Montana labor news., 1932-12-15
A. F. OF |. MAY
SEND WARNING
TO ROOSEVELT
Labor Group Alarmed by
Reports That President
Elect Is Comforting With
Reactionary Politicians.
LABOR CONCERNED IN
CABINET APPOINTEES

WASHlNGTON-(F. P.)-Alarmec
by reports from Warm Springs thai
President-elect Roosevelt is surround.
ed by d~iscredited and reactionary
politicians who are advising against
a special session of Congress and ir
favor of ignoring demands for hunge,
relief appropriations this winter
leaders Of the American Federation
OF Labor are considering the neeC
for an early interview with Roose.
welt. 1t is not unlikely that a mis-
sion representing both the American
Federation of Labor and the indie
pendent rail brotherhoods will visit
the president-elect in his Georgia
health resort, and tell him that or
gained labor looks to him for more
than mere friendly words.
Suggestions that cabinet material
is being sorted over, and that candi-
dates for posts so important to labor
as attorney general and secretaries
of labor and Of war are being recon-
mended, have disturbed the labor
officials. If it be true that Roose-
welt has definitely set his course etc
the left of the CENTER" as Chairman
Farley appears to have informed
the press on Dec. /, then all is COM
paratively safe. If Baruch, Owen
Young, Baker and John w. Davis
have been definitely eliminated and
the cabinet is to be made up Of lib
erals such as Tom Walsh of Montana
and Carter Glass Of Virginia, the
trade union forces will be easily sat
isfied with the naming Of the secre-
tary of labor. But there is growing
doubt as to what Roosevelt will do.
He postpones the hour of committing
himself on fundamentals, ever
though his Inauguration is but two
months off.
Walsh would be popular with labor
men, as head of the Department of
Justice. Richie of Maryland would
be intensely unpopular; a fight would
be made on his confirmation, if he
were nominated to the place. And
it is a fair presumption that labor
men would applaud the selection of
J. D. Ross of Seattle as secretary of
the interior, just as they would re-
sent the putting into that post of a
henchman of the Electric Bond &
& Share Company.
Aside from cabinet selections, la
Dor is concerned over the sales tax
struggle which is opening in Con-
gress, and is anxious that Roosevelt
shall declare himself for the infor-
nation of the Democrats in Con-
gress this month. Labor faces a
hard fight to repeal the furloughs i'm
posed on federal workers under the
Economy Act, and to prevent the
enactment Of a new cut for these
workers. 1t is concerned with get
ting the 20-hour week established
in all government service, as a means
of stabilizing employment and spread
ing buying power. Here again
Roosevelt's silence plays into the
hands of the anti-labor forces.
Meanwhile the Bingham economy
committee of the Senate has opened
hearings on the furlough and pay
issues, and Bingham has decreed that
only the direct spokesman of the
federal workers shall be heard. The
labor mission to Roosevelt, if it is
sent, will be able to report to him
on the probable findings Of the Sen
ate committee, and will ask the pres
ident-elect to take action that will
prevent the Senate Democrats from
lining up with the G.. O. P. reaction
aries for a further reduction in the
income Of government employees.