Evening star., 1940-03-17
Farm and Trade Bills
Up in Senate After
Hatch Ban Action
Half Dozen Amendments
To Be Decided Before
FinoI Vote Tomorrow
by J. A. O'LEARY.

litical activity among thousands Of
State employees expected to be dis
posed Of tomorrow, the Senate is
preparing to tackle two Of the big
gest issues Of the session this week
the $922, 1854 900 farm bill and the
reciprocal trade agreement program.
Before final vote on passage
OF the Hatch measure, however, half
a dozen amendments remain to be
acted on, including the proposal of
Senator Minton, Democrat, of In
diana, to bring into the Civil Service
all Federal employees affected by the
original Hatch Act. There are 27l,- :
600 non-ctvil service workers in the
Government. most of whom are SUBJ
ject to the Hatch Act.
All indications are the Senate will
accept an amendment to be offered
by Senator Byrd, Democrat, OF Vir-
ginai, which would make it possible
for the Civil Service Commission to
restore to Federal employees the
privilege formerly accorded them
for many years to take part in the
local municipal affairs of nearby
Maryland and Virginia towns in
which they live.
Not Limited to Nearby Area.
The Byrd amendment is not con-
nned to these areas, but provides
that whenever the commission de-
termines that, by reason of special
or unusual considerations, it would
be in the domestic interest of en-
ployes to do so. it could promulgate
rules permitting them TO take active
part in the domestic affairs of mu-
inequalities or other political sub
divisions.
Senator Minton also will offer an
amendment to restrict political ac-
tivity by employers of labor and
lenders OF money at interest.
Senator Brown, Democrat, of
Michigan has an amendment await
ing action to permit State employees
affected by the bill to become can
didates for elective ONCE, provided
they take leave without pay during
the campaign.
Confident of Passage,
The only development that could
interfere with final vote by pm.
tomorrow would be the Offering of
the anti-lynching bill as an amend
ment. in which event the unanimous
consent agreement would be set
aside. All indications at the Capitol
yesterday, however, were that this
question will not be raised.
Confident the bill will pass by a
substantial majority, Senator Hatch,
Democrat, of New Mexico also pre-
dicted last night that the adoption
several days ago Of the 5000 limit
on all individual contributions to
political campaign funds will not
prevent House consideration of the
measure.
In a statement yesterday, Ernest
T. Weir, chairman of the Republican
National Finance Committee, said
the Republican party in recent years
had "trended constantly toward
broadening the base of its financial
support" The party he said would
"scrupulously" live up to the legis-
lation If it were enacted.
Extends Ban to States.
The new bill extends to all State
employees paid in whole or In part
from Federal-aid loans or grants the
same ban against political activity
placed on Federal personnel by the
original Hatch Act. The penalty for
violations would be to withhold from
q State agency Federal aid to the
extent of twice the salaries of en-
ployes engaging in forbidden polit-
zeal activities.
AS soon as the Hatch bill is voted
on Senator Russell, Democrat, of
Georgia will call up the big farm
supply bill, which Majority Leader
Barkley believes can be disposed of
by Wednesday.
Chairman Harrison of the Finance
Committee then will present the
House-approved resolution extend
Ing for three years the administra-
tons Reciprocal Trade Agreement
Act. This is destined to prove one
OF the most controversial debates of
the year and may last as long, or
longer, than the fight over the
Hatch hill