Evening star., 1940-02-11
Action Delayed
On D. {. Job|ess
Pay Measure
Randolph Aecedes
To Protests of'Trude
Organizations
By JAMES E. CHINN.

by JAMES Z. Ch1NNs
House action on q bill to Nberalize
the District Unemployment Com
pensation Act will be delayed for
two weeks at least, 1t was disclosed
last night by Chairman Randolph
Of the House District Committee.
On the House calendar, ready for
consideration tomorrow-the first
day Of the present session of Con-
gress that attention will be paid to
District legislation-the measure, &C.
cording to Mr.. Randolph, will not
be called up in view of last minute
protests by various business and
trade organizations.
IT believe it advisable to allow the
organizations here to have further
chance to study and examine the
proposed legislation before it is
brought to the House floor" Mr..
Randolph said in a statement.
AS a result Of the delay, the bill,
sponsored by Representative Nc
Gelaee, Democrat, of Mississippi,
cannot be called up before February
Is, the next so-called District day"
In the House.
Telegram Urges Delay.
Chairman Randolph said he de-
cided to defer action on the measure
after conferences with Mr.. Nc
Gehee, Corporation Counsel Elwood
H. Seal land others" whom he did
not name. On his desk, however,
was a copy of a telegram sent to
him and the other 10 members Of
the District Committee by 10 dif-
ferent important organizations in
the city urging a delay in House
action on the bill.
The text Of Mr.. Randolphs state
ment follows:
In view of the requests made to
the District Committee to postpone
calling up Monday H. r. 1926, a bill
to amend the District Unemploy-
ment Compensation Act, I believe
it advisable to allow the organiza-
tions here a further chance to study
and examine the proposed legisla-
ton before it is brought to the
House floor.
I'VE have no desire to press legis-
lation on the District. We are more
or less the servant of the people
here and Mr.. McGehee and his sub
committee will be glad to receive
whatever evidence may be presented
that would indicate the need for re-
vision Of the proposed Legislation" !"
Mr.. MQQehee Is chairman Of the
diciaryesSubcommittee which ia
vorably reported the bill to the full
District Committee. ass Ss,s;s !.
Hearings Held UnnecSssary. i ;.
Chairman Randolph said he did
not believe it would be necessary Tor
Mr.. McGehee's subcommittee to hold
any further public hearings on the
bill, but to consider seriously any
recommendations that might be
made for revisions in the measure
in its present form.
The MeGehee bill would lower the
employers pay roll tax from 3 to
81 per cent and at the same time
increase benefits to the jobless. It
also would blanket into the civil
service without qualifying examina-
tions all employees of the board who
have been connected with it for
year or more.
Testimony before Mr.. McGhee's
subcommittee several weeks ago
showed that the present per cent
pay roll tax is producing far more
revenue than is needed to meet
benefit claims of the unemployed.
There is now more than $4,000 900
in the surplus benefit fund. The
subcommittee also was told that
even with reduction in the pay roll
tax to 81 per cent, the surplus fund
would increase at the rate of about
$4,000, 900 year.
Representatives of various busi-
ness organizations who testified at
the hearing urged that the surplus
benefit fund be pegged at $10,00O,-
600, and that the employers pay
roll tax be either suspended for
while or the rate reduced to point
where 1t would not exceed that
amount.