, 1935-08-06
WASHINGTON


BY Ray Tucker
ORDERS II senate rebels gum
UP the tax bill with deep slashes
In the lower brackets, bonus riders
and initiation jokers Taxer Pat
Harrison will pass the blame TO
Secretary Morgenthau- He declined
Pats invitation to suggest patriotic
rates around which the Mississip-
plan could rally Rooseveltian soak
the -richers.
The man responsible for Mr..
Morgenthau's silences is the pres
ident. Long ago he issued a stand
ing order that treasury spokesman
should not propose specific rate
schedules to congress. The cabinet
member seemed tongue-tied-some
senator's used harsher words In
committeeman asides-but he was
simply carrying out the chiefs or
ders. Mr.. Roosevelt Is maneuvering
to force congress to assume reSpon-
Sibility for wallet-tapping.
The presidential strategy makes
his financial prime minister appear
foolish. Il stirs the senatorial sus-
picion that Mr.. Morgenthau is an
ADLER administrator than he Is a
fikancier-a slightly unfair conclu-
sion. And 1t 20 VS. into the hands OF
the radicals and conservatives bent
on embarrassing the administration
over taxes.
Weapon-House Labor Committee
members have served a quiet ulti-
matum on Assistant Navy Secre-
tary Roosevelt. They have ordered
him to investigate the strike at the
New York Shipbuilding Company's
Camden yards or undergo inveSti-
CATION himself.
For almost three months cruiser
construction has been halted by
labor difficulties at the yard. Under
the cruiser contracts the company
is exempt from penalties IL delay
results from 'inexcusable strikes"
The Navy Department reserves the
right to undertake completion Of
the vessels II the corporation is
found to be az fault.
Naval officials informed congress-
men that Secretary Roosevelt has
made no move to investigate the
cause Of the strike. From other
sources the legislators hear that
the navy executive refused to re-
ceive an employees brief describing
the trouble as a lockout. The
significance Is that II the admin
istration enforces on all industries
concerned similar provisions present
in many other contracts 1t may
have found a substitute weapon for
Section 2 (a).
Roll CaII-The on-again, off,
again unemployment census seems
to have been lost in the shuttle.
Economic experts have urged 1t
as a means of learning the low
down on the number Of people out
Of work. Many students regard the
A. r. OF LIS figures as too high
and the National Industrial Con-
ference estimates as too low. The
study was also counted on to show
how many workers have been per-
manently replaced through mech
anization and entrance Of women
into industry.
Butt persistent inquiry discloses
that there are no plans or allot-
ment OF funds for the survey. 1t Is
not on the calendar Of the Division
OF Applications or the Allotment
Board. There is inside talk that It
would furnish no permanent bene-
fits inasmuch as conditions change
so rapidly. Others predict that the
desired information will become
available through a roll call OF
workers and voorhees, that will ac-
company establishment Of the old
age and unemployment pension
systems.
Figures-The nations steel makers
have come off fairly well in their
private feud with the New Dealers.
They have resisted Harold Ickes'
moves to lower prices in PWA work.
They outmaneuvered Attorney Gen.
eral Cummings in the investigation
into steel rail prices. They man
aged to preserve the system Of
shipping 7. o. b. Pittsburgh.
But the mild Cordell Hull Is lay
ing for them. Their broadside
against his pet hobby-reciprocal
tariff agreements = nettled him,
and his aides have prepared a reply
which is awaiting his return from
vacation. 1t dencurces the COM
plant OF the Ar a Iron and
Steel Institute as q surd." gro
tesque.r and their Oariff attitude
as short sighted"
Whereas they claimed that 5000
men had been thrown out OF work
by foreign imports Of steel in the
the first five months OF this year.
Mr.. Hull viii say that the increase
OF exports over imports during that
period gave employment to 31.436
men. He will list a $400. O00. 900 gain
in steel exports for 1884 over 1888.
And also point out that six steel