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Show f : CAPITAL i GLEAMNGSA I -?-:L nBY . .jail ! , 2.: . .J YOUR CONGRESSMAN yiUJytlJU j Coi.sei-iption, authority to call the naiional guard into federal service, and excess profits lax 1. -ikttion monopolized .congressional .congres-sional tittention the past week, with debate centering largely on how much power to grant the president, without congress having hav-ing declared an emergency. The s.-nate witnessed a bitter struggle oer the proposal to draft manpower man-power of the nation in peacetime, and while administration approval is expected to expedite enactment, opponents are hopeful of defeating the measure. The house military affairs committee has been conducting con-ducting hearings on the Burke-Wadsworth Burke-Wadsworth bill, and opposition among congressmen is mounting so that administration leaders are skeptical of its passage. On August 15, the house gave its approval to the bill previously passed by the senate, authorizing the president to order into federal service members of the national guard and reserves, " for a period of 12 months each. Members with dependents, as well as those under un-der 18, may apply for discharge. Republican members sought to limit service of the guardsmen, after af-ter entering federal service, to the United States and insular possessions, posses-sions, instead of the entire Weslern Wesl-ern homiphere, but after an appeal ap-peal by Majority Leader Itayborn, this amendment was defeated 210 to 110. Another amendment, to permit a guardsman to apply for discharge within 20 days after being ordered into federal service, was defeated. In these days, when everyone is alarmed over 'fifth column" activities activi-ties in this .country, it -is time to stop importing crimnals? Congress got some insight as to how agi taters, criminals, and other undesirables unde-sirables continue to get into the United States despite our exclusion exclus-ion laws, when Senator Reynold (Dem., North Carolina) read into the Record of July 8 a letter from Secretary Hull stating that Secre tary of Labor Frances Perkins had admitted illegally more than 725 felons to this country by waiving provisions of law against admission admis-sion of aliens guilty of various crimes. The federal government should enforce laws and not connive con-nive with dangerous aliens. For the first time, the number of workers in the executive branch of the federal government has pas sed the million mark. According to the civil service .commission report re-port for June, the total reached 1.011.0C,;. an increase of oM.0,0 from May. This compared with the World war peak of 917.700 on November 11, ISIS. During the! year ended June 30. 1940. the in-J "create was S3.2S1. of which 82 per cent covered employes of the war and navy departments, the Panama Pana-ma Canal authority and the Civil Aeronautics authority. Those four branches accounted for GO per cent of the gain in June. The June payroll pay-roll was $149.076,6117. Plans are already tindery way here to consider methods to develop de-velop the economy of this hemisphere hem-isphere under the program adopted at the recent Havana conference by 21 Pan-American nations. Defense De-fense plans and opposition to transfer of European possessions to non-Ainerican countries received receiv-ed approval and support, with the financial responsibility resting largely on the United States. With European markets now .closed, the more serious problem involves the surpluses of' commodities in South America. The. Hull program proposes pro-poses to help remove these surpluses, sur-pluses, and the required funds would be derived through a pending pend-ing proposal to increase the lending lend-ing power of the export-import bank by $500,000,000. Grave doubt is being raised as to the possibilities of successfully meeting this problem, in view of the fact that burdensome commodities commod-ities in South America are agricultural, agri-cultural, and thus, in direct competition com-petition with our own surpluses. Aiding foreign nations is difficult when we have failed to improve materally the condition of agriculture agricul-ture in the United States. The Wheeler-Lea Transportation act received house approval August Aug-ust 12, when the conference report was adopted by a vote of 246 to 74. A motion to recommit the report re-port for conclusion of the Wads-worth Wads-worth amendment failed, after the House had on two former occasions occas-ions voted in favor of this provision pro-vision to permit water .carriers to maintain compensatory rates. In May, the Wheeler-Lea act was sent back to the conference committee with specific instructions instruc-tions to include three v amendments. amend-ments. Two of these were accepted ac-cepted in modified form, one by Representative Jones extending rates on farm commodities, and the other by Representative Harrington Har-rington protecting railroad employes em-ployes when mergers or consolidations consolida-tions take place. Of vital concern to Idaho is a section of the act authorizing the . interstate commerce .commission upon application of a common carrier, car-rier, to grant permission to charge less for longer than for shortei distances. This act confers upon the commission authority to regu late all forms of transportation. The United States will soon be able to .compile accurate dat; concerning aliens in this country Beginning September 1, almost 4, 000,000 non-citizens will be re quired to register and be linger printed, and to report on any pos sible connection with political an tivities of foregiu governments This frrccj finger-printing js nothing um-na:, American citl zens voluntrviiy take this p.ecau tion and no alien vi'hout ulterioi motives need have any fears oi suspicions. |