The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-06-25
Capital

BY CONGRESSMAN
WILLIAM M. COLMER


ADJOURNMENT
After fighting its way through
one of the most hectic log jams
of legislation in years, the Re-
publican-dominated Both Con-
sress adjourned in the early
morning hours of June goth.
The House quit at 6:55 a. m,
and the Senate adjourned at
TIA a. M, the latter after hav-
ing been in session continuous
ly for over A hours. Congress
can be recalled by the President
or by the four Republican lead
ers, Senate President-Pr Tenn
Vandenburg, Senate Majority
Whip Wheery, House Speaker
Martin, and House Majority
Leader Halleck.
The Draft Bill
The draft bill, sponsored by
both the Administration and the
Republican leadership, was
passed after much debate and
controversy. In the House the
opposition to the bill was led
by Representative Marcanto-
MO, who follows the Moscow
line, and Representative Pow
ell, the negro Harlem preach
er-Congressman, who also fol-
lows that line. Incidentally,
Powell attempted on numerous
occasions during the consider
alton of the bill to write anti
segregation amendments into
the bill. 1t was gratifying to
observe that he was followed
only by Marcantonio and a
few other left-wingers. In the
Senate, and in accordance with
the public announcement of
Marcantonio, Senator Taylor,
Henry Wallace's running mate,
who also follows the Commun-
list line, engaged in a one-man
filibuster, wit ha little help
from Senator LANCER.
Whatever the merits of the
draft bill, it is indeed most dis
gushing to us here, as it must be
to the country at large, to OBJ
serve the fact that under our
democratic system a group like
Marcantonio, Powell and Tay-
Tor can thwart and obstruct,
even for a time, the will of a
great majority of their col
league. In fact, these are the
leaders of the crowd who are
constantly bowling about the in
vasion of civil liberties while
at the same time their conduct
is such that if they had their
way, this country would become
a puppet of Dictator Stain and
his totalitarian Russia.
CT Home Loans
While the highly controver-
sial %long-range housing bill was
dropped, a bill to authorize the
RFC to reestablish a secondary
market for CT home loan mort
cages was passed. 1t will author
ize the RFC to buy UP to $40
million dollars worth of such
mortgages. This should go far
toward reviving the CT home
loan program, which has been
in a bad slump:
Old Age Pensions
Along with over two hun
dred Members of Congress, we
signed a petition to the Ways
and Means Committee asking it
to report out for action before
adjournment a bill to set up
a decent old age pension along
the lines of legislation for which
I have commended over the past
several years. Under this pro-
posal the Federal government
would bear a larger proportion
ate share of the expense of the
program, particularly in the
poorer states, such as Mississip-
pi, which are not able to take
full advantage of the fifty-fifty
matching provisions of the law.
The committee did not see fit
to honor our petition, but Con-
gress at this session did add an
other SIS per person to the am
cunt it puts up for old age as
sistance, which will help to
some extent at least.