The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-08-02
Wings
OVER
washingtn

| - eAAo VI anecdotes or
apply drawn comparisons. But
these are sometimes given an an
pllcatlon he does not intend.
When asked his opinion about al
the propaganda for early ADJOURN
ment of Congress, Roosevelt "a
Gently launched into one of his lit
tie parallels. He said that when
practicing law he became familiar
With the tactics of defense law
yers whose clients did not have 2
good case. They would always adj
wise delay-postponement of the
trial on any kind of excuse. and if
eventually the case had to come
to court, the claiming of a mistrial
On the other hand, if the case is a
god one, the rule of the bar is to
press it, he said.
Roosevelt. of course, was refar-
ring to opponents of the tax pro-
gram, who have been the chief pro-
motors of adjournment talk. But
sponsors of railroad pension legis-
latiOn chuckled rather malicionslv
when they heard about the presi-
dents remarks. ''That fits our case
exactly" they said.
An under-cover struggle has long
been under way on the rail pen
sion question, in this Congress as
In the last. Feeling it has a good
case, railroad labor has been pres
sing for speedy action. The com
panies of course oppose, and the
administration has been playing
the role of a clever defense law
yer. This year, as last, it has stall
led the issue as long as possible,
avoiding an open fight and coun-
selling constant delays.
Roosevelt never openly tOppOs
ed railroad pension legislation at
the last Congress. But it is no
secret that his Influence was
used at every turn to block and
sidetrack it. Federal COOrdinatOr
of Transportation acted as a de-
Tense lawyer. His office was
studying the matter, he said, and
action SHOULD be delayed pending
further investigation and draft
ing of another bill. But the alr-
gent demand of the railroad
workers and clever floor strategy
finally forced the retirement bill
to a VOte-and so to easy pas
sage since the sOlOns do not care
to go ON record against such a
cause.
Now the administration has
had a whole year in which to
study the subject, to draft anO-
Their bill and to do all the rest
it said it needed time to do. East
mans office has ground out
stacks of research. But still the
administration is again COUNSEL
ing delay, as it did last year.
Once more Roosevelt does not
openly oppose rail pension legis-
latiOn, though the effect of not
putting it ON his "must" list is
the same. But sponsors of the
new pension bills, revised to
meet constitutional tests, en-
counter strong though subtle adj
ministratiOn opposition at every
turn. 1t takes exactly the tactical
form which Roosevelt says any
good defense lawyer would re-
commend to a client with a poor
case.
Acknowledgement Cummings
spoke the administrations mind
in a letter to Pres. Roosevelt,
which has been gIeefully greet
ed by the companies. In view,
he said, of the cOmplexity Of
the subject and the issues rails
ed by the Supreme Court decis-
ion, he urged that no pension ac-
ton be taken at this Congress
but that a commission be aD-
pointed to give it further study.
Roosevelt forwarded this letter
to Chairman RaybUrn of the
House interstate commerce COM
mittse without comment, but it
is generally taken to represent
his own stand.
Why has Roosevelt been such a
persistent, if under-cover, Oppon-
ent of speedy action on railroad
pensions? Whatever the whole an
swer, two factors probably have
something to do with 1.-THE spe-
cial consideration he has evinced
toward the railroad industry on
several occasions, and a certain
jealousness in regard to his Sc
curity bill.
Roosevelt's concern for The rial
road companies was clearly shown
last spring when railroad labor
was demanding restoration of the
10 per cent wage cut. The presi-
dent then openly and officially
came to the aid of the companies
by urging continuation of the cut
for at least six months more. In
spite of this, the unions secured
an immediate restoration of part
Of the cut and gradual restoration
of the rest.
Comparison of the more gener-
Gus pensions provided in the rail-
road pension bills with the miser-
ably small doles of the security
bill, explains the other motive as
cribed to Roosevelt. He has want
ed his own security measure to be
Al l. L. -