Evening star., 1933-03-27
The Political Mill
BIZ C.. Could L'ncoln.

In the White House certainly do not
show him in the role Of seeking to win
q second term BY attempts to placAte
organized mAnorities, special groups on
what not. With . courage which haa
been lacking on Capitol HILL, the Presi-
dent ran counter to the demands OF
vetsrAns' organizations, forcing through
Congress his economy bill. Under 1t
about $400, 900 900 is to be Topped OIL
the 0overnment's annual billion dollar
appropriation to pay pensions and COM
pensAtion to veterans, and many vet
Grams who are receiving compensation
because of disabilities not attributable
to their military service will be striaken
from the rolls. At the same time the
President demanded and obtained 4 cut
in all Federal wages and salaries,
to Is per cent reduction In
basic salary. Then along he came with
his reforestation bill which calls for
placing unemployed men IN camps, feed
ing them, clothing them, lodging them
and paying them 81 wages. I'm
mediately President william Green Of
the American Federation Of Labor At
tackled the proposal, insisting that II
would set dollar -a-day wage scale for
labor, that 1t would result in the ''regi-
mentation" OF labor, and would be
worse than "Hitlerism," "fascism" and
the like.
A President who is willing to arouse
the antagonism Of the veterans and OF
leaders Of organized labor in his efforts
to bring benefits to the whole country
can scarcely be accused Of playing self
tsh vNOlttfre a ic
ported that the veterans are intensely
resentful because of the economy act
The word is passed here and there that
veterans are not going to vote the
Democratic ticket asain-not certainly
Of the party for President. Mr.. Roose-
velt. as q matter Of fact, has given the
World War veterans the first real check
they have met in their demands for
compensation. They don't like it. They
have had their way with the Congress
until President Roosevelt took command
and called halt. It Ii true that the
late President Calvin Coolidge vetoed
the soldiers bonus bill and that Presi-
dent Hoover vetoed pension bills and
sought to cut down the expenditures
Tor veteran compensation. But the Con-
3 coo ofciiOOc UOlu MI SOOuO&c anu
Mr.. Hoover and gave the veterans what
they demanded
It has been estimated that as the
years continued the annual expendi-
ture for the veterans-unless there
were some change in the attitude OF
Congress and the country-would see
the annual bill for veterans compensa-
ton and pensions reach the $1,000
600 900 mark and even higher. Presi-
dent Roosevelt's firm stand on this sub
ject Of compensation Is reminiscent OF
the stand taken BY the late President
Grover Cleveland back In 1887 when
he vetoed special veterans pension bills
by the thousand and also placed his
disapproval on a bill which would have
given disability pensions to men who
could not trace their disability to their
service in the Army and Navy. And
while Mr.. Cleveland's defeat for re-
election In 1888 was due to other con-
ditions It is true that he failed to get
the votes of the veterans in that cam
paign.
President Roosevelts first act-ir
which organized labor was particularly
the appointment oi
Miss Frances Perkins to be Secretary OF
Labor. The American Federation oi
Labor had its own candidate Further
more. it demanded that q woman be
not placed at the head Of the Labor
knowing the abilities OF Miss Perkin.
and believing that this recognition
should be given the women, went right
ahead and appointed her, despite tht
threats made against him.
After hearing the violent protests oi
President Green Of the American Fed.
GRAFTON OF Labor, the Senate Education
the Labor Committee rewrote the re-
bill, taking out all mention
Of the wage to be paid the men, ane
q the camps. and just giving The
President authority to employ unem.
ployed men in reforestation and foot
control work. The President, It Is re.
ported. said he would not object K
the change. So the members OF Con.
gress, If they pass the reforestation bill
in the proposed amended form. avoit
the risk Of being labeled enemies oi
the American Federation Of Labor
They pAAs the responsibility to Presi.
dent Roosevelt to pay the men q dol.
lar . day and to put them into camps
II he believes that Is to the best inter
est Of all. And the President has tht
courage to 60 through with it.
The President has the backing Of the
country today. II under his leadOshir
the Nation scrambles back to better
times. veterans organizations and or.
ganiled labor will have a hard TINT
beating him for re-election-if they
undertake to beat him. The people
generally are not likely to let the Presi.
dent down under such circumstances
If times continue hard, and unemploy.
ment and destitution continue to stall
the land. these opponents Of the Presi.
dents relief program are likely to be
influential in the 1886 campaign. Tht
audacity Of the President in presenting
bills denounced by these organi7et
groups has almost taken the breath out
of the politicians He may be able te
make these groups themselves see the
value Of his proposals in the end.
The farmers and their friends in Con.
gress again show themselves unable Il
get together on a farm relief measure
The President urged them to unite or
a bill that would be satisfactory ant
said he would try to get 1t through
Congress. The result was the admin.
farm bill. 1t has in it almost
everything but the kitchen stove. But
has it pleased all the farmers and thei,
in Congress? It hal
not Simpson Of the Farmers Nationa
Union has denounced the measure ir
terms. Some Of the Dem.
ocratic Senators, including Senate,
Smith of South Carolina, chairman ol
the Committee on Agriculture, like II
little better than Mr.. Simpson. Tn.
bill was passed through the House II
jig time. under a special rule. Blu,
now there are threats of delay In tn,
Senate. The President Il not likely tt
sit down quietly under this assault on
his farm bill in the Senate. He doe,
not relish the idea Of delay and morv
delay.
4 i
Out on the farms, despite the wild,
publicity given the provisions Of tn,
farm bill, few Of the people really know
what the proposal Is. They realize
however, that something Is to be don,
to raise farm prices. That is an enc
fbev hAvA destreA and hos,nh for ", 1,o IL