Evening star., 1938-03-01
GROUP IS NAMED
TO DRAFT A NEW
WAGE-H0UR BILL
Representative Ramspeck
Heads Subcommittee
in House.
TIME HELD TOO SHORT
FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS
Gag Rule on Tax Revision
Discussed by Leaders in
Lower Body.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Chairman Norton Of the House
Labor Committee appointed a seven
man subcommittee today to draft q
new wage-hour bill.
Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat. of Georgia, appointed subcom-
mittee chairman, said his group would
meet tomorrow. without any pre-
conceived ideas" to "see whether we
can work out bill that will be salts
factory"
A previous wage-hour bill was sent
to the Labor Committee by the House
at the special session of Congress last
year.
Appointment of the subcommittee
brought back into the forefront an
other item Of President Roosevelt's
program. Reorganization of the ex-
ecutive branch Of Government, one
phase OF the program, was before the
Senate. Tax revision was ready for
House consideration The farm af1d
housing programs already are law.
Those who will serve with Mr.. Rams.
peck on the Wage-Hour Subcommittee
are Representatives Randolph, Demo-
crat. OF West Virginia; Gildea, Demo.
crat, of Pennsylvania: Thomas. Demo.
crat. OF Texas; WEIGH, Republican, OF
California, Smith, Republican. OF
Maine. and Schneider, Progressive, OF
Wisconsin. Mrs. Norton said that. as
ex officio member of the committee
she would attend the subcommittee s
discussions.
There will not be public hearings,
because We can't undertake them at
this time" Chairman Ramspeck said.
We are going to confer informally
with any members of Congress who
want to talk to u.s."
He said the committee hoped to be
ready to report back to the full COM
mittee within two weeks. Our SUBJ
committee will not be committed to
anything except to try to solve this
problem he added.
Discuss Gag Rule.
In the House leaders discussed the
advisability Of recommending a gag
rule" to hasten vote on the compli-
Gated tax revision bill.
The 334-page measure. on which de-
bate will begin Thursday. covers such
q broad field that legislators said a.
most any revenue proposal might be
in order unless amendments were re-
Stricted
The gag rule" if adopted, would
limit general debate t. IL hours, waive
all parliamentary objections to the
legislation and ban any amendments
except those offered by the Commit
tee on Ways and Means.
Committeeman said rule of that
type, patterned after one under which
the House passed the revenue act in
1884. would prevent any member from
attempting to insert some pet tar
scheme.
Profits Tax Easing Provided.
The bill provides for broad modlfica.
tions of the undistributed profits and
capital gains taxes. which have beer
criticized widely as a deterrent to busi-
ness. and for imposition OF q special
surtax on large corporations controlled
by family or few individuals.
The tax bill Is one of several ma iol
administration proposals on which
Congress will vote this month.
The House Naval Committee, its
public hearings ended. began secret
consideration Of the billion dollar naval
building program. That measure prob
ably will follow the tax bill to the
House floor.
The annual appropriation bills
meanwhile, were passing through Con-
gress rapidly. The Senate approved
late yesterday the 81. .402, 900 900 Treas
ury-Post Office bill, but the House
must act on minor amendments. The
House was approaching q vote in the
$124.000. 900 Interior Department bill