Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-05-30
APPEARS IN PERSON
ABOUT OTHER vETOES
CITIZENS ARE CONFUSED
N. r. A. AND BANKING BILL
ORGANIZED LABOR UPSET
SPEEDS SPENDING PROGRAM
REPUBLICANS TO MEET
WINS TRADE IN S. A.
PROGRESSlVES CELEBRATE

President ROosevelt's personal ap
perance before Congress to delive
his veto message of the PatmaI
bonus bill was something of a prece
dent Advocates Of the dit
not relish the act OF the Presiden'
and some congressman called 1t al
effort to "intimidate'' them. Other!
insisted that the veto merely in
creased their determination to pass
bonus legislation.
1t Is interesting to note that Con
gress and the president have beer
unable to get together on bonus leg
islation. In 1922 President Harding
disapproved a bill ON the ground that
it did not provide the necessary rev
enue. He was sustained by the Sen
ate. In 1924, the present adjusted
compensation certificates were pro
vided by Congress over the veto OF
President Coolidge, who insisted that
it was class" legislation. These Ger.
tificates are the ones that would be
cashed under the Patman bill. Again
in 1881, Congress OVERRIDE President
| Hoover after he had vetoed a bill to
permit the ex-soldiers to borrow fifty
per cent OF the final value OF their
certificates.
The average citizen Is somewhat
confused by the cross-currents that
sweep the political field. For weeks
the newspapers have been filled with
discussions of the MIRA, with reports
conflicting as friend and foe alter
mated In action. Even the Senate and
House violently disagreed on extend
ing the life of the Act, which expires
on June 10th. The House passed the
Presidents measure providing an ex-
tension of two years but the elder
statesmen adopted a resolution al
lowing 1t life until April LIST, 1886,
with notifications which, according
to some, amount to wrecking the en-
tire system. Favor on the part Of
business was evident
Last week the future OF the MIRA,
now handling 757 basic and supple
mentary codes affecting workers es-
timated at $4,000, 000ywas very much
in doubt. The deadlock between the
House and Senate was one factor,
the expected decision Of the Su-
preme court was another, and the
announced intention of Donald Rich
berg and other high officials to re-
tire was a third.
Meanwhile, tn Administration
evolved a substitute to ex-
tend the MIRA for two years and to
settle beyond question some OF the
disputed questions of code regula-
ton Pushing the proposal In the
face of a Senate threat to permit the
MIRA to die rather than agree to the
two-year extension, the new measure
(1) prohibits price fixing except
to prevent discriminatory price
cutting, protects small enter
prises, or prevent mOnopolies, but
with safeguards for protecting the
right OF lowcost producers to sell, at
fair competitive prices; (2) restrict
codes to the Federal power to regu-
late interstate commerce, with ex-
emptions OF small local enterprises;
90 to require the President to zap
prove or prescribe" codes; (4) leave
enforcement of certain fair trade
practices to the Federal Trade Com
mission; go include hours and labor
provisions In all codes, ban child la
Dor and collective bargaining guar
antics; and (6) a period OF six
months to review and revise all ex-
isting codes.
Organized labor sharply criticizes
the wage scale set up by the Presi-
dent for projects under the work re-
lief program. William Green, presi-
dent OF the American Federation OF
Labor, expects a great deal Of dis
satisfaction" and Is fearful OF pro-
test strikes among the employed. He
Is also afraid that private industry
will attempt to reduce wages to the
level OF those set out In the schedule
which ranges from $19 a month for
unskilled, rural workers in the deep
South, to 1914 a month for profession
al workers In New York City. Under
the scale, the country Is divided into
four regions, comprising roughly the
Deep South, Middle South, Central
States and Northern States. The
workers are divided into four clasr
ses: unskilled, intermediate, skilled,
and professional or technical. Rates
Of pay also differ according to five
population classifications, with pay
rates lowest In cities OF under 5000
and rural areas, and highest In cities
over 100000.
Comparisons with prevailing indus
trial wages is difficult because pay
ON work relief jobs Is on a monthly
salary basis" with no loss OF pay
due to temporary interruption Of
work. Moreover, wages for skilled
labor differ widely in various crafts
and there may he some difference in
the hours. :
The same general confusion exists
In the country over the proposed
banking bill, which includes provis-
ions for the Capitalization OF control
over credit. These are the principal
and most controversial points in the
measure. They are vigorously opposed
by bankers throughout the nation
and among business leaders. How
Secretary Morgenthau favors
them and even proposes that the gov
49, 49, -~tDEk crrrn oil r%Do1x IN fh |