Montgomery County sentinel., 1935-04-11


has submitted to congress list Of the
legislation he
Lays Out Work deems neces-
for Congress sary to have
passed before
the present session adjourns. He has
divided it into two categories-"must'
and desirable. If congress enacts
only the list Of must" legislation and
passes over the other group Of bills
which the President considers desir-
able, it is made to appear that the
membership of the house and senate
Is due to suffer some of the torrid
temperature and the uncomfortable
humidity of a Washington summer.
The President said he must have legis-
lation extending the National Recovery
administration, providing social Sc
curity, eliminating public utility hold
ing companies, increasing the loaning
power of the Home Owners Loan corpor-
alton, extension Of the so-called nuisance
taxes which expire by limitation of
law on June 80, and revision Of the
banking laws.
In addition, the President made
known that he would like to have en-
acted legislation to take the profits out
Of war, whatever that may mean. He
previously had sent a message asking
enactment of law providing for
expansion of the American merchant
marine through the use of ship sub
sides, and he also desires to have en-
acted legislation setting up machinery
for the settlement Of labor disputes.
This legislation is in the congressional
hopper in the form of bill by Senator
Wagner, of New York.
The President would like to have
amendments to the agricultural ad-
justment act in order to eliminate some
Of the weaknesses which the AAA peo-
pie admit exist. The airmail contract
situation is another matter with which
Mr.. Roosevelt has been concerned.
Seasoned observers recognize that
this list of must" legislation, not to
mention the desired legislation, Is suf-
ficient to keep congress grinding away
far into the summer. They recognize
likewise that If the desired legislation
later becomes Of such concern that the
President wants to place it on the pre-
ferred list as well, the membership of
congress must be prepared to forego
summer trips of any kind.
Since a good many members of
congress have grown tired of being
called rubber stamps
refs OF for the administra-
Their Oun ton, they naturally
have turned atten-
tion to legislation which they think
will be helpful to their own bailiwicks.
to themselves personally or from a
party standpoint. Thus there have been
promoted numerous pieces of legisla-
tion for which some individuals, at
least, entertain greater fervor than
they do for measures that were drafted
by President Roosevelt's official family
and transmitted to congress as ad-
ministration legislation. 1t is the
general observation that an in
dividual representative, or senator
frequently will go much further in
fighting for legislation that is his
own brain child than for legislation
placed before him on a silver platter
such as administration proposals have
been. Consequently, individual or
group measures are constantly clur-
tering up house and senate legislative
calendars. This is a factor meaning
delay for administration bills.
1t is to be remembered, as has been
reported in these columns, that Mr..
Roosevelt is unable to ward off criti-
cism of some Of his proposals. In
deed, there have been Democratic criti-
cisms and Democratic opposition to a
greater or lesser degree to all of the
legislation he has proposed since con-
gress convened last January. All of
which is by way of saying that con-
gress faces weeks of committee work
and floor debate despite the fact that
the house Democratic leaders still re-
tain rather solid control Of a sufficient
majority in the lower house of con-
gress to drive through any pet meas
ures for the administration. In the
senate the situation is decidedly diff
ferent.
Included in the legislation being fos-
tered by individual members is the bill
that would permit cabinet officers to
appear on the floors Of congress for
questioning and explanation, such as
occurs under the British and French
parliamentary systems. The admins
tration does not want this bill. It will
have to exert some pressure to avoid
passage. The reason is that the Roose.
velt administration is no longer one in
which the cabinet Is dominant. Cab.
met officers are only part of the
scheme, and If congress wanted to in
quire about the handling of relief
money, which it probably will desire. il
must talk with Administrator HOPKINS
Mr.. Hopkins is not in the cabinet. The
same is true of NRA and to some
extent to the AAA, although Secretary
Wallace Of the Department of Agricul.
ture theoretically is a superior officer
to Administrator Davis. The ad.