Evening star., 1932-12-19
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Picking a new Secretary Of Labor Is
farm relief bill that will suit all the
farmers. The labor forces Of the coun-
try have various organizations with va
rious candidates, and there Is unorgan-
lied labor-less vocal but very numer-
Gus. They all must be considered by
the PreSident-or the President-elect as
in the case Of Gov. Roosevelt-when 1t
comes to selecting a Secretary of Labor.
The task Of finding a man to head the
Department of Labor satisfactory to all
these elements in the ranks of labor OF
this country, and also man who Will
not arouse the fear and antagonism OF
industry and its leaders-the employers
is no mean one.
Its very difficulty perhaps has been
responsible for the long tenure OF ONCE
of the few Secretaries Of Labor the
country has had since the department
was created. For example, Senator
James j. Davis appointed by the late
President Harding to be his Secretary
of Labor, held on and on through the
Harding, Coolidge and Hoover admin
istrationS-until he quit to become
Senator from Pennsylvania.
When Senator Davis stepped out OF
office President Hoover selected William
CGak to head the Lab-r Department.
Mr.. Doak had for a long time been an
official Of one of the railroad brother
HOODS. Secretary Doak will 30 out OF
office with the Hoover administration
on March 4. And now some OF the
Democrats are putting forward another
man who has been intimately associated
with the railroad brotherhoods. EDWARD
81 oh
organ of the railroad workers. Mr.
keating is a Democrat. He served as
asDem- cratic member of the House
from Colorado back in the Wilson ad-
ministration. In those days he took a
very keen interest in the problems OF
labcr. and since he became the editor
of Labor. an Office he has held Tor
many years. he has given all MS time
to those problems Through Labor, the
brotherhocds, and organized lab-r gen.
orally. since the brotherhoods are an
import Mt branch of organized labor IN
this country the candidates. OF Senators
and Representatives in Congres nave
been frequently advanced when LABOR
regarded the candidates as friendly 10
the cause Of organized labor. Equally,
La Dor has been used as an instrument
TO attack members of Congress, or can
dldates fer Congress, believed to be
inimical to labor
Probably no man better qualified for
the job of Secretary Of Labor could be
found by the President -elect than Is Mr..
Keat.rg His wide experience ana
knowledge Of iab-r and its aims md his
experience IS legislator would be oil
great vaue if he were named the head
of the Department. of Labor. Tempera-
mentally and frcm the point of view OF
real ability, Mr Kesting would be an
excellent ch-ice for the Roosevelt cabi-
net.
Just what the American Federation
Of Labor WCu- say, hoWctcI. Il the
newly elected Prc-iioHt shouia tu.n TO
the Iailrcad brotherhoods for his Sec
retary of Labor is another matter. In
deed. William Green, the president of
The A. F. Of l., Is TO present the name
of the federations present candidate
for The Office of Secretary OF Labor to
Gov Roosevelt at an early date if he
has not already done so. That is Daniel
j TObln head of the Teamsters Union.
The last Democratic Secretary of Labor
was william B. Wilson. who was
member of the House from Pennsyl-
yani2 before he was named secretary
by the late President Woodrow Wilson.
More recently Mr. Wilson was a candi-
GATE for the Senate in the Keystone
State on the Democratic ticket. That
was back in 1926 when he ran against
William s. Ware. He made contest
for the Senate seat. but although the
Senate declined to seat Mr.. Ware be-
cause of alleged excessive expenditures
and corruption, it did not seat Mr.. VIII
son.
Should Gov. Roosevelt decide to pick
Mr.. Keating ior the ofhce of Secretary
of Labor and Mr.. Keating should ac-
cept, the mountain States OF the West
would have representative in the
cabinet. helping to make the geograph-
Executives and expected by the coun-
try as a general proposition.
*x
Two weeks after the present short ses-
sion opened. the Senate put through
the Hawes bill fer the independence of
the Philippine Islands. after proba-
tionary period of II years The House
at the last session put through a
Philippine bill of its own. providing for
independence after eight years. The
prospects now are for conference be-
tween the Houses over the bills and
that e!entually after the differences
ildNt Dtt4l JuSltO VI IL
will be sent 10 the President. Mr.
Hoover it is believed, will veto the bill
That it can be passed over his veto is
extremely prcbiematical If the meas
ure fails. then the next Congress will
have to deal with the subject Of inde-
pendence for the Philippines. starting
all over again. There is strong pres
sure for freeing the islands from agri-
cultural interests who object to the
competition of sugar and other products
OF the Philippines. which come into
this country free of duty while it is
part of the possessions of the United
States On the other hand, there are
business interests in this country which
do not wish at all to relinquish the
islands. In addition. there is the Ques-
tion-what will happen to the Phil
ippineS in the event they are made In
dependent of the United States. The
country has in recent years and more
particularly in the present year, had
several object lessons as to how trea-
nations in TIE wcr!d today. despite all
the agitation more and better treaties.
When the beer bill comes up for con-
slderatiOn and vote in the House this
week some of those members who have
come out for repeal of the eighteenth
amendment are going to have a hard
time deciding just what to do. To vote
for the submission of repeal amend
ment is one thing and might possibly
be supported even by those who are
favorable to national prohibition-al-
though the Anti-Saloon League and
other dry organizations take contrary
view. But to vote for the legalization
of beer and its manufacture and sale
is horse of another color entirely.
Some of the recently converted repeal
lists are going to have lot of trouble
stomaching this beer bill. They may
take the leap and vote for the bill be-
lieving that prohibition has hit the
political toboggan and is travelling down
hill so fast tnat it just will not do to
be dry in House vote. However, it
will go against the grain.
X X
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