, 1935-05-24
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker


Losing - One should never bet on
Supreme Court results. But some
New Dealers wise In the law are
down-hearted as they await the
courts decision on the NRk and. Fra
zier-Lemke farm bill. Several intra-
court gestures meaningless to out
siders forebode 5-4 decisions against
these industrial and agricultural ex-
periments.
Two jurists who have taken no part
in writing or delivering recent opin-
ions are Chief Justice Hughes and
Justice Brandeis - two New Deal
liberals" Their failure to p~artici-
pate actively indicates that they are
working on ether important cases
which require all their time and
thought.
Legal speculation may be all wrong
In this instance. But the time for
summer recess Is ear and a minor
ity opinion can be written only af-
ter the majority decision has been
prepared and submitted to dissent
ers. So court lawyers figure that
Justices Hughes and Brandeis are
engaged in setting forth the objec-
tons OF the liberal minority in these
two appeals. Inside tipoffs like this
are borne out nine times out Of ten.
This may be the tenth time. but the
jurists' behavior has been decidedly
bearish.
Credit - The administration is
playing It's cards loose to its chest in
the monetary and banking game.
But certain involuntary players $50
the bankers - think they discern
a definite trend toward a system
more revolutionary than the central
bank which Secretary Morgenthau
and President Roosevelt so belatedly
Endorsed.
Nobody expects the White House
to clutter up the pending banking
measure with an amendment for
government purchase Of Federal Re
serve Banks stock. Secretary Nor
genthau tossed off that idea too cas-
ually to convince anybody he meant
II. 1t missed fire entirely. Instead
OF ~appeasing the Long-C oughlin-
Thomas crowd II has led them to de-
mand immediate establishment Of
q central institution. III did not
frighten Carter Glass or the bank
ers.
What far-sighted bankers fear Is
the kind Of system which Henry
Ford advocated at the time Of the
1888 crisis. Under IL depositors would
pay a small interest charge to bank
CrS for servicing their accounts, and
the banks would be expected to lend
NJ low rates to short-term borrowers.
The government would handle or
control - credit necessary for long
term and large-scale undertakings.
There is plentiful talk Of such a sys-
tenn IN high-up circles.
Irritation - Senate leaders Rob-
inson and Harrison proposing only a
10 : month extension for NRA
thought they had White House as
surances. Their plan was supposed
r. be as satisfactory as the two-year
reprieve demanded by Don Richberg
and the house.
The time element remains a com
paratively unimportant factor. But
the senate resolution forbids NRA
control Of all intra- state business -
a sweeping prohibition Of power. The
house measure gives NRA authority
over business substantially" affect
ing interstate commerce = a COM
prehenSive grant. Under the senate
proposal the courts could easily clip
the Blue Eagles wings. whereas the
house plan may afford IL flying
space In the sun.
Lawyer Richberg has sold this idea
&c the White House and sold the
senate bosses down the river. in their
opinion. They can't mention the
N. r.. A. chieftain without growing
purple in the face. The mix-up has
revived the ancient feud over pres
tige between house and senate and
precipitated wholly irrelevant is
sues. Pat Harrison still mutters that
Richberg and the house must back
down 80 or the bird will die"
Revelations - If the Roosevelt ad-
miniStration has an Achilles heel it
IS its loquacity. Its important men,
bers Messrs. Hopkins. Eccles.
Wallace, Ickes are too fond Of the
written. spoken. radioed word.
Now Mr.. Ickes has written a book
another one. 1t will not be publish
ed until next month but advance
reports suggest that he Is spilling
many secrets Of PWA's early DAYS.
lie describes conflict within the Of
hcial household 80 liberals versus
conservatives On spending. He tells
Ct the pressure directed against him
by lawyers and lobbyists once re-
bukc1 by Mr.. Roosevelt but still do
ing business at the same old stand.
He may describe projects which he
turned down but which now await
action-and possibly favorable &C
ton 49, by the new Allotment Board.
PaSSamaquoddy Is one and the high
dam at Grand Coulee may be an
other. II Mr., Ickes tells all he knows
his book should make good reading
for the republicans.
Planes - Air CORPS men say they
can't get much profit out Of Russia's
air experiments - that American
methods are entirely different and
mechanical technique 50 superior
TO Russian technique that COMPARE
son Is footless. Americans are not
aiming at mere size but they agree
that much larger planes are in sight.
Boss - Democratic ladies complain
that Jim Farley is treating them very
ungallantly. They are whooping
things up as never before and they
want the vice. craftsmanship Of the
National Committee.
The hesitation arises because the
hoses don't know what kind of wom-
en- they need for 1895 operations.
Some think that an organizer will
fill the bill. Others urge selection Of
a socially-minded woman not too
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