Evening star., 1938-06-17
Congress
Continued From First Page.

nOurS or LETT IN plgeOn-holes already
well filled. Among them were bills to
legalize overlapping by law enforce
ment agents, to amend the Walsh
Healey public contracts act. and to
authorize the planting of 81 800. 900
worth Of 'shelter-belt" trees in the
Midwest.
The overlapping measure, passed by
both House and Senate, died when the
Senate failed to take up some last
minute amendments inserted by the
House. The Walsh -Healey amend
ments. for which John L. Lewis and
the c. I. o. made q desperate closing
week fight. remained far down on the
House calendar. where only a special
rule, already refused, could have done
them any good.
The shelter-belt proposal. In the
form of an amendment to the de-
f1ciency appropriations bill from Sem
ator Norris, Independent. of Nebraska,
was rejected by conference commit
tee.
Biggest Peace Time Spending.
The session just closed will 60 down
In history as the biggest spending
session in peace times up to this time.
1t was estimated that approximately
$4,000, 900, 900 had been appropriated
by Congress. The largest single ap-
preparation measure was the Presi-
dents relief and recovery bill, which
accounted for more than $780,
100000. The billion dollar naval ex-
pansion bill. while it provided only
small part of the total for imme-
diate use, was another big item in
the spending program.
Members Of Congress shook their
heads over the prospects for another
big deficit at the close Of the coming
fiscal year, which opens July /. With
the estimated revenues of the Gov
ernment about $500 ,000, 900 it was
clear that the excess of expenditures
over receipts would run into the
billions The most optimistic members
placed the expected deficit at between
three and four billions Of dollars,
which will still further swell the enor-
nous public debt.
During the session now closed. the
split in the Democratic party made by
the refusal Of the Congress last year
to pass the Presidents bill to increase
the membership of the Supreme Court
was considerably widened Democratic
members of Congress returned to
Washington in January anxious to do
something to halt the growing business
depression. Many Of them demanded
that the Roosevelt tax laws be re-
vised. particularly the undistributed
profits tax and the capital gains tax,
Of which business complained bitterly.
Others insisted that there should be
definite assurance to business and
industry that the administration would
not demand further laws for their
control.
Bill Displeases President.
President Roosevelt had different
ideas. While he agreed to amend
ments to the tax law to relieve inequali.
ties and to prevent unfairness, he
| demanded retention of the undis-
tributed profits tax and the capital
gains tax. In the end Congress put
through tax bill which, while 1t left
the skeleton of the undistributed
profits tax and of the capital gains
tax, displeased the President greatly.
He allowed the bill to become . law
without his signature. and denounced
the measure in a radio address.
Furthermore, the President con-
tinued to insist upon passage of the
crop-control bill and the wage-hour
bill. The wage-hour bill had been
recommitted to the House Labor Com
mittee by the House during the spe-
cial session in December, after it had
passed the Senate. It appeared to be
dead. It was not until after the Flor
ida senatorial primary, when Senator
Pepper, q supporter Of the legislation,
defeated Representative Wilcox, an
opponent, that the measure was re-
vived successfully and put through
the House by big vote. The meas.
ure was rewritten in conference be-
tween the two houses and finally
passed only two days before adjourn
ment.
Democratic intra-party bitterness
broke out frequently in both the House
and Senate during the session. The
House turned down the Presidents re-
organization bill, sending it back to
committee. although it passed the
Senate by a narrow vote. In vain
administration leaders pleaded with
the Democrats Of the House not tc
turn the President down on this is-
sue. The members had heard from
many Of their constituents, opposing
the bill on the ground that 1t ~
"dictatorial."
Aroused ut Hopkins.
In the Senate, Democrats who had
opposed the President on the court
bill and other measures, including
-