Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-05-31 | Page 1 | Garner Goes to Fore for Relief Bill

GARNER GOES TO FORE FOR RELIEF Bill r Leader Testifies Before the House J-fouse Ways and Means Committee D DEMANDS E EM M A AND N D S LEGISLATION Believed First Time Speaker Has So Appeared Br DY Associated Press WASHINGTON May 1 31 Speaker 31 Garner test testified to the house ways way and means committee today in support support sup sup- port of ot his relief relic pro pro- gram grama He was the first witness As he entered the big hearing room he was the object of attention from a crowd of oh curious spectators Chairman Collier who has been sick since he collapsed in Jan January ary resumed the gavel replacing A Acting Ung Chairman Crisp Other witnesses scheduled to follow fol Lol- Lol low the speaker were W. W C. C Hushing representing the American Federation of Labor Earl Smith of Chicago president president pres ident of the Illinois Agricultural association as as- Rev Re John OGrady of Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington secretary of or the National Council of Catholic Charities anc and Judge Ewing Cockrill of Warrenton Mo In the memory of the oldest member memo mem ber this was the first time a speaker has gone before a committee to advocate advocate advocate cate legislation WAS MEMBER IE Garner was a member of the ways aSI and means committee for 5 2 years anc and was ranking Democrat when he assumed as as- the Speaking in a quiet ton tone tone- Garner demanded that the committee report favorably a n bill providing for or direct I relief to aid the starving and suffering suffer suffer- ing lag people in this country The Texan told the 15 Democrats and 10 Republicans on the committee that the question before them was wasIs wasl Is it the duty of or congress contress to take note of or the condition of the people anc and pass legislation to J give e the starving and suffering relief In explaining that he was leaving testimony on the merits of his 2309 relief program to members of house committees handling various sections of the legislation Garner said he hc desired to discuss the policy of the proposed legislation only SITUATION KNOWN I think it safe to say that it is known by almost all men that in the state of affairs in this country at the present time men and women are arc suffering suffering suf suf- fering for want of food Garner said He lie read a statement inserted into the Con Congressional Record by Senator Jones R. R Wash received from an nn employment committee at Tacoma which said the unemployed were are on the verge of starvation It urged the senator to drop all legislation leg leg- to sponsor measures for direct relief Garner said that such information came from all sections of the country and from every congressional district Garner said that in determining Its policy on his legislation providing for direct relief It was up to lo individual members of the committee commit commit- tee to say to the country whether the federal government should give relief to those 4 I