Evening star., 1939-07-30
Failure 10 Smash
Coalition Leaves
Legislation in Chaos
Social Security and
Hatch Bills Are
SpotIiehted With Lendin!
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Failure Of the administrator
forces to smash the Democratic
Republican coalition in the House,
which threatens the Presidents
lending-spending bill and the $780,
100000 housing bill, leaves a chaotic
situation on Capitol Hill over the
week end.
While eventual passage of the
lending bill by the Senate, in greatly
abbreviated form, is expected, there
is grave danger for the measure
when it hits the House. In the
first place, the bill must have a
special rule from the House Rules
Committee SO that it can be speedily
considered. In the second place.
that rule must obtain the support
of a majority Of the House when
the vote is taken. Any finally there
is a growing belief that even if the
bill is taken up and considered,
there may be sufficient votes either
to beat it, to recommit it (Which
would be fataD or to further emas-
culate it.
4llC ploll Va lllC 4AOltoC lSuNlClo lloS
been to take up Tuesday the $8.000,-
100000 housing bill, regarded as a
companion piece to the lending bill
in the administrations recovery
program. The opponents of the
lending-spending program in the
House, both Republican and Demo-
cratic, are now talking of beating
the housing bill or at least cutting
the sum carried in the measure very
materially.
Two Other Bills in Spotlight.
Two other measures, the social
security amendments bill and the
Hatch "clean elections BILL" occu-
pied the spotlight last night. The
first is deadlocked in conference be-
tween the two houses. The second
is awaiting either approval or a
veto at the hands of President
Roosevelt.
President Roosevelt was told by
Attorney General Murphy, either in
person or via memorandum, earlier
in the week that the Hatch bill was
constitutional and enforceable, ac-
cording to informed sources. A final
report on the bill, however, is eX-
pected to be made tomorrow, in view
of the Presidents own criticisms OF
the bill The President has been
studying the measure over the week
end and may have made up his mind
what to do with it.
One thing appeared certain last
night. There would be no adjourn
ment of Congress, even if the lending
bill should be quickly ditched, before
midnight Thursday, the deadline for
presidential action of one kind or
another on the Hatch bill. An
earlier adjournment would give the
President an opportunity, if he de-
sired it, to kill the bill by pocket
veto" If the President takes no
action on the bill at all before mid
night Thursday, it becomes law
anyway
Veto Passage Doubtful.
If the President vetoes the Hatch
bill, it will be returned to the Senate,
where it originated An effort would
be made prolsptly to pass it over
the veto. That action requires a
two-thirds vote in both the Senate
and House 1t is so doubtful that
two-thirds vote could be obtained
that the bills supporters have little
hope of passing the measure over
a veto.
A veto message saying that the
President agrees with the objectives
of the bill, but thinks that the meas
ure should be clarified and possibly
suggesting that it was not constitu-
tional in the present form, would
Immediately be followed by wide
charges that the President intended
to dominate the Democratic National
Convention of 1910 by his influence
over Federal officeholders and that
he hoped to carry the next election
by virtue of the army of Govern
ment employees.
Already charges have been made
on the floor of the Senate that the
A. A. A. is being organized politi-
cally to take part in the campaign
next year. Senator Wiley, Repub-
lican, of Wisconsin insisted he had
information to that effect. He has
not revealed the sources OF his re-
ports.
1t has been learned, however, that
in the Western division of the
| (see COALITION, Page A-ls.)
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