The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-06-21

PS VI INA employees felnIOrceO u.
an army of self-appointed sc~rutinizers.
ne Is preparing the public mind for
g change In the Constitution to give
ne federal government the powers
necessary to. make effective his New
g policies: higher wages. shorter
nours' no big profits. all aimed not
only at better living standards for the
lower strata but at Increased buying
power; and planned economy under
government control aimed at prevent
Ing overproduction.
Roosevelt's understatement Of tie
probable effects OF requiring former
code conditions on the part Of all hav-
ing government contracts had two OBJ
Jectives-one to provide q constant
contrast between what the codes would
90 IT they were in legal effect. the 9TH
er to prevent these same false hopes
Experts believe I per cent-the ig-
ure used by the President as the dollar
volume Of government contracts to to-
tai production-far UNDERSTANDS the ac-
tual effect on employees. Amendments
are being drafted to the bill to pro-
vide that no mi a get a government
contract who buys any of the mate
rials used from q concern 0 comply
Ing with former code standards.
Incidentally the government will be
N a stronger position in enforcing
these code" requirements from gov
eminent contractors than was MIRA
even at the height Of Its power. For
this time there will be law behind
them, so that the comptroller gem
eral will not be able-lawyers agree
to override contracts on the ground
That the specifications were not broad
enough, or that the contract was not
awarded to the lowest bidder. As In
the automobile cases.
Dill Comments .
That President Roosevelt missed the
boat as far as accomplishing his New
Deal reforms, when he did not press
for a constitutional amendment In the
spring Of 1888, is the interesting com
ment on the present ase of filters
In Washington by Ex-senator Dill. Of
Washington. = go
Regarded as an advanced II not ex-
IRENE radical. Dill, who was one Of
the outstanding For Roosevelt Before
Chicago" leaders. voted against MIRA
when 1t passed the senate. Later he
began to have misgivings as to whether
he had made a mistake, because he
saw a number Of advantages which
grew out Of 1t. But, he contends, 1t
should have been allowed to die some
time back, having served its purpose.
I Now. the former senator declares,
If a constitutional amendment were to
be submitted granting the federal gov
eminent the power to regulate mini
mum wages, maximum hours. and fair
trade practices sought under the code
system, he would take the stump
against ratification of such an amend.
All OF which is significant in con,
,nection with a former dispatch In
which opposition to such a constitu.
tional change in Massachusetts. Maine.
Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland. Della:
ware, Virginia and Georgia was out
.lined.. 49,. " -
The truth is It is very difficult to
pass any constitutional amendment
over which there is a real, nationwide
battle. Most people do not consider
this coldly.- because several constitu-
tionalE amendments have been passed
IN the last few years without too
much trouble.
5Amendment Fights
But let's take a look at those fights.
For Instance. the first battle to put
the Eighteenth amendment. That
should have been a real war. But it
wasn't. The fact is that the vets JUST
regarded the whole thing az a Joke
until enough states had ratified to
make any remaining fight futile. Even
then the stupid vets did not fight.
They began assuming that the Supreme
court would knock 1t out! Which
sounds crazy now, but anyone in con-
tact with the developments at that
time. either In New York or Washing
ton. will remember its accuracy. -
Then the repeal OF the Eighteenth;
Every thinking politician
comedies that a real fight made by the
drys might have held 10 states against !
despite the then popularity Of re-
peal. and the influence Of President
Roosevelt al. the height Of his power.
This may be disputed. but the fact
that outside the two Carolinas no real
fight was made to stop repeal cannot
be.
The woman suffrage amendment is
often mentioned. True. there was
very sharp opposition to it. But
this OPPOSITION came from a very small
minority, and most people who actual
" did not like the idea 'contented
themselves with private conversation.
There was very little violent opposi.
even from the minorifv onnosod