Evening star., 1946-08-01
Two Hot Issues
Peril Congress-
.P| |ans TO Quit
BorkIey Is Not Averse
To Delay if Business
Can Be Cleaned Up
By ]. A. O'Learv

OF the Seventy-ninth Congress
tomorrow may have to be re-
vised, Senate Majority Leader
Barkley indicated today.
Two important issues are con-
tributing to this possibility, namely
A battle in the House over changes
in the social security program, and
efforts in the Senate to get through
American acceptance of compulsory
jurisdiction of the World Court to
settle international legal issues.
AS the Senate met at noon, with
a motion pending to take up the
World Court resolution, Senator
Batkley said he would not be averse
to postponing adjournment two or
three days if the World Court reso-
luton can be passed in that time
He added that the difficulty the
House is having over Senate plan
to increase Federal aid to low
income States to take care of needy
aged, the blind and dependent chill
dren, might block adjournment to-
morrow, even without regard to the
World Court matter.
May Change Resolution.
The House already has adopted
the adjournment resolution, fixing
tomorrow as the quitting date, but
Senator Barkley observed this morn
ing, I'VE may have to amend that"
The Senate leader offered one ray
Of hope for adjournment tomorrow
however, when ne recalled, Things
can clear up pretty fast once they
start to clear up"
The deadlock over social security
continued when request for
unanimous consent to send that bill
to conference was blocked in the
House.
A special rule for appointment
of conferees has been granted by
the Rules Committee, bu- may nave
to lie over until tomorrow, thereby
reducing the chances of adjourn
ment.
The Rules Committee held an
other hearing today in an unsuc-
ceSsful effort to settle the fight
The committee will try again this
afternoon.
Appropriation Bill MAY Pass.
The Senate may take time out to-
day to pass the last appropriation
bill of the seSsion-a S2.764 ,091,9l7
measure, most of which is for the
enlisted mems terminal leave paw,
authority for which went to the
White House in a separate bill last
night. The appropriation bill also
includes 100000 additional for
OPA.
House opponents Of the Senate
plan want TO keep Federal aid on
the present basis uf uniform treat
ment of the States on a $3.50
matching of State funds. Under
the Senate bill about 80 States
would get more than SO per cent
from the Federal Government, de-
pending on the extent to which
their per capita income falls below
the national average.
If this fight should prevent pass
age of the social security bill, mil
lions Of wage earners and employ
ers would face an increase from :,
20 2i2 per cent each in the payroll
tax for old-age insurance on jan
uary !.
Whole Bill Threatened.
The pending bill freezes the pres
ent l per cent rate on employer
and employe for another calendar
year. as Congress has done for four
years in the belief present reserves
are adequate. There is no dispute
over another postponement. but
failure to agree on Federal aid to
the States for other phases of the
social security program would tie
up the whole bill
In that event last minute efforts
may be made to rush through a
separate resolution freezing the pay
roll tax, but there Is no certainty
that could be done.
AS the Senate convened 1t had
before it motion by Senator
Morse, Republican, of Oregon to
take up the Foreign Relations Com
mittee resolution under which Presi-
dent Truman would be authorized
10 declare American acceptance OF
compulsory jurisdiction OF the
World Court in cases involving in
depreciation of treaty, question
of international law or a fact con-
stitutjng breach of an interna-
tional obligation or reparations fol
such a breach.
Authorizations Has Safeguards.
| The United States would accept
jurisdiction only if the other nation
involved did likewise, and the juris-
diction would not extend to disputes
essentially within the domestic
| jurisdiction of the United States
| When Senator Morse told the
Senate late yesterday he did not be-
lieve it should go home without
giving troubled world this further
indication of Americas readiness
/ to cooperate for peace. indications
were no one would object to taking
up the question.
| On both sides of the aisle, how
ever, there were unmiStakable signs
that, if taken up, the resolution
would require long debate. At the
outset, senators became involved In
parliamentary tangle over whether
the resolution Is legislative act
or a treaty. All agreed. however, il
will require the two-thirds vote
/ stipulated for a treaty.
| Chairman Connally of the Foreign
Relations Committee took eXcep-
ton to a remark by Senator Morse
that it looked as though the World
Court resolution would not have
| been brought up unless the
Oregonian had made the move.
|
y Am H. Il