THE CONGRESS: Work Done, May 2, 1932

The Senate: ¶Adopted a resolution by Washington's Jones providing for a mixed commission to study reorganization of the executive government.

¶Held funeral services for William Julius Harris, deceased Senator from Georgia.

¶Received from Louisiana's Long a resolution to tax out of existence all incomes over $1,000,000 per year, all estates over $5,000,000.

¶Debated the Bankhead-Heflin contested election in Alabama.

¶Received from Secretary Mills a protest against cutting the Treasury Department's appropriation by 10%.

Committees of the Senate:

¶Approved a bill by New York's Wagner to establish a Federal employment system. A similar bill was vetoed last year by President Hoover. ¶Continued investigating short sales on the New York Stock Exchange (see p. 55). ¶Completed public hearing on the House tax bill.

¶Rejected (7-10-4) a bill by Connecticut's Bingham to legalize 4% beer.

The House:

¶Voted (268-10-42) to accept the Senate's 10% cut in the Interior Department appropriation bill.

¶Debated the $327.000.000 Naval appropriation bill, after refusing to decrease the number of Navy bands or increase the $14,000,000 allowed for battleship modernization.

¶Passed (86-to-18) a bill by New York's Dickstein excluding mediocre alien actors under the contract labor clause of the immigration law.

¶Received from Missouri's Barton a bill to pay Missouri 43¢ expended on a National Guardsman. Estimated cost of printing and passing the measure: $20. ¶Eulogized Iowa's Haugen, senior member of the House in point of continuous service (33 years).

Committees of the House: ¶Continued hearings on the Soldier Bonus (see p. 12).

¶Approved a bill by Maryland's Goldsborough ordering the Federal Reserve to raise and maintain wholesale commodity prices at pre-Depression levels by stabilizing the dollar. Democratic leaders made the bill a party measure. ¶Completed drafting an omnibus economy bill to save $263,277.000 by: 1) cutting all Federal wages over $1.000 by 11%; 2) consolidating the Army & Navy into one department; 3) reducing the compensation paid hospitalized veterans; 4) abolishing the Army & Navy transport service. The President would be empowered to consolidate but not abolish overlapping executive boards & bureaus.