Evening star., 1962-04-25
BY ROBERT X. WALSH
Star Staff Writer

SS0A SSNAA "AAbNA
House Resolution 1861 is the
latest legislative bill to be cast
in the role of Macbeth'S poor
player who frets his hour upon
the stage and is seen no more.
Many House measures of this
kind have been born to blush
practically unseen while prop
ping up civil rights amend
ments for Senate filibusterS.
Some eventually were anact-
ed and soon forgotten.
{ HR 1861 might yet escape
being wasted on the senatorial
air. 1t might do as we'll as the
Alexander Hamilton memorial
resolution. Or, it might suffer
the tormentS of the Stella
school district relief bill.
Like those two most recent
predecessors. HR 1861 bears no
speaking acquaintance with
civil rights issues or constitu-
tional interpretations.
Farmer Achieves Fame
Passed by the House last
August, HR 1861 would relieve
James M. Norman, a Texas
farmer, from having to refund
$2,0O1.48 which the Federal
Crop Insurance Corp erron-
eously paid him for 1859 dam
age to, his insured crops.
All Mr.. Norman wanted was
the $2,001.48, but his bill was
chosen as the vehicle to carry
a rider to ban unreasonable
literacy tests for voting.
Senate leaders saw no chance
of a literary test bill coming
out Of the Judiciary Commit
tee presided over by Senator
Eastland, Democrat of Missis-
sippi. So they decided to tack
the legislation on HR 1851,
which the Judiciary Commit
tee reported out last month.
whatever Mr.. Norman's
chances of getting relief, he
might spend some time reflect
ing on Alexander Hamilton and
the Stella school district.
A bill to establish the Hamil-
ton mansion in New York as a
national memorial became a
senatorial dueling ground last
month because of an amend
ment to ban poll taxes as
requisites for voting. A consti-
tutional amendment resolution
was passed as a separate bill
after a filibuster. The Hamil-
ton memorial resolution then
was rescued and approved by
the Senate and House this
month.
The Stella situation two
years ago was not so fortunate
and it's troubles are not yet
over. That bill was trapped for
weeks in a Senate filibuster
after Vice President johnson,
then majority leader, attached
q broad civil rights bill as an
amendment.
Billed by Army
The story began with a jan.
uary, 1859, fire that destroyed
temporary classrooms in vacant
barracks which the school
board rented on the Fort
Crowder military reservation.
The Army billed the Stella
school district for $4,000, a
huge sum for the tiny Ozark
community.
A House bill to discharge the
Army's rental claim had to con-
tend not only with the long
Senate filibuster, but later with
Senator Morse, Democrat of
Oregon. He insisted on a for
mula for payment of so per cent
of fair rental value. Stella resi-
dents wondered how to deter
mine the fair rental value of
vacant Ar my barracks. They
nevertheless paid the Army
$1.50o.
Representative Hall, Repub-
lican of Missouri, early this
year introduced a bill to reim-
burse Stella for the 81, 500. The
bill went through the House
but has languished in the Sen
ate.
The Stella saga did not stop
there. Another fire destroyed a
small building housing Stella'S
first and second-grade class
rooms and the stock Of gro
ceries for the school lunch pro-
gram. Stella residents asked