Montana labor news., 1934-05-17
The Washington Scene

WASHINGTON .-(FP)-As a
toothless stock market control bill tot
tiers uncertainty through its final
stages, and a mild-mannered tax bill
passes muster, one may reflect on the
great gulf hat often lies between the
word and the deed. The money
changers, still unscourged in their Wall
Street temple, may also take comfort
from the Bible story OF the good but
misunderstood servant who said, Il will
not" and then went right ahead and
did his masters bidding.
Silver-tongued orators, it is true, are
still heard on Capitol Hill, speaking
persuasively for those with silver-lined
pockets. But gold speaks louder in
the quiet of the good servants con
science. Gold for those who have and
love it, some silver change for silver
lined pockets, and a pat on the back
with some kind words for the western
farmers and their silver-tongued lead
ers-that seems to be the program. As
for the 30 pieces of silver, those OF
course are no longer publicly awarded,
since the time Of the Judas scandal.
80
Like a silver thread through the
maze Of Washington politics runs the
glorified tactic of the good-at-heart
servant. He probably earned the ap-
plause and loyalty of the lesser under
lings, who saw in him a champion,
when he boldly said to the boss, Il
will not" And the boss, though he
went through some stormy motions to
scare the underlings, in his heart no
doubt appreciated both the gesture
that kept them under loyal leadership
and the real performance of his Or
ders.
After an administration Of conspicu-
Gus obedience, the new deal of de-
, fiance to Wall Street sounded too good
to be true-and it was. Still, brave
words about higher wages were good
to hear, even though the pay of fed
eral employees was cut Is per cent,
The veterans too appreciated a kindly
. reception instead OF an armed attack
even though their bonus remained I'M
paid and their benefits were cut be-
> You'd all precedent. This years vet
| Grams, still jobless and without relief
= were also assured on May 7 of a fan
reception for their persons, if not foi
their demands.
Labor, in generous words, was prom
S ised the right to organize. But the
\ same assurance, if not so loudly, wa:
2 also given to company unions. The
auto settlement sealed the pact fol
both. Rich and poor alike, with ma
jestic impartiality, are forbidden to beg
in the street or to interfere with the
t right to organize. Million dollar com.
J. panies and labor unions get an equa
start. An impartial board sees tina.
e. labor-and of course capital-does no
break the rules by going or staying OF
e strike. Labor has been a little balky
strike %grumbles intimating the rule.
r aren't fair, but the board has so fai
a got it back to the appointed track
= Under the rules, the race looks like
e cinch, but we won't give the tip TO
e whom.
All of this, of course, hasn't prevent
G ed Old Man Wall Street from swear
ing his head off, The idea Of giving
q labor unions any rein at all in any kim
OF racel Rank insorbination, ranl
n favoritism to labor The idea Of put
ting code clothes on capital and labo
e alike, even though they fit capita
snugly enough, being made to hi
measured Dam those proposals t
hamper company unions in the Wag
ner bill Rank and dangerous dema
gogy, this initiation talk Baloney dol
n lars! Bolshevistic talk in Congress c
a 10 per cent supertax on high in
comes And GROWING insult, a bill t
$ regulate my own personal affairs
! But even while the peppery old mas
- ter storms and swears, he knows in hi
heart that his servant will do as he
told. The swearing will help to thu
end and will also strengthen his serl
L ants hand in preserving househol
discipline. Labor will be Modified an
. capital rewarded. Out of the Wayne
- bill may come a code OF industrial di.
~ cipline-no more rude strikes. Silvt
and initiation both will be kept
check, something for farmers to tai
- about and spectators to profit fror
. The 10 per cent supertax has been a
. ready dropped. And that big, ba
I. wolf, the stock market control bill,
~ only a toothless old bogy to frighte
w. naughty little Wall Street boys WI
!, don't mind papa.
~ y = =
A little while before the Germa
We Fascists seized power, your corr,
h. spondent, her in Berlin, saw VIII.
n seemed a strange sight. A bemonacle
rs. despatched and naughty German
A. obvious wealth wa reading with al
&C. parent satisfaction a paper with a gla
n ing headline I'VE don't want a go
as eminent of bankers and capitalists v
m want a workers government" III
we paper he read was Der Angriff, of
We cial Nazi organ. Its headline relat,
mr. truly enough what the German mas
es wanted and were promised, but II
,se what they got.
m