Evening star., 1934-02-22
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

When the Senate voted yesterday to
make full restoration of the basic pay
Of Government workers, beginning
July /, what might have happened in
the House had there been no gag"
rule when the independent offices ap-
preparation bill was before that body
was clearly apparent. The Senate has
no system of gag" rules-rules that
prevent the offering of amendments
to measures that come before IT..
AS it was, 13 Democrats Jumped the
party traces yesterday in the Senate
and voted to eliminate entirely the
Is per cent pay cut during the next
fiscal year, and to eliminate imme-
diately one-third of this pay cut. The
sole Farmer-Labor Senator, Ship
stead of NonneSota, also voted against
the administration forces, which
were supporting elimination Of one
third of the cut Immediately and Of
another third July /, with a proviso
that the President do away with the
third one-third If he found it wise
during the coming fiscal year. The
vote in the Senate was close enough
Al to 40, with most of the other
Senators paired" for and against the
amendment for full restoration of
pay, offered by a Democrat, Senator
McCarran of Idaho
X -
The administration forces may seek
a reconsideration of the vote adopt
ing the McCarran amendment, pro-
vided they can find some Senator
who was recorded in the affirmative
| willing to make the motion. Barring
that they may endeavor, in conference
with the House, to bring the reStora-
ton back to the figures which, II
has been said, would be approved OF
at least accepted by the President
| 1t remains. however, for the House
to determine first whether it will
accept the Senate amendment re.
storing the pay to the workers. II
| it does, then the matter will be out OF
| conference and the President will have
| to make up his mind whether he will
stand for the restoration of the basic
pay of all Government workers, civil
and military, during the coming fiscal
year or veto the bill. The actual
difference between the administration
Senators plan and the McCarran
amendment, in dollars and cents, Is
| S63 100000. The cost of living, which
rather hung back in the last siz
months, seems to have gathered mo-
mentum and to be rising higher anc
higher these days, and the admins
tration may well come to the con-
| II, ic n
justice to give back to these Govern
ment workers their full pay, which
they have been denied for the last
two years.
The revolt in the Senate yesterda!
against the administration was thu
first that has succeeded since efforts
last year to bring about more liberia
appropriations for the veterans. Ths
docility with which the Senate as wei
as the House has followed the recon-
mendations of the President has beer
I amazing 1t has been possible becaus'
of the large Democratic majority II
the Senate and of the fact that eigh
or nine Republican progressives have
been entirely willing to go along will
the Democratic President. And NOR
particularly, it has been because O
the popularity Of the President him
self out in the country. Now ther'
looms in the Senate today the pros
pect of another vigorous revolt agains
the President on the veterans com.
pensation clauses of the Independent
Offices appropriation bill.
When the economy bill, sponsored
by the administration, was passed las
Spring it provided for reduction il
the appropriations for veterans com
pensation of more than 10000. .000
This has been whitfield down, first b.
the compromise forced by the Senat'
in the appropriation bill last year ant
by executive orders issued by tn
President. Now the Senate will b.
called upon to vote upon amendment
to the independent offices bill which
still further restore compensation t
the veterans. And there is a chancI
that the revolt in the Senate over tn,
serious than was the revolt over the res.
toration Of Government workers pay
There are two factors which bea
on this determination of Congress
the Senate now and the House, /
it is given an opportunity sticl
the knife into the economy act o
last session. In the first place, man,
of the members of Congress hav'
come to the conclusion that ther'
is no economy-that the Government
is pouring out billions of dollars, al
of which have to be paid for by tn,
American taxpayers for all kind!
of projects, doles and what not, ant
that the Government workers and tn
veterans should not be discriminate
against. The other factor is the ap
preaching congressional elections, pre-
ceded by the nominating primaries
It is more popular to be liberal with
Government funds, it seems, than Il
economic.
Senator Tydings of Maryland. WHIT
has the courage of his convictions
lifted up his voice in the Senate late
yesterday after the Senate had votee
| to override the administration ant
| make I6SLOTdLlOIl VI bIlC 4u11 0e1o4s
pay of the Government workers arlt
pleaded for the American taxpayer
whom he dubbed the forgotten man.
| Unless a halt was called on Govern.
ment spending, he said, the coun'
| try would face a sales tax as SURF
as the sun rises. Senator Gore o.
Oklahoma, another Democrat, re-
marked that the taxpayer is not only
the forgotten man but also the 'for'
saken man." The Maryland Senator
sought to stem the tide of revolt
against the provisions Of the economy
ace, declaring that while 100000
persons are out Of private work anc
must rely upon the Government fol
employment or for direct relief fund.
the Government workers and the vet
erans should be content with reduced
compensation.
X X X \
It was during Senator Tydings
speech that the discussion ran tt