The Legislative Week

Senate—

¶ Debated Italian debt settlement.

¶ Received from Interstate Commerce committee a bill providing for voluntary consolidation of railroads.

¶ Debated $165,000,000 public buildings bill.

¶ Passed the District of Columbia appropriation bill carrying $33,700,000.

House—

¶Passed bill providing $150,000,000 for construction of good roads on a 50-50 basis wtih the states.

¶ Promised through floor leaders consideration of farm relief legislation, and consideration began. Representative Tincher introduced Administration bill providing for a Federal Farm Advisory Council and Farmer Marketing Commission. It carried a $100,000,000 fund for loans and $500,000 for expenses.

¶ Passed, viva voce, a bill creating the Foreign Trade Service. Its purpose is to unify activities for promotion of trade, and it will be under the Department of Commerce, of which Herbert Hoover is Secretary. In debate, Representative Black of Texas snorted at the salaries of $10,000 and generous perquisites offered to the advance agents of commerce. Representative Rayburn of Texas countered by citing the rice industry of California as one of thousands of examples of the benefits secured by our foreign trade agents. Representative Hoch of Kansas was author of the bill.

¶ Passed bill carrying $89,000,000 program for naval aviation. (Bill went to the Senate.) It directs that 235 planes shall be built in 1927 and in the four following years, 246, 269, 290 and 313 respectively, totaling 1,353.

¶ Passed bill providing that commercial aviation shall be under control of the Department of Commerce, which may register aircraft, examine pilots, prescribe traffic rules, inspect machines. An Assistant Secretary is added to the department. Jurisdiction now exercised by the Postmaster General will be transferred to the Department of Commerce. Foreign aircraft are prohibited from engaging in interstate commerce. (Bill went to the President.)