, 1935-06-25
WASHINGTON
BY Raw Tucker

Turks ~ The private utilities lob
BY against President RooSevelts
power program may prove a BOOM
erang. It may lead to passage Of q
measure which had been h~opelessly
lost - the Black a~nti-lobby bill.
MIR. Roosevelt has displayed little
interest in this demand for regis
tration Of lobbygows and revelation
OF their expenditures. He has fear
ei that any effort to enact 1t would
block more important measures on
his list. But he has been angered
BY the drive which the power peo-
pie have directed against iva and
holding company bills and may yet
mark 1t must"
Senate veterans say the power
companies have spent more money
than any lobby since 1900. In their
opinion the manufacturers, the
railroads, the bankers and shipping
interests have been pikers in COM
pariSon. Either the Black bill or a
special investigation turks around
the corner If the utilities win out IN
their present struggle.
Contacts" LOBBYISTS often
write bills for congressman to intro
duce. But every major bill on the
Roosevelt program has been framed
by an administration penman
Tommie Corcoran and Bonnie Co
hen wrote the banking, holdine
company and social security bills
Jim Lands drew up the two Sc
curity measures. White House aides
have sat on the floor during debate
"a privilege which private lobby
lists do not enjoy.
Every executive department has a
contact man" on Capitol Eill
They buttonhole members on be-
half OF pet bills and report daily
TO cabinet members. Some cabinet
GERS. like Secretary Ickes. lobby in
person, summoning senator's to the
anteroom. MeSsrs. Farley and
Hurja apply the finishing touches
when a bill stands in jeopardy.
Benefits - The much-maligned
AAA looms up as President Roose-
velt's political mainstay for 1886.
Most people missed il. but the
house vote On the licensing amend
ments commanded the support OF q
majority OF the republicans from
the ten states which participated II
the grass roots" conference. The
delegation from Kansas. where the
idea for republican revival origin
ated, led the AAA parade.
AAA dopesters talk politics as well
as farming IN confidential moments
They point out that 5000, 900 farm
erS have signed benefit agreements
About half Of these live IN the to-
bacco and cotton-growing states
which should vote for Mr.. Roose-
welt out Of sentiment. But the other
half live in the normally republican
wheat-and-corn belt. viii they
bite the hand that's feeding them?
Healthy washington CORE
SpondentS have shown a more criti-
cal spirit at recent press confer
ences with high officials than they
have since the Inauguration Of the
New Deal. II apparently reflects
a more critical attitude Throughout
the country.
Even the president Is no longer
immune from sharp questioning
There r more penetrating queries
and less exchange Of jokes than
there used to be. MI. Roosevelt can
no longer dismiss a question with
repartee. The newspapermen press
him. refusing TO be stayed. One
correspondent. In a stew OF inter-
rogation recently addressed the
president as MI. Secretary" He
was SO intent on getting informa-
ton that he forgot titles.
The long honeymoon is definitely
ended. Newspapermen like Mr..
R~ooSevelt's personality and for q
long time they succumbed to Il,
But now they want TO know the
answers TO those old, old questions
how and how-come. It's a heal
thy sign.
| Control - Many people hold the
theory that President Roosevelt Is
driving through questionable laws
in full expectation that they will
be upset by the supreme court and
that the result will be an uprising
which will force amendment Of the
constitution.
II Roosevelt were safely in until
1910 this theory would be more
plausible. The flaw IN It Is that
the full force OF adverse court de-
cisions may strike him while he is
running for reelection. Then he
would face the cry that his whole
New Deal is a failure after incur
ring debts running into billions.
A more accurate hypothesis is
that President Roosevelt sincerely
believes his laws are valid - that
he has full confidence in his legal
advisers - that he believes the
country wants the reforms he advo-
- - l. -