RUSH LEGISLATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 22 June 1936, Page 3

RUSH LEGISLATION

IN DYING HOURS OF CONGRESS CORPORATE TAX BILL PASSED RECORD FOR PUBLIC SPENDING (Unite J Press Association—l!j Electric Telegraph—Copyright) W.ASHINGTON, 20th June. A whole series of legislative acts was passed by Congress to-day as both Houses put on all Parliamentary speed possible in a desperate effort to adjourn to-night before the opening of the Democratic Convention at Philadelphia on Tuesday. After months of complicated revisions, the President’s Corporate Tax Bill was finally passed. It is designed to raise 800,000,000 dollars of revenue, largely through levies on the undivided profits of corporations. Another important Bill jammed through was the Ship Subsidies Act, substituting direct financial aid to American shipping for the mail contract system. A Bill to project a 450,000,000 dollar housing programme was killed in the closing hours, as were numerous less important measures.

By 10 p.m. the House had completed its work and marked time for the midnight adjournment, while the Senate was locked in a filibuster against a substitute for the Guffey Coal Act which had been declared to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This is the final session of the 74th Congress, which was elected in 1934. The new Congress will be elected in November and will be convened on sth January, 1937. During its two sessions, Congress set a record for public spending, even exceeding that of the War Congress, the expenditure totalling 19,296,000,000 dollars.

Congress adjourned promptly at midnight, with Senators opposed to the Guffey Bill still holding the floor. Thus the measure was defeated.