Milford chronicle., 1935-02-01
WashlagI0n So -

Congress has everybody guessing
, including the Administration smart
est observers. Senate and Housi
leaders assure the President thai
they have the situation under per
! feet control, but they haven't beer
able, as yet, to prove It. First re-,
lports from Capitol Hill brought the
positive declarations that the Ad-
ministration's first batch Of major
bills would be rammed through IN
der stringent gag rule.
That didn't go. The House bosses
had to loosen the gag on the S4, $780,
OOO, 900 wOrk-relief bill. Open re-
belliOn was brewing, and the policy
makers being smart knew II was
time to feed sugar, no time to crack
the whip. Later in the session, the
bosses may do some whip-cracking,
but not while the session is young.
Too much is at stake to risk tactics
that might ieOpardize control from
the chair"
A reporter lOF tue washington
Herald went down to the bedrock
foundation of the trouble encoun-
tered by the wOrk-relief bill, and
wrote:
AT Democratic caucus, recall
citrant members forced leaders TO
accept a compromise rule which.
while not affecting the Presidents
authority to spend the money for
such projects as he chooses, opened
to debate and amendment those por-
tiOns OF the bill which confer die
tatOrial power upon him.
Even then, the Democrats only
agreed TO vote for the bill by a vote |
oI 1870 to 35, while 39 announced |
they would not be bound by the eau /
Gus, most of them because they had !
promised their constituents to Op-
pose any measures to put the Gov
ernment into further competition
with industry"
There you have the key to a new
and growing sentiment in Congress,
Il determination to halt the deVasta-
ton caused by Government cOmpe-
ttiOn with private business. Presi-
dent Roosevelt sounded the keynote
along this line in his annual mes
sage when the present Congress
opened. pointing out that compensa-
lion on emergency public projects
should not be so large as to en-
courage the rejection of opportuni-
les for private employment or the
eavins of private employment to
Engage in government work"
Great disappointment prevails
mong the high-up insiders of the {
administration because of the an
'arent failure of the Reedsville, W.
IA. homestead project, often refer !
ed to as the pet" of Mrs. ROose-
elt. Latest reports say some of 1
he sponsors of the project admit il '
obsolete before it is finished. :
here are no nearby industries to I
i've even part-fime employment to Z
he hOmesteaders. The last Con-
ress declined to appropriate the
loney to put the homesteaders into
le manufacturing of post Office a
J;
a
There is growing evidence that in II
lstrial peace is irksOme to trade e.
liOn leaders. No major strikes "
I'VE developed recently, but move
ents are going on very quietly to
omOte some. Field men who Dros.
n in the business of recruiting I'm
ade union members find that their III
come lags when peace prevails. I
ance. the tom-tOms are going to |
beaten soon for strikes in some
lJor Industries, perhaps automo-
e and textile. and possibly steel.
However. there is a big dragon
in the trade union ointment at
1sent. Outrages that were Der- III
rated at certain industrial plants
I year by strikers, strike-synna-
GERS, and in some cases marauI-
hoodlums, gave many members
Congress some fixed ideas in the
tier of making labor organiza-
rs legally and financially resnon.
Ie for their actions. Any talk of
re strikes may serve to remind
Sc congressman of the necessity
legislation establishing this re-.