The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-11-10
Along the Potomac
to Washington
By J. Glenn Beall
Congressman Sixth District

w men luaI tragic pldue dccIueHJ
took place on November LIST, i'm Wash
ington, in which So lives were lost,
the nation and the House of Repre-
sentatives lost an able and consci-
cntious Congressman, George j..
Bates, of Massachusetts. Congress
man Bates and | served on the House
District Committee and his loss will
not only be felt deeply by those of us
who served with him, but by the people
of Washington whom he served 50
faithfully. 1t was typical that he was
on his way back to Washington on
Congressional duties, was . longtime
member of the Armed Services COM
mittee. 1t was in this capacity that
he was returning to Washington to
attend an orientation conference at
the Pentagon.
This tragedy, which cost the lives
Of these men, women and children
was a needless one in that it was the
result of using the National Airport
by military and civilian planes. Wash
ington has the busiest and most
crowded airport in the country. The
need for restricting it to commercial
flights alone has long been recog-
nized There has been much talk but
no action to rectify this situation.
Perhaps this terrible tragedy which
cost the lives Of So people, the worst
plane accident in history, will force
some action on this matter.
Last week the President signed the
last of the bills passed by the first
session of the 81st Congress. Alto
gether there were 1872 bills approved
by the President. He vetoed 80 bills
and pocket-vetoed one bill.
Briefly this is what happened in
Congress during the almost ten
months of continuous session, the
longest since 1929.
The 81st Congress so far has APP
propliated about 43 billion dollars for
Government expenditures in this
fiscal year. 1t voted subsidies for low
cost housing. 1t extended rent control
tosJune 30, 1850 and continued price
supports for farm products after re-
fusing to consider the Brannafi Farm
Plan. 1t raised minimum wages in
certain interstate categories from 40
cents an hour to rs cents an hour. 1t
extended present housing credit
terms to March /, 1850. 1t approved
public-power projects and started a
plan to finance rural telephones. 1t
extended White House power to cut
tariffs. 1t gave more power to unity
armed services and raised the pay of
the President, the Cabinet and other
Government officials, and Govern
ment workers. 1t ratified an alliance
with Western Europe by passing the
Atlantic Treaty and voted more bill
lions in aid to Western Europe in adj
dition to reviving lend-lease of arms
to Europe through the Military Aid
Program. 1t passed a farm bill hold
ing parity prices to 80 percent for one
year.
That is what Congress did. This is
what it did not do.
1t did not pass tax increases re-
quested by the President. That this
viii be an issue in the next session is
forecast by the Presidents recent an
nouncement that he will try once
again for tax increase.
for a tax increase.
1t refused to revive price control
or any other controls which were
wartime measures. 1t passed over
plans for bigger unemployment in
surance benefits. 1t by-passed bills on
the Compulsory Health Insurance
Plans proposed by the Administration
and any insurance against temporary
disability. There was no action on
Federal Aid to Education.
1t turned down the Brannan Plan
Bill for farm aid and passed over big
ger old-age benefits at this time. 1t
refused more lending authority in the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
or easier credit for housing at this
time. 1t failed to pass TWAS on the
st. Lawrence and other rivers. 1t
turned down Universal Military
Training. 1t took no action on a
Federal Fair Employment Practice
Act. And it refused Statehood for