Evening star., 1935-05-30
The Political Mill
Bv &. Could Lincoln.

the same time business and LABOR
have been given an opportunity to
show what they can do. If business
can go ahead and is willing to pro-
ceed without knocking down wages
and increasing hours OF labor. and
steps out toward recovery, the New
Dealers, who insist that planned
economy, which means Government
control of business and industry, will
have TO sing pretty small. 1t would
not be human If the New Dealers
did not hope for labor uprisings and
foolish and selfish action on the part
of employers, with the N. r. A. sud-
denly thrown into the discard. If
business and labor are able to meet
the situa tion-snd particularly buSi-
ness-there will be no vindics tion
of the New Dealers. Instead, there
will be more critics of the New Deal
than before, and more TO say that The
country would have recovered quicker
if the hand Of government had not
been laid upon business.
At the White House the President
is waiting for the reaction throughout
the country before taxing any further
steps. II the 10 per cent OF industry
the chiselers, TO whom he has re-
1erred many timeS-sre able to Stam-
pede the other 80 per cent into up
setting wages and hours Of Ia Dor. they
will play right into the hands OF the
President. He is waiting for a de-
msnd. so loudly voiced Oy the people
that it will be needed. for a return 10
some kind OF governmental control.
So it is clear that the upset of the
New Deal by the Supreme Court NAV
have very wide political effect. 1t
NAV, on the one hand, cause the
Nation to forget the New Dealers in
a burst f renewed business activity.
On the other hand, it may bring a
call for resumption Of the New Deal
II the latter comes, The only way out
would appear TO be an amendment 10
the Constitution. somewhat along the
lines of the COstigan amendment now
before the Senate Judiciary Commit =
tee. That amendment proposes 10
give to Congress the right 10 control
through legislat alton wages and hours
of labor, and 10 prohibit unfair busi-
ness practices. 1t would be wide
and sweeping change-but no more
so than The New Deal under the pres
ent administration.
X
The New Dealers do not wish Ia
be forgotten. The professors and
the theorists who have been IN the
saddle have no desire 10 go back into
dull oblivion. How soon some of
them will begin 10 campaign around
the country remains 10 be seen. They
are waiting naturally until they get
some kind of cue from the While
House They are looking TO organ
lied labor as sn ally. The Supreme
Court sank very effectuslly section
IA of the NJ r. A. when deals
with The right of employees 10 COL
lective bargaining And the Supreme
Courts decision tnat Congress has
no control over wages and hours
of sbor in intrs -Stdie industry seems
10 put Quietls on the Black 3O-hOur
work week bill. whicn organized Ia
Dor supports. and also on the Wag-
ner labor disputes bill LaOor has
believed that L rad the strong arm
Of Government On its side in i,S con-
test with EMPLOYERS. under the New
Deal So the New Deal will look 10
labor as an slv.
pJtkza i 1F ~
in the n. r. A.. the Frazier-l emke
farm moratorium law and the Hum
uhrey removal case brought 10 e
sudden end belief that the Fedora
Government could do anything it de-
sired 10 do and get away with it, One
of the sad blows for the New Dealers
Law in the fact that in all three of
these cases the court handed dow n
unanimous decisions. II is safe guess
TO say that no one believed that the
Supreme Court would render unanl-
nous decisions in the N. r. A. and
other cases. The court has been con-
/ Sidered half conservative and halt
/ progressive But in these opinions the
! progresSiVes were as firmly against
/ The New Dealers as were the con-
serva1ires. In plain English. they held
that the Constitution was being vio-
/ lated. and that was that.
Very little has so far been aid re-
garding the political effect of the SUD
den halt called on the New Deal plan
ners by either Democrats or Republi.
cans. The House Democratic leaders
effectusllv choked off Republican
speeches attacking the New Deal b,
adjourning promptly on Tuesday and
Wednesday. In the Senate, the Re-
publicans were as sparing of their
comment as we're the Democrats Both
sides are waiting to see which way
public sentiment hops. Senator Pat
Harrison of Mississippi. strong sup
porter of the President. is of the opin-
ion that the check to the New Dea'
will have no real effect on the re-elec-
! tion Of the President. The country
was in mess. he contends, when the
Democrats took control in 1893. anC
under the leadership of the President
much has been done to bring about
better conditions. That is something
! the people will remember.
/ In another week Republicans OF
The Middle West will be gathering ir
Springfield, H.. for their much-dis-
cuSSed regional conference Whst
will they do and say in The light oI
the upset of the N. r. A. bv the
Supreme Court. and the very proba blt
upset of the A. A. A.. which may
follow if and when il gets into The
court? While the farmers have beer
hostile TO the N. r. A because il
tended to force up the prices of The
things they have to buy. they have
been partial to the A. A. A., which
has given them checks for not growing
wheat and corn and hogs. The Mid.
die West Republicans have plenty OF
chances 10 make mistakes, unless they
are careful.
/ John d. NJ. Hamilton. Republican
national committeeman from kanSa.
and general counsel of the Nationa
Committee, as come to Washington
to take up the job OF promoting Re-
! Dlhlican m orpa MIA tion for thP COMING