National Affairs: Sine Die

Into President Hoover’s office at the White House last week marched two Senators—Jones of Washington, Walsh of Montana; and two Representatives—Til-son of Connecticut, Garner of Texas. They came to perform a traditional ceremony— notification of the President that Congress was about to adjourn. Congressman Tilson truly declared that the House had finished its program. When Senator Jones’s turn came to speak for the Senate, he repeated the historic phrase: “Mr. President, the Senate has completed its work—” Then he qualified: “—as far as possible.” It was all the others present on this solemn occasion could do to keep from outright laughter. Senator Jones, according to Congressman Tilson, wore his “best poker face.” President Hoover rounded out the ritual by saying: “I thank you. I have no further communication to make to the Congress at this time.” The comedy of the White House scene was furnished by the fact that the Senate defaulted on the tariff bill by voting to end the special session with this major legislation still uncompleted. The first session of the 71st Congress which began last April and ended last week cost the country $177,000,000, exclusive of legislators’ salaries which must be paid anyway. Of this amount $151,-500,000 was voted to start the Federal Farm Board; $19,000,000 for the 1930 Census and House Reapportionment; $4,500,000 for eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Florida; $1,000,000 for pay increases to legislative employes; $1,000,000 for legislative expenses, includ-ing $360,000 for publication of the Congressional Record, $200,000 for compilation and publication of tariff information, $226,000 for “mileage.” The Senate’s vote to adjourn, after its refusal to do so last fortnight, came suddenly, unexpectedly. The band of two dozen “Young Turks” (junior Republicans) was beaten in its effort to hold the Senate on the tariff job when all but one Democrat joined with the Old Guard to vote adjournment 49 to 33. With the end of the session fixed, the Senate dawdled over the tariff, finally turned aside to flay its critics. Statistician Roger Babson who had declared that Congress had fiddled like Nero while the stock-market broke, who had urged it to “stop bickering, adjourn and stay adjourned,” was loudly denounced by Senator Borah. Cried the Idaho Senator: “. . . Utterly false and malicious statement! Who is this Babson? A man serving special interests, who has no responsibility, who could not carry a precinct and yet who dares tell Senators to abandon their duty!”

Each Senator flayed the public character he disliked most. Senator Norris flayed Publisher Edward Beale McLean of the Washington Post. Senator Glass flayed Chairman Charles Edwin Mitchell of Manhattan’s National City Bank. Senator Harrison flayed the Republican President. Senate attendance petered out until at the final meeting only eleven members were present. Senator James Thomas (“Tom Tom”) Heflin rose primed to make a speech. To silence him Ohio’s Senator Fess had the roll called. Newsmen in the gallery guffawed at the spectacle. Senator Heflin, sensitive to laughter, blurted a demand that the galleries be cleared. As a clerk slowly droned names that did not respond, Vice President Curtis brought down his gavel, announced that the Senate stood adjourned sine die.