Evening star., 1939-02-02
BY GARNETT d. HORNER.

representative Sheppard, Demo-
crat, of California told the House
Ways and Means Committee TODAY
he was washed up" with the Town
sent old-age pension organization
because he did not believe it was
functioning on an honest basis"
when Townsend speakers kept
telling the old people that they were
going to get them 5000 month and
their own bill did not provide for
that Mr.. Sheppard said, II just
couldn't take it any more"
Mr.. Sheppard, who introduced the
Townsend bill in the House at the
last session of Congress, appeared
before the committee to urge ap-
proval of a new measure sponsored
by the General Welfare Federation
OF America, whose congressional
Steering Committee he heads. Called
the General Welfare Act" it would
provide 2 per cent tax on gross
incomes of more than s10O month
to finance pro rata pensions of from
$50 to $50 month for all Americans
over 60 years old.
Origin of Bills Title.
Chairman Doughton asked Mr..
Sheppard how his bill get it's title,
pointing out the Townsend organ
ization also called its measure a
General Welfare Act. Mr.. Sheppard
said the title was originated by
Arthur Johnson, legislative secretary
of the General Welfare Federation,
who formerly worked for the Town
send movement.
Then Mr.. Doughton asked, would
you mind giving us the reason for
the divorce, if any. between yourself
and the Townsend outflt?'
Mr.. Sheppard replied:
My reason for leaving the Town
send organization was predicated
upon the conduct of its national
leader and many of its officers. The
organization was not functioning on
what I considered as an honest
basis"
Asked to explain more fully what
he meant by his charges of the lack
of an honest basis" Mr.. Sheppard
referred to tranSposition of pages in
the minute book of the organization
to give what he termed a false i'm
preston and to what he described
as false hopes held out for the
elderly people who were contribut-
ing their dimes and quarters.
Called Embarrassing.
In addition, Mr.. Sheppard said.
'the general conduct of the leader
Dr. Francis E. Townsend) was of
such a character that it was en-
barrassing to us members of Con-
gress who were diligently trying to
accomplish something for our senior
citizens"
I'VE called Dr. Townsend to a
conference" he added, Ito see if we
couldn't get some amendments
added to the bill that would make
it more reasonable and acceptable
to Congress.
The good doctor refused to do
that. In the next issue of the
Townsend weekly, he gave us Con-
gressmen plenty of hades for calling
such e meeting without his per-
mission.
Things went from bad to worse.
We called another conference and
tried to talk to him.
I'm response to an inquiry about
the 5000 month question asking
why he did not have his national
speakers confine themselves to the
facts, DR.. Townsend said:
"'You fellows have heard that
old saw about whisk straw in front
of an OK, haven't you? Well, that's
the purpose of the 5000
TOwnsend's Attitude.
Il said, is that your attitude
about this whole legislation?' He
said, Yes
Then I said I was all washed
up with his outfit
Mr.. Sheppard evoked laughter
from the committee members and
spectators by reading from what he
said was recent issue of the Town.
send weekly, claiming remarkable
progress for the Townsend mcve-
ment in Congress because its bill in
the Seventy-fourth Congress was
numbered H. r. 7154" and in the
present Congress is known as H. R.
g." Mr.. Sheppard quoted the article
as saying this means I'VE are now
close to the top of the heap of the
thousands of bills introduced in Con-
gress."
Chairman Doughton interrupted
with chuckle to say, 1T would ap-
pear DR.. Townsend has made NOM
inal progress"
Chairman Doughton asked Mr..
Shennard If he thought tne article