The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-22

II
Long claims that at least six million
persons are supporting his scheme. IT
would seem to be the time, therefore.
for citizens to begin to analyze the
trend of events, If they are Influenced
by such leadership.
In connection with this trend, it is
interesting to observe how much
trouble Senator Long and Father
Coughlin already have caused for the
administration. 1t must be said frank
| ly. Mr.. Roosevelt and his advisers thus
| far have not found a way to deal with
It, They have tried fighting back and
each time they have succeeded only In
furnishing fresh ammunition for the
Long Coughlin team. Senator Robin
son of Arkansas. Democratic leader IN
| the senate. made one of his greatest
speeches of criticism of Senator Longs
| schemes. but the result was only a
fresh outburst by the Louisiana sena-
tor who took Senator Robinson's own
| words and converted them to his use.
l reported to you previously that the
| administration had prepared at one
| time to take action against Senator
Long on income tax questions. But
apparently the powers that be have de-
putting Long back in his place, would
make martyr of him. Among the OBJ
servers here the belief prevails that
the only way Longs attacks can be
stopped and his tactics broken up is
by ridicule. No politician, however
thick-skinned, can stand being made
the butt of jokes. I suspect the same
is true of Mr.. Long unless he is differ
ent from other politicians.
The administration has told congress
that it wants to keep the NRA. Through
:, Donald r. Richberg
NeU Plans sometimes called the
for NRA assistant president,
the administrators
position was laid before the senate
committee on finance the other day
with the suggestion that the proposed
new NRA should be confined to matters
of interstate commerce. That is. the
administration proposes that in extend
ing the NRA for two years from the
coming June 16 expiration date, it
would apply only to industry engaged
in lines of commerce and endeavor
that carries across state lines. By the
same token, the proposal would elm
mate the codes of fair practices from
application to the so-called service in
dustry and could not, therefore. apply
even to hours and wages in those local
plants now under codes.
Mr. Richberg's statement immediate
ly provoked discussion which certainly
can be expected to increase In volume
because 1t Is in the nature of protests
from those who claim to speak for la
Dor. Sidney Hillman, of the MIRA high
command, Immediately protested as did
William Green, president of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor. Each of
these individuals contended that the
MIRA would be a worse failure than It
is now If it were confined to the mar
row definition of interstate commerce
and applied only to those industries.
Mr.. Hillman. who Is labor's representa-
tive on the National Industrial Recov-
cry board, when he learned of Mr.
Richberg's statement promptly struck
back with an emphatic observation that
the country would not permit such ac-
ton.
cit is unthinkable," he said, "that
congress will withdraw the only protec-
tion that the three million or four mil
lion underpaid, overworked and help
less workers in the service trades now
have. Some of them as a result Of the
NRA are for the first time in their
lives getting one day of rest a week
and something little better than the
coolie wages they have been paid In
the past.
II am not interpreting the Constitu-
ton. leave that to the Supreme Court
of the United States. But have been
impressed by opinions given by out
standing members of the bar that a
condition of keeping millions of work
ers at starvation wage levels does af-
feet Interstate commerce"
Thus Is presented the conflict of
views between administration APP
pointees. and reconciliation of their
views is not made easier by the activity
of the labor leaders. 1t is to be re-
called that Mr.. Green and some of his
stalwart labor associates are not en-
thusiastic about Mr. Roosevelt and his
labor policies any longer. They are not
going to be satisfied as easily as they
were Is months ago when they accept
ed various and sundry promises believ-
ing that those promises were to solve
labor's economic problems. The adj
ministration. therefore, Is confronted
with genuine danger through the COM
plexity of this political situation.
Mr.. Green described the administra-
tons proposal for renewal of NRA as
"indefensible" because he contended
that withdrawal of the codes from the
so-called service Industries would mean
return TO "long hours, minimum
wages below subsistence level and
withdrawal of the small economic pro-
lection now accorded to workers EN-
ployed in those industries"
Observers agree that it is easy to
see how organized labor can popu-
larize its opposition. Obviously no one
enjoys seeing workers ground down by
employers and the American Fedora
ton of Labor long has used the human
SIDE of this argument in support of its
demands. Likewise. the American Fed
Grafton of Labor still wields tremen-
dous influence in congress where nu-
merous representatives and senator's
actually are afraid to express an opin-
ion contrary to labor's views. Thus it