Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-11
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his group will meet tomorrow or
Friday to approve the measure.
The bill would go to. the SEN
ate floor next week for debate
ahead of controversial legislation
on tidelands oil.
Both the Hawaii and tidelands
bills are before Senator Buffers
committee. He said the commit
tee, interrupting work on tide
lands, will consider one or two
amendments to the Hawaiian
statehood bill that cleared the
House late yesterday, 274 to 1873.
Butler Sees no Delay.
The proposed amendments, he
said, are not major, and should
not delay Senate action on bring
ing normally Republican Hawaii
into the Union.
The House amended the bill.
writing in among other things
provision for another congress
sional vote-to ratify the new
States constitution - before
Hawaii could actually be adj
mitted. Then it passed the
amended bill on roll call vote.
Democratic leaders lost a bitter
battle to return it to committee
for further study.
The House first passed a Ha-
wall statehood bill in 1947 by
a vote of 1877 to 1873, and again
in 1850 by 262 to ITO.
Rayburn Fights Proposal.
The recommittal motion, made
by Representative Rogers, Demo-
crat, OF Texas, was supported by
Democrats seeking to force ac-
ton on the Alaska statehood
bill, as well as opponents of
statehood for both territories.
The move was defeated on a
227-to-182 roll call.
House Minority Leader Rayburn
argued that it was "fundamen-
tally wrong" "a major operation
and a dangerous one" to set up
new States on territory not ada
cent to the mainland of the
United States.
Assistant Minority Leader Nc
Cormack led Democrats favoring
statehood for both Alaska and
Hawaii who contended it was un-
fair for the Republicans to con-
centrate on Hawaii's admission
to the Union and to make no
commitments on Alaska.
Hawaii is additionally Repuo-
llcan, while Alaska normally IS
considered Democratic.
Two Major Changes in Bill.
Twenty-eight Democrats and
1873 Republicans voted against
the motion to recommit. Voting
for it were 166 Democrats, Is
Republicans and one independ-
ent.
On final passage, 1T Republic
cans and 81 Democrats voted for
the bill, while 100 Democrats,
81 Republicans and one indie
pendent voted against it.
The House made two major
changes in the bill as it Was
reported by the Interior Com
mittee.
It voted, 188-to-134, to limit
Hawaii'S representation in the
House to one member, although
the territory's population of
499, TAO in 1850 would normally
entitle it to two House mem
berS. The new State would get
two Senators, the same as other
States.
May Need Another Bill.
The House also voted to re-
quire Hawaii to come back to
Congress later for approval of
its State constitution, instead of
leaving it up to the President
to Determine that the Consti-
tuition conforms with the pro-
visions of the bill and the United
States Constitution.
Secretary of the Interior Nc
Kay last month asked Congress
to let the President determine
when Hawaii had met consti-
tutional requirements for state
hood. He said he could see no
reason why it should have to
come back to Congress for en-
actment of a second bill approx
ing its constitution.
Hawaii drafted and adopted
its proposed state constitution
more than two years ago.
Unless changed by the Sem
ate, the requirements of con-
gressional ratification of the
constitution will require passage
of another bill by both Senate
and House.
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