Evening star., 1940-04-07
Wheeler Will Invite !! |
Senators 10 Confer
On Relief Needs
Movement. to Increase
Appropriation Grows
In Congress
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

the Nations No. l problem, Senator
Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana re-
turned from the West Coast yester-
day with the announcement he is
considering inviting group of other
Senators into conference to discuss
relief needs for the immediate future
as well as permanent solution.
The Montana Senator's statement
gave new impetus to a movement
already developing in Congress to
raise the Presidents original $685.
100000 w. p. A. estimate for the
next fiscal year, on which House
Appropriations Subcommittee is now
conducting executive hearings.
Senator Adams, Democrat, Of
Colorado, chairman of the Senate
subcommittee which will handle the
relief appropriation bill, expressed
belief the budget estimate would
have to be increased, but said he did
not think the total outlay would ex-
ceed 81 300 100000.
On the House side, Representative
Cannon, Democrat, of Missouri, Ap-
preparations Committee member, re-
marked graphically 1--WE are goins to
take care of the needs"
Expect Word From White House.
It was indicated that administra-
tion leaders expected some definite
expression from the White House.
Influential House members as
serted privately that they under
stood serious consideration" was
being given by the President to the
question of transmitting a request
for additional money for the w. P. A.
Such step by the Chief Execu-
tive, they explained, would remove
one legislative obstacle to an in
crease-a resolution adopted by the
House Appropriations Committee at
the start of this session against ex-
ceeding budget estimates.
Sentiment for increasing the re-
lief fund, apparently was growing
in both the Senate and House.
Calls w. p. A. = Palliative.
Senator, Wheeler indicated he
agrees with those who believe Con-
gress will have to appropriate more
than the budget estimate submitted
in January.
'The No. l problem facing the
country today is the unemployment
question: said the Montana Sena-
tor, whose supporters are grooming
him as a Democratic candidate If
President Roosevelt does not run.
with at least 10000, 900 people out
OF employment, the relief set-up
and the w. p. A. has been only a
palliative. It has not cured the
situation at all, and the Congress
is going to have to appropriate
money until such time as we find
a solution"
Indications are that the House
Appropriations Committee, which
will take first action on the bill,
will not decide on the size of the
relief appropriation before the end
of this month. Numerous witnesses
are yet to be. heard and committee
members said they wanted to get
additional data on tax receipts as
well as on the prospects for indus
trial employment in the ensuing
months.
Harrington to Appear Again.
The committee has arranged for
COL F. c. Harrington, works projects
commissioner, to make his second
appearance tomorrow to testify on
relief needs. Col Harrington gave
the committee his opening state
ment last Thursday.
Acting Chairman Woodrum, Dem
ocrat, Of Virginia, declared the
whole question OF relief had been
enormously complicated' by the
failure of Congress to enact the
$3.50 900 900 in new taxes recon-
mended by the President and by
Its failure to keep appropriations
within the Presidents budget esti-
mates.
"As matters stand, we have al
ready appropriated beyond the
statutory debt limit of $45 ,000, ,0OO,-
O00." the Virginian said. Some
people say the crisis won't come
until next year, when the actual
expenditures are made, but I say
the time to settle this issue is right
now"
The Presidents budget contem-
plated staying within the debt limit,
II the $3.50 900 900 of new taxes were
levied. Despite demands from Mr..
Woodrum and others that the aues-
tion of new taxes or an increase in
the debt limit be faced, Congress
has indicated disposition simply
to ignore that problem and leave it
to the new Congress, meeting next
January.
AS appropriation bills now stand,
increases made in some of the Presi-
dents recommendations are only a
few millions shy of cuts made in
others.
Studies Transient Problem.
Senator Wheeler had an oppor-
tunity to give particular study to
the transient farmer problem in
Southern California, where, he said,
thousands have migrated from Ok
1ahoma, Texas and Northwestern
states.
1T has reached such magnitude"
the Senator continued, that it is
not only California problem, but
q national problem. It must be re-
membered that these people are
good American citizens and the
Government, in cooperation with
California, should provide at least
small tracts Of land, where they
could do subsistence farming and
work during the harvest season.
During the next few months,
when political war is being car
ried on, it is going to be difficult to
work out solution. But, whoever
is elected neutrality-suspicious. or
Democrat-and I believe it will be
. Democrat, the industrial, labor,
farm and probably the church lead
ers, should be called together for