The House

More than 200 bills started their way toward the purgatory of committees and the hell of oblivion in the House last week. Well did its 432 members know that all the session's important legislation would originate not in Congress but at the White House, whence would come, week by week, the order of business. Nevertheless, tradition dictated a simulacrum of consequential activity.

Newcomers. Somebody told Mrs. Roosevelt that the new Representatives had been sworn in before the President's address to the joint session (see p. 14). This piece of misinformation almost deprived Mrs. Roosevelt of a very special pleasure. Just as she was about to leave the galleries with the rest of the spectators, she turned to see her bridesmaid and lifelong friend, Isabella Greenway, take the oath of office as Congresswoman-at-large from Arizona.*

On the recommendation of the Louisiana delegation, Lallie Kemp of Amite, who hoped to till her late husband's place, was asked to step aside. Her election, allegedly steamrollered by the Long machine, was contested by Jared Y. Sanders Jr., victorious candidate of a "citizens' election" (TIME, Dec. 18 ). The matter was referred to Elections Committee No. 3, on which no Louisianian sat.

Bills. There is nothing to prevent a Congressman from introducing a bill proposing that the U. S. annex the other side of the moon. It goes into the Record for the benefit of the homefolks, if they are moonstruck. Largely on this basis, Pennsylvania's Kelly proposed that RFC loan up to 50% of the property value of any business to its owners. California's Hoeppel wanted a $10,000,000,000 appropriation for "county loan agencies." More realistically, Minority Leader Bertrand Snell demanded restoration of the 15% pay cut in Federal salaries. And an echo of Hoover times sounded when Minnesota's Lundeen filed a petition to force a vote on a bill to pay the Bonus in full.

Work Done. Business of the week was passage of the liquor tax bill, providing a levy of $2 a gal. on spirits; and from 10-c- to $1.10 a gal. on wines (estimated revenue: $500,000,000). It passed 388 to 5 after two days' windy debate.

*Other newcomers sworn in were Texas' Thompson, Georgia's Brown, Arkansas' Terry, Alabama's Carmichael, Pennsylvania's Frey, New York's Clarke, West Virginia's Edmiston.

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