Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

President Hoover is getting his first
real taste of what it means not to be
the absolute boss of a show. Both his
civilian and official careers hitherto
have been of a kind which permitted
him to give orders and have them
obeyed unqueStioningly. It was not for
his subordinates to reason why; 1t was
but theirs to do and die 1t was like
that on all Hoover's big engineering
jobs throughout the world and during
his wartime activities as reliever of
Belgium. To a lesser extent the same
conditions prevailed during the Hoover
food administration at Washington and
while he was Secretary of Commerce.
But never till now, with an insubordi-
nate Senate on his hands, has the
President realized what the checks and
balances system of the American Con-
stitution means. At the present witch
ing hour, Mr.. Hoover is doing the bal
ancing and the Senate is doing the
checking.
Probably the Mediterranean fruit fly
in its deadliest plans never dreamed
of its ability to kill the farm debenture
plan along with the Florida fruit crop.
Yet that's nearly what happened on
Capitol Hill yesterday when the roll
was called on the adoption of the con-
ferees' report. In other words, the
two switched votes of the Democratic
Senator'S from Florida-Trammell and
Fletcher-came within an ace of swing
ing the result against the debenture.
Thereby hangs the tale of the fly. The
administration for a month past has
had dinned into its ear the terrible
plight facing Florida in consequence
of the ruin the Mediterranean bug has
spread throughout the States orchards.
- tay -N1l or o.
ton. A Republican national commit
teeman ESQ the story goes) was told on
to secure the passage by the Florida
LEGISLATURE of a resolution directing
Senators Trammell and Fletcher to
vote against the debenture. Thereupon
Florida was granted an appropriation
of $4,250 900 to fight the ny, with prom
ise Of greater aid If needed. On June
IL the Alligator commonwealths prace
of Senators underwent right-about-
face on debenture, deserted their party
and backed the President.
X 4 X
Between the lines of the current rue
ton in which House and Senate are en-
tangled may be read the story OF tne
Senate's determination not to let the
Lower Branch become cock of the con-
gresSional walk. For long time lts
been getting sorely on the nerves OF
Senators to hear the House euloglZed
| as the one constructive, capaply leo
| and truly enlightened half of the Ma
tional Legislature. Talk of that sort
has been particularly rife during the
pending unpleasantness on the Hill. III
was intensified by the House contention
that the Senate, in lacking the de-
benture amendment onto the farm bill,
was stepping on the Houses constitu-
| tional toes, That was a little too much
| for the august body which looks upon
| itself as the guardian-in-chief OF our
| Magma Charta, SO it was decided to put
| the upstairs in the other wing OF the
| Capitol in their place. Hence the crow
eating performance through Wnlcn
Speaker Longworths little playmates
are about to 90 in the form of de-
| benture vote. An idea of the sort OF
thing ranking in the Senate's bosom
| Is convened by this observation of Sem
ator Robinson, Democratic minority
leader: mo individual or group of in
dividuals styling themselves leaders
| has any right to assert arbitrarily that
before the House shall vote upon a
question, important legislation must be
sacrificed"
To Senator Frederick H. Gillett, Re-
publican, of Massachusetts,, is attributed
| the merriest wisecrack of the more or
| less blithe political season in Washing
| ton. 1.-THE Republican party" the SEN
Tor solon from the Bay State Is credited
with having remarked, consists now
adays of two categories: the appointed
and the disappointed"
X X y
| One OF the Capitals wisest women,
| famed for her cynicisms, has an ex-
PLANTATION of Sir Esme Towards deci-
sion not to apply for any more permits
to import liquor for the British en-
bassy. Her diagnosis is that, as he is
leaving WASHINGTON next February. the