The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-05-01
BILL OF FRILLS

BILL OF FRILLS
Press gallery wits have taken to
referring to the stymied $3.50, 1000, 900
emergency defense housing meas
ure as the "bill of frills." This is a
soft impeachment. Not in a long
time has an important piece of legis-
lation suffered more from congress
sional obstruction and inconsistency.
Introduced several months ago to
meet an urgent defense situation,
the bill was stalled for 10 days in
the house rules committee by a
noisy row over the installation of
"frills," such as refrigerators and
gas stoves, in homes for defense
workers.
Finally, after inserting an amend
ment barring these appliances, the
House passed the measure and it
went to the senate. There it ran
head on into another ''frill'' tangle-
in reverse. This time a ''frill' was
put into the bill.
Brick makers protested that the
$4,000 limit specified for each hous-
ing unit barred the use of bricks,
and demanded that the ante be
raised to $500. One of the chief
pro-brick spokesman was Sen. Bob
Taft of Ohio, a leading economy adj
vocate, who sought to slash the lend
lease appropriation on the ground
| that it was excessive.
On the argument that savings in
paint, repairs and heating through
| the use of brick would more than
Offset the $500 difference, the SEN
ate approved the boost-and added
another delay. For now the amend
ed measure has to go back to the
house for it to decide whether bricks
| fall in the same "luXury" category
as refrigerators and gas ranges.
Note-In an effort to make up
some of the time wasted by the frill-
conscious boys on Capitol Hill, De-
tense Housing Coordination Palmer
has gone ahead with plans for a
number of projects, ready to start
the moment the bill becomes law.
One will be the largest low-cost
| housing project ever undertaken by
the government.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Mrs. Roosevelt has been invited
to address the national Townsend
Plan convention in Buffalo early in
July. Meanwhile, Sen. Sheridan
| Downey of California, chief Town
sendite spokesman in congress, has
| told leaders of the movement that
he will force vote on their old-age
pension plan in the senate by offer
ing it as an amendment to the tax
bill next month.
Justice Stanley Reed follows the
practice of the late great Justice
Oliver Wendell Holmes in picking a
new legal clerk every year, explains
that he does it chiefly for his own
benefit, to get the different view
points of bright young men.
| Feature of the latest issue of the
Republican, monthly party maya
zine, is an article by Democrat on
whats Wrong With the G.. o. P"
In poll of 5,765 college students on
the greatest weakness" of the Re-
publican party, 1872 per cent an
swered Lack of touch with COM
mon people,; 24.4 per cent held "No
co-ordinated program; 25.6 per
cent Divided leadership and 1913
per cent "Other reasons"
The late Sen. Morris Shepard of
Texas was known to the public
chiefly as the father of prohibition,
but on Capitol Hill he was consid-
cred a great worker for prepared
ness as well as tolerant, kindly
friend.
Veteran New Dealer Leon Hender-
son, defense price regulator, rates
OPM Production Chief John Big
gers, one of the country's biggest
glass manufacturers, and Priorities
Chief Edward R. Stettinius, former
u. S. Steel executive, as two of the
fairest and most enlightened big
business men in the defense organi-
cation.
To Wall Street the No. l nasty
man" in Washington currently is
hard-hitting Joe Winer, head of the
SECS utility division, who is doing
something about enforcing the hold
ing company act.
There are five men in the house
of representatives who, when they
rise to speak, make the official re-
porters of debate shift into high
gear. Out of 435 members, the fol-
lowing have reputation for exceed
ing the oral speed limits:
Reid F. Murray of Wisconsin,
John M. Coffee of Washington, Fran
els Case of South Dakota, Luther
Patrick of Alabama, Jerry Voorhis
| of California.
They all speak at rate of 100 to
200 words minute, and sometimes
faster. The usual speed of Office
dictation is from 100 to 1876 words.
!