Evening star., 1940-05-06
D. {. Committee
Fails 10 Agree
On Job Tax Bill
Another Attempt at
Accord Will Be
Made Thursday
BY JAMES e. CHINN.


The House District Committee
struggled for more than m hour
behind closed doors today with the
revised McGehee bill to iberalize
the local unemployment compensa-
ton law without reaching q decision
as to Its fate.
A special meeting of the full COM
mittee was called for 10 am. Thurs
day, at which another effort will be
made to reach an agreement on the
form the legislation shall take before
being reported to the House.
Chairman Randolph said action
on the bill Thursday would enable
it to be placed on the House calen-
dar in time for consideration next
Monday, the first District day of the
month.
The discussion today, it was said.
centered around benefits that would
be paid the jobless and the length of
the benefit period. Representative
Eberharter, Democrat, of Pennsyl-
vania, who Is fighting certain pro-
visions of the compromise plan for
revising the present law. served no
tice he would insist that the mini
mum benefit be fixed at IS q week
and the maximum $40 a week and
that the period over which benefits
are paid be extended from l8 to 20
weeks.
Two Minor Bills Approved.
Chief participants in the debate,
it was learned, were Representatives
McGehee, Democrat. of Mississippi,
sponsor Of the bill; Dirksen, Repub-
lican, of Illinois and Eberharter, who
introduced measure he claims is
more liberal than the revised Nc
Gehee plan.
Before the committee went into
executive session, 1t approved two
minor bills on its calendar and dis
cussed a measure designed to stop
price cutting" among liquor deal
ers. Aside from discussing the I'm
employment compensation bill in
the executive meeting, the commit
tee ordered favorable reports on two
other measures, one Tightening reg
ulation over fire. casualty. marine
and title insurance companies. The
other would give the Alcoholic Bev-
erage Control Board control over
liquor prices.
One Of the two bills favorably re-
ported at the public meeting would
allow residents Of the Virgin Islands
adjudged to be Of insane mind to
be admitted to St. Elizabeth's Hos
pftaf The other would extend the
power Of the Board of Education
over degree-conferring institutions
operating in the District to cover
Junior colleges.
Although the committee in the
public meeting decided to delay
action on the liquor price fixing
bill, 1t did a somersault in the ex-
ecutive session by approving it.
Memorandum From Shafer.
The discussion of the bill to con-
troll liquor prices was inspired by a
memorandum to committee men,
bers from Representative Shafer,
Republican, of Michigan, who is re-
covering at his home in Three
Rivers from serious automobile &C
cident.
Representative Eberharter said
"cut-throat" competition within the
liquor trade had been a serious
"evil" for the last year, but he did
not believe action on the bill at this
particular time is urgent.
For the third successive week.
John Russell Young, new District
Commissioner, attended the meet
ing and occupied seat at the COM
mittee table. Chairman Randolph
commented he had established a
precedent for a Commissioner by at
tending three meetings in success
sion.