summer, was
offset somewhat by Senate approval
of the other major item on the special
session progran-the "ever-normal
granary" farm bill
Vote Measure SO to 20.
The Senate approved the measure,
SO to 20, ending four weeks of
wrangling only two hours before a
coalition of Republicans and Southern
Democrats doomed the labor stand
ards bill in the House.
Victory on the farm measure, how
ever, came after weary Senators saw
it nearly sidetracked in favor of a
cost of production" substitute offered
by Senator McAdoo, Democrat, of
California, which lost by six votes.
The House passed a much different
farm bill last week, and both measures
now must go to conference COM
mittee for adjustment of the points
at variance. Indications were settle
ment would not be worked out until
early in January.
House in Session Today.
Administration chieftains, hopeful
of salvaging another item on the Pres
ident's program, called the House into
session today to debate legislation de-
signed to stimulate home construction.
The Senate recessed for the week end.
Defeat of the House leadership's
attempt to get the wage-hour bill ap-
proved left the future of this legisla-
ton shrouded in uncertainty. Al
though technically it still will be
"alive" when the January session be-
gins, Chairman Norton said the Labor
Committee would have to decide
whether to renew the fight for its
enactment or draft an entirely new
bill.
There was talk that a new approach
to the labor standards problem might
be sought, possibly through the sys-
tenn of Federal licensing of firms in
interstate commerce, as proposed by
Senators OMahoney, Democrat, of
Wyoming, and Borah, Republican, of
Idaho.
Representative Ramspeck, Democrat,
of Georgia, one of the few Southerners
who fought for the wage-hour bill,
expressed the belief the United States
would have to turn to the licensing
plan under which every business man
would have to decide for himself
whether he wants to engage in inter-
state commerce and come under Fed
eral regulation
Recommittal of the wage-hour bill
left House leaders visibly disturbed.
They had contended right to the end
they had enough votes to beat the
move, and when the balloting was
over, neither Speaker Bankhead nor
Rayburn would comment.
One hundred and thirty-three
Democrats and SO Republicans voted
to sidetrack the bill. They were op-
posed by ITO Democrats. Republic
ans, 8 Progressives and S Farmer
Laborites.
A. F. L. Presence Seen.
Some proponents said last-minute
pressure by the American Federation
of Labor had influenced many men,
bers to vote in favor of sending the
measure back to the committee. VIII
liam Green, president of the Fedora
tion, had urged such action in tele-