The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-10-03
White House Pressure Forced
Potato Act Through Congress

dered its decision on the NRA that the
Administration, becoming fearful Of
the unconstitutionality of the AAA,
started through Congress what it call
ed a series of clarifying amendments"
in an attempt to forestall possible
decision of the Supreme Court declar-
ing the AAA unconstitutional
The Agricultural Adjustment Adj
ministration officials opposed the pota-
to control bill, not because of its phil
osophy, but because they did not be-
lieve they could enforce it. 1t is i'm
portant to make this distinction, for
the AAA is now attempting to make
it appear that they are against the
potato control act because it is unec-
onomical and un-American. 1t is not
one whit more uneconomic or un-Am-
erican than the cotton control act,
fathered by Senator Bankhead, or the
Kerr tobacco control act, both of
which the AAA sponsored. 1t is not
more uneconomic or un-American than
the Agricultural Adjustment Act it.
self, which applies exactly the same
rule to wheat, corn, hogs, rice, pea
nuts, tobacco and other crops that the
potato control act applies to that crop.
Enter the President of the United
States, Franklin D. Roosevelt!
On June %, Representative Warren
went to see the President to enlist his
support of the potato control bill.
Warren is an important person, with
power and prestige in the House and
in the South. Only short time be-
fore he he'd made the one big speech
in the House defending the AAA pro-
cessing tax, so dear to the heart of
the President, when textile manufac-
turers assailed it. That defense from
a North Carolinan was of great value
to the President when so many South
erners were assailing the processing
tax on cotton. Warren also had but
recently presided while the House
considered the utility holding COM
pany bill, and helped steer it to VIC
tory. A mere potato bill was small
enough reward. 1t was all he asked.
The President, so it was recorded
in the press at the time, specifically
endorsed the Warren potato bill and
promised to speak" to Representa-
tive Marvin Jones, of Texas, Chairman
of the House Committee on Agricul-
ture, and to Senator Smith, of South
Carolina, Chairman of the correspond
ing committee of the Senate, in favor
of early and favorable action at the
current session.
On June goth, the Senate commit
tee voiced against adopting the potato
bill as an amendment to the AAA
bill, but favored it's consideration as a
separate bill, and Chairman Smith
introduced it in the Senate as such.
On July 10 the House committee vot-
ed out the Warren bill II to 10, refus-
ing however, to ask for a special rule
for its consideration.
Several members of the committee
were quoted to the effect they did not
think the bill was constitutional. How
ever, that objection seemed rather
trivial in view of the fact that at that
wow, ~ o,,oop+ Droc;dop+ pooca1,al+ h; IN,
self was urging another House COM
mittee to report favorably the Guffey
coal control bill, regardless of the fact
there were reasonable doubts as to its
constitutionality.
The following day, July II, Senator
Bailey, of North Carolina, introduced
the Warren potato bill as an amend
ment to the AAA measure.
Here the plot thickens. Down on
Chesapeake Bay is a delightful island
club where Democrats foregather to
play-the Jefferson Club. The Presi-
dent had been promising to pay the
club a visit and chose that weekend
to do it, with a chosen half-dozen
friends, Representative Warren and the
Senate Democratic leader with them.
Guests vowed the trip was social; no
politics discussed. But press reports
recorded that Mr.. Warren beat the
President at poker, and that everybody
had a grand time
What is more to the point, the Sem
ate Committee on Agriculture the very
next day met, reversed itself, and in
structed its Chairman, Senator Smith,
to support the potato bill as an
amendment to the AAA bill, which he
did. On July % the Senate, without a
record vote, accepted the potato bill as
an AAA rider. Vice President Garner,
who was also a guest on the Jefferson
Island jaunt, was most friendly in his
treatment of the amendment and aided
materially in speeding its adoption.
Mr.. Warren lives next door to the Vice
President at Washington hotel.
The House Agriculture committee,
up to this time, had withheld its report
on the Warren bill, but filed its report
July %, the day after the Senate had
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