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"Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for two minutes."

With these words a skinny, bespectacled, schoolteacherish Georgian uprose last week in the House of Representatives. There was no objection, for the Honorable Braswell Drue Deen of Alma, who at this session has wangled from his party leaders a total of only eight minutes speaking time, had just been promised two minutes more by Rules Committee Chairman O'Connor. Seizing time by the forelock Representative Deen launched into the most gratefully received two-minute speech delivered this year in the house: "Mr. Speaker, there are many reasons why the House and Senate should quickly adjourn this session of the 74th Congress. . . ." Applause. ''More than 20 of our colleagues--26 to be exact--are now either in hospitals or at their homes suffering from heart trouble or a nervous breakdown.* This Congress has worked long and faithfully and well, and, personally, I insist that the Senate bring its business quickly to an end. . . ." More applause. "In my opinion it will be welcomed by the great majority of the people in the whole country. This share-the-wealth, soak-the-rich and save-the-poor legislation, some of which I am in favor of, can wait six months longer, because the rich will not get too rich in a few more months and the wealth can then be shared, and the poor are being taken care of now, and I am personally appealing to the membership of the House to let us adjourn this session immediately." Mad applause from Democrats and Republicans alike. A day passed and "Bras" Deen offered a privileged resolution: "Resolved . . . That the two Houses of Congress shall adjourn on Tuesday, the 23rd day of July, 1935 . . . sine die." Up jumped Rules Chairman O'Connor, moved to table the resolution. Speaker Byrns called for those in favor of tabling the motion: a chorus of "Ayes." Then he called for those opposed: a much louder, heartier chorus of "Noes." "The Ayes appear to have it," opined Speaker Byrns. Representative Deen and Republican Leader Snell jumped to their feet demanding a division. Forced to stand up and be counted, Representatives were far less willing to vote their real preferences: in against adjournment, 48 for. Republican Snell promptly raised the point of no quorum and Democrat Taylor of Colorado demanded a roll call. Forced to go on record, a still smaller percentage of Representatives were willing to defy the Democratic leaders: against adjournment 261; for 87. Another day passed and Franklin Roosevelt, facing his newshawks at the White House, answered a direct question directly: Yes, he had asked to have his tax bill passed at this session. He remembered when he used to practice law. If a rich man had a weak case in court his lawyers might try to get it postponed on account of hot weather. If anyone had a good case he pressed for action. In so many words Franklin Roosevelt said that rich men, such as newspaper publishers,* who oppose his tax bill had a weak case, while he had a strong case. Ergo, he pressed for action. Congressmen spend their legislating hours in the air-conditioned Chambers of the House and Senate./- If they were to leave Washington most of them would have to do without any air-conditioning at all, would find temperatures at home as hot as in Washington, if not hotter. Undoubtedly the lobby putting the most pressure on Congress to adjourn was the lobby of Congressmen's wives who want to get away to summer resorts, seashores or even the relative coolness of their own back parlors. The adjournment issue came to a head last week because some Congressmen who week-ended with President Roosevelt at Jefferson Islands (TIME, July 22) got the definite impression that the President would forego his tax bill at this session if he could be provided with a graceful "out." Unwisely some of the returning weekenders blabbed this possibility to the Press. When the news appeared in print Franklin Roosevelt, to save his own face, had to insist more strongly than ever on immediate action. Their hopes crushed, Congressmen last week resigned themselves to staying in Washington until Labor Day. But Washington weather and Congressional wives being no better than they should be, a good prospect remained that the adjournment issue would rise Phoenix-like again & again & again.

*Still on his feet was Representative Deen although he might have added that he himself had lost eleven pounds, reducing his weight to 149 Ib. *A crack aimed at Georgia's Deen who owns the Alma Times. Countered Representative Deen: "My paper is just a weekly and I would sell it to anybody for $7,000." /-Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee put $2,255,000 extra into the Deficiency Appropriation Bill to provide air-conditioning for the entire Capitol, the House Office Building, the Senate Office Building.

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