Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-05
By ROBERT X. WALSH

Whether as result OF colncl-
dence, calculation or conscience.
the attendance in Congress
spurted after the legislators raised
their own pay last February.
Records demonstrated today
that groups of at least 400 of the
ABS House members showed up to
be counted on numerous occa-
Sions since that time.
Senatorial attendance indi-
Gated a less definite trend. But
1t, too. was high. Seldom were
there fewer than IS out of the
So Senators present at crucial
times in recent months.
1t was not always thus in the
SD Congress OF 1885. Nor were
there proportionate turn-outs in
the weeks preceding House and
Senate passage late last Febru-
airy of bills to boost salaries OF
senator's and representatives to
$22,500.
Nine Missed Opening
On the opening day of the
84th Congress last January 5. the
election of Speaker brought 228
votes for Mr.. Rayburn, Democrat
of Texas, and 1873 for Mr.. Martin,
Republican of Massachusetts,.
However impressive, the 426 to-
tai disclosed nine members we're
either absent or did not vote on
the opening day when everyone
theoretically was supposed to ap-
pear for swearing-in at the
Capitol.
. Before S-day when Con-
gressnen took final action to
lift their own salaries the
House mustered a vote Of 40 to
3 for the resolution authorizing
the President to safeguard For
mosa. The Senate vote was 88
to 3.
= But on other outstanding is
sues before March /. the House
seldom exceeded 400 and the
Senate rarely broke 80.
On February is the House
passed Congressional pay raise
bill, 283 to 118, a total Of 401.
The Senate week later APP
proved a slightly changed bill,
So to 7. The conference compro-
mise was accepted by the House.
223 to lis, and by the Senate
on a voice vote.
Then things started to happen
1perhaps because bigger bills
were called up for decision or
perhaps because members re-
called they had raised their
salaries.
=
Heavy Voting
:; Extension of the Reciprocal
Trade Agreements program was
approved by the House February
10 by a 295-to-l10 vote. This
gathering of 405 representatives
followed votes on various amend
ment moves in which no fewer
than 385 members participated
on February II. When the bill
eventually reached the Senate it
was adopted, rs to 10, following
an unsuccessful a tempt to
strike out the so-called peril
point provision" That proposal
prompted 81 of the SO Senators
to vote.
Late in February AIT House
members voted on a bill, eventu-
ally enacted, to extend various
excise levies and the existing
corporate income tax rate. The
Senate later voted 81 to 80, a
total Of SO.
A spot check today showed the
following other healthy sized
votes in House or Senate since
February:
The House passed the bill for
better pay and benefits for serv-
icemen. 399 to /, on March l..
The farm price supports problem
produced total House votes of
408. All and 401 on several par
liamentary moves or final pas
sage. Hawaii-Alaska statehood
efforts were shelved by the
House. 218 to ITO. Postal pay
measures seldom brought out
fewer than 800 votes In the House
or 80 in the Senate.
Highway building bills, i'll
fated both from the standpoint
of the President and the Demo-
Gratis, were beaten in the House
by votes in which AIS members
participated. The several Senate
votes on its highway program
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