Acts & Facts

Significant acts and facts of the new 76th Congress, which convened last week:

The House

>In electing four members to vacancies on the omnipotent Ways & Means Committee, the Democratic House Caucus voted most heavily for Representative Milton West of Texas, non-New Dealer, good friend of Vice President "Cactus Jack" Garner and successor to his House seat. The other three fillers-in elected were New Dealers: Louisiana's Maloney, Pennsylvania's Boland, Illinois' McKeough. Conspicuously not elected to the Committee was a self-proclaimed candidate. Wright Patman of Texas, author of Bill No. 1 on the House calendar, to tax chain stores out of existence.

> The avowed strategy of Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin will be to work behind and through anti-Administration Democrats, keep his henchmen from getting out on the limb of an Opposition with a program.

> By a revision of the rules, Administration leaders took World War pension matters out of the hands of the liberal Pensions Committee, handed them to the World War Veterans' Legislation Committee (Mississippi's Rankin, chairman).

> Contrary to expectation, the right of Democrat Dr. Rudolph G. Tenerowicz of Hamtramck, Mich., onetime convict (TIME, Nov. 28, et ante) to a seat was not challenged. No seat was challenged.

The Senate

> To fortify his control over the Senate, Majority Leader Barkley got three more New Dealers (Bankhead, Minton, Green) appointed to the Steering Committee, two more (Schwartz, Smathers) appointed to the Policy Committee.

> Probable revolts against the Administration will be led by Senators Harrison on Taxation, Smith on Farm Relief, Byrd on Reorganization, Vandenberg on Social Security revision, Hatch on politics-in-Relief. A fight, hot and early, was promised over a bill which Democrat King of Utah filed, calling for the dissolution of WPA in 90 days and the return of Relief, still federally financed, to the States. Leaders of a movement to continue WPA but earmark its appropriations in Congress (contrary to President Roosevelt's wish), will be South Carolina's Byrnes and Montana's Murray, hitherto Administration men.

> California's Downey, sponsor of crack-pated "Ham & Eggs" ($30 every Thursday pension plan), was assigned to the committee on Banking & Currency.

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