Imperial Valley press., 1943-12-22
CONGRESS TAKES
MlD-TERM RECESS

lie IlrSI session OF the IStn congress
has adjourned to reconvene January 10.
1t leaves behind record as the most
recalcitrant session since the dawn of
the new deal. 1t defied and ignored the
administration on measures closely al
lied with the wars prosecution and the
haunting spectre of initiation and taxa
ton; skirted the question of subsidy or
no subsidy and walked out on the threat
ened railroad strike.
From the moment hard-striking Dough-
ton, chairman of the house ways and
means committee branded the treasury's
and hence the administration ten bill
lion revenue raising tax measure as "ab
surd and impossible" that measure was
doomed. Left to final passage the prac
tically agreed upon bill carries less than
three billions.
- The most marked break possibly is
seen in the vote against the hold the
line" appeal not to allow pay raise for
the railroad men. That adverse action
stood "a to in the senate and the rec
ord shows that the four included two
Republicans, VanDenburg and Fergus
son of Michigan. The two steadfaSt
democrats were Byrd of Virginia and
Bailey of North Carolina. Even the sub
servient Guffey of Pennsy ylvania; Pepper
of Florida; Lucas of Illinois and Bark
ley, the presidents own choice for senate
leader, deserted the ship and voted
against hold the line" Even the suave,
gentle Chavez of New Mexico, the latter
day Henry Clay-who oftentimes has
/ effected compromises and led the ram
paging majority back to ''normalcy," was
I not among the four.
. The subsidy issue will be facing the
congress when it reconvenes as February
20 is the expiration date for the present
set-up. Gestures at compromises on this
measure had gained ground during the
closing days of the session with leaders
on both sides Of the house and senate
conscientiously trying to reach an agree
ment.
= Left unfinished and in more mud
died mess, perhaps than other measures
were two directly affecting servicemen.
One the muster-out pay plan, the other
f, some plan to provide voting privilege
.for fighting men overseas. Thrown out
:, bodily was the Lucas-Green measure, and
~in this fight charges and countercharges
were hurled among the ma jority members
= of house and senate. Such members as
Pepper shouted Conspiracy between
1.-the Republicans and "disloyal' demo-
'crats. Led by Senator Taft, the Republ-
cans cracked, the defense as they "saw
a new-deal dominated balioting program"
and the old, old states rights issue came
nin as an ally As it stands now, the
= whole business is in the laps of the var
ious states, but that some measure will
be worked out there appears little doubt.
Every effort to bring the muster-out
pay bill into the open for debate and ac-
tion failed as the session closed.
Republican members taunted their
democratic colleagues with election fe-
yer" as the definite swing against the
administration program became more
acute after November 6 when Republi-
cans won victories in many pivotal states.
How much sympathy or advice the con-
gressmen will receive among their con-
stituency while they are home for the
holidays is a question.
. Most will agree they deserve a hard
earned rest no matter what they have
done or what they have not done during
the session.
7 To date the great difficulty with hell
Copters as an anti-submarine weapon is
the lack of lifting capacity to carry into
the air sufficient bomb load
Navy Secretary Frank Knox.
Labor is producing the weapons of war
and now we must call upon labor also
to pay for them. We must ask labor
to furnish most of the money in the Third
War Loan campaign.-Treasury Secre-
tary Henry Morgenthau jr.