The Alamance gleaner VOL. LVII. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY MARCH 5, 1931. NO. 5. 1 ? ?!.. i ?s News Review of Current Events the World Over Sugar Lobby Gift Story Under Investigation, Senator Davis Promising Help?Lame Duck Sessions Probably Will Be Abolished. By EDWARD W. PICKARD IN Tiys closing days of the session of congress the senate ran Into whnt gave some promise of de veloping Into another lobbying scandal. Mr. Borah read to It an article In a New York newspaper which said. In effect, that a senator, during his former occupancy of a high oflleial posi tion. had received 8anator J. J. Davis 1100,000 from the president of ? do mestic sugar company in return for his agreement to lobhy for a high sugar tariff. Senator Nye of North Dakota had already alluded to the story, de ploring the fact that such an unsub stantiated report had been giveD pub licity and credence. Replying to ques tions. Nye admitted that the campaign expenditure committee, of which lie Is chairman, hnd come upon tbe report of a $100,000 gift to a senator, had In completely Investigated it and had turned over a memorandum to the committee on lobbying. He said he thought the senator In question was notified to have an Inquiry made and the truth established by the lobby com mittee, which Is headed by Senator Caraway of Arkansas. At the Instance of Senator Borah, supported by Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the senate Instructed the lobby committee to Investigate the story. Immediately thereafter Senator James J. Davis of Pennsylvania, form er secretary of labor, announced off the senate floor that he stood ready to appear before the lobby committee at any time and that he would assure the committee of the presence of sev eral witnesses whom It would desire to hear. Among the witnesses he named was Bror O. Dahlberg of Chi cago, president of the Southern Sugar company. Mr. Davis declared he would assist the committee In Investigating the charges "to the bottom." - Appearing later before the lobby committee, Senator Davis declared the charges. If directed at him, were ab solutely false. * ITH little or no expectation that VV his veto would be sustained. President Hoover put the mark of his disapproval on the veterans' bonus loan bill. His veto message to con gress Included data provided by Sec retary Mellon showing how the bonus loans would aggravate the flouncing difficulties of the treasury, and also new estimates of the number of vet erans who will apply for the loans. Abolishment of the "lame duck" session of congress seemed as sured when the house adopted the Ollford resolution to that effect and providing for the Inauguration of the newly elected President In January Instead of March. The resolution, #hlch proposes sn amendment to the Constitution, differs soraewhst from the Norrls measure passed by the senate with the same purpose, but It was believed the differences would be Ironed out In conference It Is planned that the terms of the Presi dent and Vice President shall end on tbe twenty-fourth day of Janoary and the terms of senators and representa tives at noon on the fourth day of January of the years In which such terms normally would end. Congress would assemble on January 4, and tbe President would be sworn In on January 24. ONE of Oklahoma's lame dock Re publican congressmen, D. 8. Stone of Nor man, pat forth a pari ng wall that aroused little If any sympathy among the national law makers but con aiderable among the public at large Mr. Stone had introduced a bill barring relatives of members of con U. S. Ston* gress and of high offldals from be coming federal employee*, and tbe other day he called at the While Houae to aak President Hoover'* support for the measure and also to tell what this attack on nepotism was getting him. "I never dreamed." aald Mr. Stone, "that a simple, constructive move no my part could make sncb a difference. 1 paa* fellow houae member* In the hallways of the office building and they do not speak td me. My wife Is punished for my daring. Even bureau clerks in legislative departments give tne the cold sliouider and Interfere with my work as a member of the house. "I have had members whisper that I am right, hut that I would not suc ceed. Others have warned tne that I would suffer for my rashness. The reaction against my proposal to make it 'unlawful' for any legislative, min isterial. or Judicial officer to appoint any person rela.ed to him when the pay is to come out of public funds has been most extraordinary." The last annual report of the clerk of the house reveals that approxi mately 100 relatives are now on the pay rolls of members, and a survey shows that many of these have never done a lick of work in the offices for which they got their appointments. ONLY a veto by President Hoover can keep the government from go ing into the power business, for the sen ate Joined with the house in accept ing the conference report on Muscle Shoals. The senate vote was 55 to 2ft. This indicated that a veto would he sustained. Twenty Republicans voted for the measure, eleven of them being of the radical group which has the power question for Its chief issue. Another rebuff for the administra tion was administered when the house passed Senator Wagner's bill setting up federal and state employment agen cies, without a record vote. It was be lieved President Hoover might kill the measure by s pocket veto. Minnesota Dem ocra ta a n nounced, through Jhalrmnn J. J. Far rell of their atale ex ecu 11 to committee, that they would try to unaent Senator Thomaa D. Schnll. Re publican, who waa re elected laat Novem ber In a five-cornered contest. Farrell said S c h a 11 would be charged with violating Senator T. D. Schall the state corrupt practices act and also wltb violating federal regulations governing the use of postal franking privileges, and that the state elections committee would be asked to declare the seat vacant so that a new elec tion may be called. When Senator Schall was told of this In Washington he said only: "That does not deserve comment." The blind senator's dispute with President Hoover and Attorney Gen eral Mitchell over the appointment of a new federal Judge for Minnesota continues. After rejecting Schall's choice for the post. Ernest D. Michel of Minneapolis, the President named Gunnar B. Nordhye, now a Minneap olis district Judge, and Schall Immedi ately announced he would contest the nomination in the senate. His course In this matter. It Is said, has led some Hoover Republicans In Minnesota to support the ouster move. QNCE again the United States Su ^ preme court has upheld the val Idlty of the Eighteenth amendment. This time the action, which wjs unan imous. was In reviewing the decision of Federal Judge William Clark of Newark. N. J? who held that the amendment should have been ratified h> state conventions Instead of by state legislatures. This decision was reversed, the opinion' being written by Justice Owen D. Roberts, the new est member of the Supreme court. In a rase appealed from Michigan, the Supreme court held that the severe penalties of the Jones "Bve and ten" law are not applicable to conviction for posaesslon of liquor. piRT Democrat* In congress w ? r ? exceedingly active daring the week get ting ready (or tbe meeting of tbe Dem ocratic national com mittee achednted (or Marcb 5. Chairman John J. iiaakob had announced that tbe committee wonld con sider fntora policies of the party, and an J. i. Raakob sumtng mat n? would 117 to commit It to the wet side of the prohibition controversy, the drys were lining up to light him to the bitter end. Sen ator Morrison of North Carol Los. one at the moot arid ones, said bis group had enough rotes to defeat any wet resolution. Senator George of Georgia asserted the committee had no right to form party policies, that being the function of the national conveution. Other Democratic leaders were anx ious to head off any dlscussioL of the liquor issue. Naturally the approaching commit tee meeting caused a lot of talk about presidential possibilities. The names i heard oftenest were those of Gover nor Itoosevelt of New York. Gover nor Ritchie of Maryland and Senator- | elect .lames Hamilton Lewis of Illi nois. In Chicago there developed quite a boom for Colonel I