Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-12-03
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

President Roosevelt is quoted as
being hopeful that the first session of
the new Congress will be short. Re
ports bubbling up from Warm Springs
speak Of May IS as likely adjourn
ment date. At this writing that seems
an optimistic forecast. Guessing will
be safer when the presidential mes
sage is available and the legislative
program blue-printed. The expecta-
ton is that F. D. r. will give a vivid
indication of what he expects from the
incoming House and Senate when he
delivers his impending fireside broad
cast. Conferences with Democratic
leaders at the Little White House in
Georgia revealed that plenty of con-
troversial material is in sight. Housing,
public works, relief, bonus, taxation,
N. r. A., A. "A, unemployment inSur-
ance and monetary matters are some,
but not all, of the issues that threaten
ructions. On the face of things the
colossal administration majorities in
both houses should suffice to ram
through anything the President
wants, but it Is by no means 100 per
cent certain that the course of Demo-
cratic true love will always run smooth.
x X X X
And still they come-these literary
New Dealers Columbia University
Press plans to publish early in 1885 a
book called THE Battle for Democ-
racy." by Undersecretary of Agricul-
ture Rexford G. Tugwell. The title
suggests that DIR. Tugwell may dis
cuss the trials and tribulations of the
Roosevelt planners in carrying
through the evolution" which they
have undertaken.
Women are taking an active hand
in the reorganization of N R. A. They
are particularly anxious to remove So
celled sex differentials" from codes,
in at least one-fourth of which, it Is
said, women are allotted lower mini
mum wages than men. When the
Blue Eagle was Matched. women work.
ers expected wage justice" but found
that in numerous cases it was pro-
vided that they should receive less pay
than men for substantially the same
work. Mrs. Roosevelt was asked If
she couldn't do something about It,.
The result was that there were written
into many codes what have have come
to be known as Eleanor clauses"
which direct the same pay for women
as for men when identical work Is
done. Mary Anderson, director of the
Women's Bureau, the National
Woman's Party, members Of women's
trade unions and the Business and
Professional Women's Clubs are join
ing hands in the battle for minimum
wage applicable exclusively to work
performed, regardless of sex. The
women will carry their crusade to
the floors of Congress when the
N. I. r. A. is up for renewal.
Another field Of women's vigilance
is T. v. A, To see just what the
great hydroelectric yardstick means
to housewives, Miss Belle Sherwin,
long time president of the League Of
Women Voters, and Mrs. Harris T.
Baldwin, chairman of its Committee
ON Living Costs, recently completed
Today motor tour of the valley. They
are especially interested in the scheme
to supply low-cost electrical apph-
ances-ranges, irons, fans, vacuum
cleaners, coasters, washing machines,
refrigerators, lamps and all kinds Of
gadgets worked by electricity. This
phase Of T. v. A., with its promise
of freedom from household drudgery.
makes Q special appeal to womenfolk.
4 4 4 4
Columbia-sometimes called "the
germ Of the notion"-because nearly
al the original brain trusters hailed