Evening star., 1938-04-29
BULLETIN.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

Representative RamSpeck, Demo-
erat, of Georgia asked the House
Rules Committee today to refuse a rule
to expedite House consideration of
the wage-hour bill on the ground the
legislation as now drawn is i'm
practical, arbitrary. capricious and vio-
latlng the due process clause of the
Constitution"
The Georgian charged that the
present version of the bill does not
follow the recommendations of Pres
ident Roosevelt and asked the conf
mittee to request its revision by the
Labor Committee as condition to
granting rule
Mr.. Ramspeck directed his objec-
ton principally at the absence of
geographic differentials in the pend
ing bill, claiming this omission makes
the measure confiscatory in effect.
The Georgian was chairman of a
subcommittee which prepared meas
ure containing such differentials, but
the full Labor Committee rejected this
version.
A. F. of L. Letter Read.
The Ramspeck bill was opposed by
the American Federation of Labor
now backing the pending measure. In
his testimony, Mr.. Ramspeck said he
understood the Federation planned to
encourage floor fight to make the
present bill straight 1910 measure.
At that point, however, Chairman
O'Connor read letter from the
A. F. of L. disclaiming any such in
tention and claiming it had been
misrepresented as planning such
strategy.
Further support for rule was voiced
by Representatives Dunno of Penn
sylvania. Gildea of Pennsylvania, Fitz-
gerald of Connecticut, Mckeogh of
Illinois, Flaherty of Massachusetts and
Healey of Massachusetts,, all Demo-
Gratis.
Representative Connery, Democrat,
of Massachusetts, and brother of the
late Representative who was original
sponsor in the House of the pending
legislation, also took the stand to ask
for rule and eventual passage of the
bill.
Representative Pace, Democrat, of
Georgia appeared to oppose legislation
without wage differentials.
Early in todays hearing it was evi-
dent that party lines would be cut
sharply and with bitterness.
Sharp exchanges occurred both
among members of the committee and
with witnesses as Representative
Welch, Republican,, of California,
scolded all who are fighting the legis-
lation, and Representative Cox, Demo-
crat, of Georgia, attacked it both in
questioning and in formal statement
in advance of the hearing
Chairman O'Connor frequently had
trouble keeping order as Represent
ative SABBATH, Democrat. of Illinois,
clashed with his Georgia colleague
over the latter's examination of Rep
resenative WEIGH.
The Cox attack on the bill was
backed up by a Republican, Repre-
sentative Lambertson of Kansas, who
described the measure as half baked
and asked the committee to hold fast"
against granting a rule.
Joins Fight for Bill.
Representative Smith of Maine
Joined the Republican delegation
fighting for the measure in a brief
appearance, declaring his willingness
to stay all summer if Congress would
pass the bill.
Immediately afterward, another
Republican, Representative Barton of
New York, spoke briefly in support.
He said the present bill met his OBJ
jections to the previous measure by
vesting administration in the Labor
Department instead of in a new board.
While the hearing proceeded, John
L. Lewis, Committee for Industrial
Organization chairman, notified the
committee that failure to send the
bill to the floor would be regarded by
labor as "an outrageous and inde-
fensible gagging Of the peoples rep
resentatives and a travesty on the
principles of our form of govern
ment."
In telegram to all committee
members. Mr.. Lewis said:
THE members of the House OF Rep
resentatives are elected by the peo-
pie and have an inherent right and
obligation publicly to express them
selves and to vote on legislation af-
fecting the interests of the people"
to tfuo Cov r,ol.
tion clear before todays session opened
in statement in which he charged
that "this bill is an attempt to regu-
late Ill industry and to destroy the
(See WAGE-HOUR, Page A-3.) =