Evening star., 1935-04-30
PRESIDENT HOLDS
FAST TO TWO.YEAR
N.R.A. EXTENSION
Senators Fail to Shake
RooseveIt's Stand Against
Resolution.
SENATE COMMITTEE
TO MEET TOMORROW
Fight to Continue Codes Only
Until April Not Abandoned
Despite Rebuff.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


instead of passing a new law to ex-
tend it for two years met a check
at the White House today. However.
Senate Republicans and recovery law
opponents Immediately opened a new
drive for temporary extension.
Headed by Senator Harrison of Mis-
sissippi, chairman of the Finance
Committee, group of Senators called
on President Roosevelt today to dis
cuss the proposed extension agree
ment.
The conference ended with no final
decision, it was reported. However. 1t
was also reported that the President
did not agree to go along with the
joint resolution idea, as it had been
hoped he would do.
When the suggestion Of the Joint
resolution to extend the N. r. A. until
next April was first broached to him
at the conference, the President
seemed willing to go along. But DON
aid R. Richberg, head of the N. r. A..
and Secretary of Labor Perkins came
into the meeting and Immediately
turned thumbs down on the Senators
proposal.
La Toilette Wants New Bill.
After Richberg and Miss Perkins
had concluded what they had to say.
the attitude of the President seemed
distinctly more antagonistic to the
joint resolution idea. Senator La Fol-
lette. Progressive. of Wisconsin, also
told the President he believed II would
be better to bring in an entirely new
bill, amending the present N. r. A.
law. He said the committees inves-
tigation had disclosed evils growing
out OF the operation of the present
law and he thought it would be un-
wise merely to extend the operation
of the, law for another eight months.
The proposal to extend the law un-
til April carried with it amendments
which would prohibit price fixing, ex-
cept as it relates to natural resources.
and to exempt intraState business
from the operation Of the law.
The fight to carry through the pro-
posal for an extension of the N. r. A.
until April. however. was not aban-
doned, despite its cold reception at the
White House. Senator McNary, Re-
publican leader, who attended the con-
ference. said after he returned to the
Capitol he believed Republicans would
back the proposal Other members of
the Senate who attended the confer
ence said. too. they believe a consider
able number of Democrats would sup
port the joint resolution. The Senate
Finance Committee, which is consid-
ering N. r. A. legislation, is to meet
tomorrow on the matter.
Early Adjournment Urged.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader; Senator King of
Utah. Senator McCarran of Nevada,
Senator Clark of Missouri, Senator
Borah of Idaho and Senator Nye Of
North Dakota were in the group which
went to the White House. Chairman
Doughton of the House Ways and
Means Committee also was present.
Senators supporting the joint reso-
luton proposal hope to be able to
expedite materially final adjournment
of Congress by side-tracking general
revision of the N. r. A. law until next
year. The President is understood
to have expressed rather forcibly at
the conference today the idea that
the Senate should get down to work
and complete its business at an early
date. He intimated strongly that
the country was sick Of the dilatory
tactics of the Upper House.
The Presidents structures on the
Senate were made in the presence of
Senator Robinson. The Chief Ex-
ecutive wants his program passed and
he wants Congress to adjourn at an
early date, yet he has been repeatedly
told by Democratic Senators that If
he insists upon his entire program,
including the extention of the N r. A.
for tVo years. there is no possibility
OF an adjournment before July or
August.
Opponents of the N. r. A. as it now
exists generally are favorable to the
move to pass a joint resolution ex-
tending the N. r. A. until April. If
such a course is followed there is a
feeling that the whole structure will
disintegrate. II the Supreme Court
should declare the act unconstitu-
tional, then. of course. they say. the
N. r. A. would be dead as a doornail.
McCarran Wants Year Extension.
After the conference at the White
House, Senator McCarran expressed
himself as still being in favor of q
one-year continuation of the present
law. In that time. he said. the con.
stitutionality of the various phases
can be cleared up in the courts, fur
nishing a basis upon which new
N. r. A. law may be worked out. The
extension plan, Senator McCarran
said, seemed acceptable to the Presi-
dent at first. A statement issued
from McCarran's office continued:
Following Harrisons proposal,
however. Donald Richberg, chairman
of the Recovery Board, argued for the
full two-year extension without elm
ination of the two controversial pro-
visions suggested by Harrison (price
fixing and intrastate commerce."
After that we agreed to disagree"
said McCarran.
In championing the one-year ex-
tension idea, McCarran said he is in
clined to believe that plan is better
since much Of the difficulty now sur
rounding the code and the admins
tration could be removed If questions
of the legality of the present act now
hanging over its head were decided in
the courts before further steps were
taken to revise or extend that recovery
law,