Evening star., 1938-04-09
Reorganization
CONTINUED From First Page

'OciiGiiitiSu FROM ST rage ,
to call the roll. From the start it was
evident the result would be close, lust
as 1t was on Thursday, when Mr..
OConnor failed by a small margin to
sldetrack the bill before considering
any amendments, by moving to strike
the enacting clause
When the last few members hurry
ing into the chamber had voted. there
was moment of feverish silence as
the clerks tailed the result.
Representative Cannon. Democrat
Of Missouri, an authority on parlia-
mentary law. broke the silence to sug-
gest that due to the closeness of the
vote, the chair might wish a recapitu-
lation. He was greeted with cries of,
Announce the vote!'
Rapping for order, the Speaker
glanced at the tabulation handed I'D
to him by the clerk and announced
that, while he had the discretion on a
close vote to ask for a recapitulation.
he did not believe it was justified in
this case.
Victory Clinched
Instantly Mr.. O'Connor was on his
feet with the motion to reconsider and
lay the reconsideration on the table.
the parliamentary way of preventing a
later reopening Of the decision by
which the bill was recommitted.
While friends Of the measure had
little to say after the results became
hnal, opponents were quick to voice
their satisfaction Senator Byrd.
Democrat. of Virginia issued q state
ment saying:
The defeat is an amazing exhibi-
ton OF the power of an aroused pub
lie sentiment versus the most terrific
pressure on members of Congress from
the administration. The issue was
non-partisan and Democratic votes
accomplished the defeat.
The grab for power from the leg
lslative 10 the executive branch and
the frank admission that no economy
was proposed were the two essential
factors.
AS the one first to introduce
resolution for reorganization, l will
continue my efforts TO accomplish the
result, preserving the authority OF the
Congress and with economy and re-
trenchment as the main objective"
Asks Constructive Legislation.
Representative Pettengill, Demo-
crat, Of Indiana said Now is the
time to close ranks and bring out
constructive legislation like the tax
bill proposed by Senator Harrison and
get the people back to work. All the
good that was in this bill can come
out at the next session of Congress"
Representative Lamneck. Demo-
crat. Of Ohio: The President said
the Senate couldn't be purchased. l
say the House can't be purchased"
From the National Federation of
Federal Employees came a statement of
regret al the action and the circum-
stances which caused it.
Through force Of circumstances
not Of our own choosing, most impor-
tant provisions of the civil service
which became a political issue and
although extension Of the merit sys-
tenn. extension of classification. set
ting up of boards of review and the
establishment of single civil service
administrator are in no wise partisan
questions, they were caught in the
whirlpool Of politics and carried to
defeat" the federation said.
After defeating the first move to
sidetrack the bill early Thursday, ad-
minlstration leaders had been sue
cessful for two days in committee
they had sanctioned as concessions
and defeating all other changes pro-
posed by the opposition
This process had encouraged and
raised the hopes of the leaders for
ultimate victory, but these numerous
amendments were decided by standing
or teller votes and did not reveal the
full strength registered by the oppo-
sltlon, when the committee OF the
whole reported the much h-amended
! measure to the House and the roll was
called.
Other Bills Pending.
There are still pending in the Sem
ate three features of the reorganiza-
tion plan, passed by the House as sep
arate bills last Summer before the
Senate decided TO put the whole pro-
| gram in an omnibus measure While
it would still be possible to revive the
subject by having the Senate take up
those measures, it is not likely that
move will be made, in view of the fact
1t took the Senate the entire month
| OF March to bring the omnibus bill to
vote The bill got through the Sem
/ ate by the close margin of 40 to AZ.
For six hours prior to the vote last
night. the committee in charge of the
bill offered and had adopted long
series Of amendments to the civil serv-
ice and general accounting sections Of