Evening star., 1935-01-24
HOUSE THREATENS
FIGHT OVER WAGES
Opponents of Relief Bill Cry
"Scab" as Leaders Strive
for Passage.
BULLETIN.

The soldiers bonus issue was in
jected suddenly into House conSld-
Grafton of the S4880.000, 900 relief
bill this afternoon when Repre-
sentative McFarlane. Democrat, of
Texas. served notice he would pro-
pose attaching the Patman plan
for paying the veterans certificates
to the relief measure. However.
he failed to obtain ruling on
whether such an amendment would
be in order.
BY the Associated Press.
A fight over wages the Government
proposes to pay 3,500,0O0 persons
threatened today as administration
leaders strove to get the s4,88O,O00, ,0o0
relief program through the House be-
fore nightfall.
A cry of "Scab wages" came from
Chairman Connery of the House Labor
Committee as he attacked proposal
to pay an average of $50 month. He
served notice he would offer an
amendment to force the payment OF
wages prevailing in various localities
In administration quarters the plans
were defended as aiming at security
pay which would provide living for
the destitute President Roosevelt had
said the pay should be higher than
the dole, but not large enough to dis
courage workers from taking private
employment.
After winning committee assent to
amendments curbing powers which
the dole-to-jobs measure conferS on
President Roosevelt. Democratic in
surgents said they would fight for
further curtailment today before the
bill is passed along to the Senate.
Speaker Byrns and other admins.
tration leaders we're confident the
measure would go through quickly
giving the President the $4,000 5000
to spend at his discretion. An agree
ment on the lump sum" idea hao
been reached despite earlier drives tt
"earmark" the money for particular
projects.
Meanwhile, beneath the surface
word was being passed among some
Representatives that the President
wanted the money without strings, sc
that If a necessity arose. he could
spend up to billion dollars on ma
tlonal defense.
Information Source Denied.
No member would say for quotation
under his name where the report orig
mated or how seriously it should bt
taken, but arguments advanced Wert
that confidential reports from Amer
ican agents abroad indicated some
other nations we're building up theil
national defense more rapidly thar
the United States.
Then, these arguments contended, il
any other nation should declare war
and the President had no money avail
able for expenditure on American ma
tional defense. it would be neceSSar!
for him to call a session of Congress
Immediately the rest of the Worlt
would say the United States was pre-
pairing to enter the war.
Some other members, who declined
to let their names be used, interpreted
the talk as report started to helr
insure getting the administration
blanket authority to spend the $4,'
| 000000,000 without earmarking BY
Congress.
Among amendments to which the
! House Appropriations Committee agreed
at the behest of insurgents was on
! generally regarded as aimed at Secre
I tary Ickes, public works administrator
This amendment would delete tn
clause giving the President power t.
! prolong any agency until June 80
1887. The public works act expire
next June 16.
This amendment had to be actet
upon by the House today, as did others
They included proposals to make al
types of projects eligible for work re
lief; to restrict the Presidents powe
! to abolish or consolidate all agencie
I by writing in the words "emergenc,
| agencies" and to delete q two-yea
prison penalty for violations of regu
lations laid down by the President.
| In the face of attacks from SOM
Democrats and Republicans, admins
! tration leaders defended the relic
measure yesterday, calling it a far
reaching plan to end the dole. Chair
man Buchanan of th1 Appropriation
Committee called it vital to recovery
Taber Attacks Measure.
Among Republicans who attacked
the measure was Representative Tabe
of New York, who said: The admin
istration has no definite program
they just imagine they have"
The statements, by Taber ant
others, that the Government proposed
wages of $50 a month, were based OF
the remarks of Rear Admiral c.
Peoples, chief of the Treasury'S Pro
curement Division. Before the Hous
| Appropriations Committee, he hat
said in answer to questions:
The whole purpose here is for {
security wage rate averaging abou
| $50 a month. = I cannot stat
definitely the details of working ou
| this problem. The Government mus
be in a position to say Ito contractor
on relief projects) whatever methot
or means is followed in carrying ou
4 txf-