Evening star., 1945-09-29
Uncertain Fate Seen
In House for Bill
10 Aid Employment
Government Spending
Is Curbed in Measure
Passed by Senate
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

The full employment bill faces
a long and uncertain journey
through the House after passing
the Senate late yesterday in
modified form. II to 10.
The top-heavy majority on final
passage did not reflect the sharp
conflict which marked the weeks
of deliberation over the measure
which seeks to declare in general
terms a Government obligation to
head off future depressions. The
exact steps by which this goal would
be accomplished are left to be
worked out by future Congresses
whenever the danger signals of a
business decline appear.
The majority for the bill undoubt-
edly was increased by the last
minute adoption yesterday OF two
amendments, tying strings to the
broad definition of Government
spending in the original bill, as
means of assuring every one a
job.
Hatch Plan Accepted.
The first was compromise,
drafted by Senator Hatch, Democrat,
of New Mexico stating, in effect,
that the volume of Federal invest
ment and expenditure to augment
the jobs created by private enter
prise would have to be consistent
with the needs and obligations of
the Federal Government and other
essential considerations of national
policy" AS it came from committee,
the bill provided for such volume
of public expenditure 'as may be
needed The compromise carried
by a voice vote, with only a few
noes" heard.
The second important change
added the doctrine that the public
spending must be accompanied by
a tax program designed to prevent
any net increase in the national
debt, over a reasonable period of
years. This was adopted, 80 to 0, on
a recorded roll call.
Both amendments, originally spon-
sored in stronger terms by Senators
Radcliffe, Democrat, of Maryland
and Taft, Republican, of Ohio in
the Banking Committee, were re-
sisted strenuously by the sponsors
OF the bill in the committee.
The only immediate action the bill
calls for is the preparation by the
President of an annual report
called a national Understanding
how many jobs private industry is
likely to provide in the succeeding
year and to what extent this esti-
mate may fall short of providing
employment for all Americans able
and desirous of working.
Hearings Will Continue.
When that report is presented,
starting next year, new legislation
would have to be drafted and run
the gantlet of House and Senate de-
bate before any of the objectives
of the bill could be carried out.
In the House, ia members have
joined as cosponsors of the bill, but
before 1t reaches the floor it must
undergo the scrutiny of the Com
mittee on Expenditures in Govern
ment Departments, whose chairman,
Representative Manasco, called it "a
vague" measure. Mr. Manasco has
been taking testimony for a week,
and will continue the hearings for
several more weeks.
In the Senate, the verbal battle
was waged chiefly over the value of
public spending as an ultimate cure
for unemployment. And, while the
factions, reached almost
complete unanimity on the wording
of the compromise amendments,
they continue to fill the record with
interpretations, indicating
they did not finally see eye to eye
on what the words mean.
/Rou Call on Pnoe All