Evening star., 1939-07-29

BY the Associated Press.
The Senate's bipartisan economy
bloc, jubilant over victories which
stripped $850,000,00O from the ad-
mlnistration's $G490, 100000 lending
Dill, sought today to make additional
reductions and send the measure to
a doubtful fate in the House.
With Republicans working hand
IN glove with economy minded
Democrats, the Senate last night
threw out President Roosevelts
$500 100000 superhighway program
by vote of AZ to 38 and then turned
down a proposal to let the Recon-
struction Finance Corp. buy up to
$3.50 900, 900 worth of railroad equip
ment and lease it to the railroads.
The vote on this was As to 80.
Members of the coalition contend
ed they had eliminated the features
OF the legislation they considered
the most Objectionable. They planned
to press their advantage, however,
with a drive to knock out a proposed
$100 100000 authorization to the
Export-1mport Bank for financing
American exports. There was talk,
too, of cutting down other lending
proposals in the bill.
Last nights Senate session. which
ended shortly before midnight, de-
veloped a series of angry arguments
between administration ieutenants
and their opponents.
House Democrats Evade Pledge.
While crowded galleries listened
to the turbulent Senate debate,
House Democrats met in caucus and
sldestepped showdown on the
question of whether they would
support the lending measure and
the administrations accompanying
Dill to increase the borrowing au.
thority of the United States Hous.
ing Authority from $500 900 900 to
81 500 ,000,0 900 by adopting a general
resolution pledging "our continued
support Of and devotion to the great
social and economic program" Of
President Roosevelt.
The House Banking Committee,
considering companion lending
bill, cut s250,0000 900 from the ad-
ministration's proposed highway
program yesterday shortly before
the Senate voted to wipe it out en-
tirely. The committee arranged to
meet again today in an effort to
| reach vote on the measure. Mem
bers said chances of approval had
been considerably improved by the
Senate's rejection of an amend
ment to restore the prevailing wage
scale for w. P. A. workers.
The latter amendment, beaten by
40-to-38 vote, would have given
w. P. A. workers pay according to
their skill. New relief legislation
requires all w. P. A. employees to
work 130 hours a month, regardless
OF skill. The Senate accepted an
amendment to modify a provision
requiring the w. P. A. to lay off all
employees who have been on the
rolls IL months. BY the amendment,
burroughs would be deferred when
ever the worker could not find pri-
vate employment.
Death for Housing Bill Seen.
Both Republican and Democratic
members of the House Banking
Committee predicted the $500, 900, =
600 housing measure would never be
acted upon. The leadership origi-
nally had planned to take up the
bill yesterday, then delayed action
until today and later decided on a
postponement until Tuesday.
Republicans said House leaders
had arranged the postponements
because they knew we had them
licked"
The great fear of administration
lleutenants was that the housing
and lending measures might be
shelved in a general drive for ad-
Journment. Although leaders ten
tatively had set August 5 as the adj
Journment deadline, House Majority
Leader Rayburn, Democrat. of
Iexas said yesterday Congress could
not quit by then if the House were
TO act on lending and housing bills
and proposed amendments to the
Wage Hour Act.
In yesterdays 12-hour Senate ses-
sion opponents of the lending bill
pledged to cooperate with Majority
Leader Barkley, Democrat, of Ken
| (See CONGPECC De-.