Evening star., 1938-03-30
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

The special House Reorganization
Committee, by strict party vote OF
To, today reporteds the four House
bills on reorganization as an amend
ment to the reorganization bill that
passed the Senate and voted to ask
the House to start six-hour debate
on the bill tomorrow.
Chairman Cochran this afternoon
introduced the new composite bill
with each of the four previous House
bills being separate title. He also
submitted the identical reports that
were made on each of these bills last
session.
The committee will ask the House
by unanimous consent to meet at II
am. tomorrow, and to limit debate to
six hours. Unanimous consent also
will be asked to read the bill by title
in order to save time.
Chairman Cochran announced that
the committee agreed that no debate
on legitimate amendment under the
5-mlnute rule should be shut off. The
committee itself considered no amend
ments. He said that he hopes tc
have debate finished tomorrow.
Agreement Is Reached.
An agreement was reached, he said
that in the event the bill passes and
goes to conference and the provision
in the Senate bill to establish the Ma
tional Resources Board is included in
the conference report, the House COM
mlttee pledges itself to bring the bill
back to the House for a separate vote
on the National Resources Board pro-
vision, which was not included in the
original House bills.
A demand for hearings was made
by Representatives Taber of New York
and Clifford of Massachusetts,, the
Republican members of the Reorgani-
zation Committee. After discussion
the committee decided not to hold
hearings. Mr.. Cochran explained
that hearings had been held for IS
days before the joint committee and
the Senate held hearings for IA days.
He also emphasized that the repre-
sentative of the Civil Service Com
mission had sat with the committee
helping to perfect civil service reor-
ganlzation provisions. In this, he said,
Mr.. Tabor had offered several amend
ments which had been accepted.
Asks breathing Spell"
Representative Clifford, when asked
If the minority had concurred in the
committee action, replied, THE mi
nority has to be satisfied" I begged
with all the power and earnestness
have for action to be delayed so
that the public mind can be eased
Of its distress over this question and
be assured that it is our intention to
retain the Controller General" he
said.
THE country is in an awful condi-
tion today. All financial writer's are
tying up reorganization with the
financial situation in the minds of
the country. We should have a
breathing SPELL" Representative Gif-
ford declared
Mr.. Clifford also protested that "the
House committee never had a single
day of public open hearings-every-
thing was done in secret. Besides, the
state of the public mind is nothing
today as it was months ago. The
people are aroused and deeply con-
cerned regarding reorganization. They
ought to be heard"
Representative Taber, Republican,
of New York yesterday made final
attempt to postpone floor debate by
asking for public hearings. Admin
tstration lieutenants termed them un-
necessary.
The failure of the Democrats to
invite minority members into their
conference yesterday prompted Re-
publican Leader Smell to complain
Wrathfully to the House about "a
purely partisan matter" He called it
very unfortunate approach to such
an important problem"
Telegraphic Protests Pour in.
Chairman Cochran replied that it
was customary for majority members
OF q committee to work out strategy
for handling bills.
Both supporters and foes of the
administrations broad program agreed
the House struggle would be as intense
as that in the Senate. The thousands
of telegraphic protests which Senators
had received were being duplicated
in the other chamber.
The Senate and House reorganiza-
ton programs differ most widely in
their treatment of the General Ac-
counting Office. The Senate bill would
place its functions in the Budget
Bureau. The House bill would retain
the Office of controller general.
Wheeler Answers President.
The Associated Press reported that
President Roosevelt, vacationing at
Warm Springs, Ga, told reporters
yesterday that Senate approval of the
reorganization program proves that
the Senate cannot be purchased by
organized kilograms based on direct
Misrepresentation"
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of Mon
tana, one of the bills leading foes,
commented after learning of the Pres
ident's statement:
III there was any purchasing done,
1t wasn't by telegrams. All the as