, 1935-08-23
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker


western trip win be q more serious
and elaborate venture than he plan
med originally. Political outriders,
Including National Chairman Far
ley, have advised him to make as
many personal appearances and
speeches as he al crowd in. They
see the chance to make political cap
ital Of the tour.
Although White House aides keep
Il quiet, the president may not shove
off until almost October /. The post
ponement Is more important than It
seems. Non-political economists
look for a strong upward movement
in the early fall. All signs point to
it. BY deferring his journey Mr..
Roosevelt will be In q better position
to exult over recovery and the
people will be in a better mood for
that kind Of talk.
But Mr.. Roosevelt won't forget
reform. His principal address viii
probably deal with his power pro-
gram and its ramifications. he isn't
taking advice that he should discard
controversial subjects on this swing.
Sour - Somebody ought to tip off
Jim Farley that certain secretaries
in the Post Office Department are
getting him In bad or worse -
with members Of congress. And he
has no popularity to spare.
When a legislator telephones his
department, he Is asked TO state
whether he is democratic or repub-
llcan representative" before he Is
connected with the official he has
called. Even some democrats think
that this system Is a bit rough.
Florence Kahn, ordinarily good-na-
tured. burned up the wire when ask
ed for her political pedigree. Odd
part or 1t Is that she had called to do
a favor for the largest contributor to
the democratic party in northern
California.
"A check-up reveals that no other
department has adopted this system
Of separating the sheep and the
goats. IN fact, some are more friend
" TO GOP-ers than to democrats.
Pinpricks - Republican publicists
have taken the aggressive after two
Years Of silent typewriters and mime
Cgraphs. They have made the start
ling discovery that even the immun-
ity which spared President RooSe-
welt from attack has apparently
been withdrawn.
Harry Brown. the new COP pub
hcist. misses no chance TO lab at
the democrats. He advertises their
~dissensiOns and enlarges upon their
"radicalism." Besides distributing
material TO newspapers. he slips sug-
gestlOns to writers. For instance,
Senator Thomas Of Utah returned
home some time ago In the belief
that his presence at Washington was
not essential to the national welfare.
Mr.. Brown broadcast this item to
western newspapers and the sena-
tor h~Otf0oted IL back to the senate.
It's pinprickS like this which de-
flate parties and politicians. as
Charles Nicholson demonstrated
when John Raskob hired him 10
undermine Herbert Hoover.
SEdetrack Senate democrats
have neatly shelved Charley Nc
Nary's bill To fix rates for the dis
tribution Of power at the Bonneville
dam In Oregon.
1t was no ordinary bill, for the
presidents legal and utility advisers
helped to draw II and Mr.. Roosevelt
wrote a letter asking the senate 70
speed It's passage. Minority Leader
McNary has supported most Of the
New Deal program, to the disgust Of
his conservative colleagues. and the
Bonneville measure was TO be his
reward. He faces reelection next
year.
But Senators Bone and Schwellen-
bach Of Washington were not con-
suited about this deal. They talked
behind the Genes with members Of
fthe Senate Commerce committee
(the chairman is Tammanyite DR..
Copeland and s~idetracked the Nc
Nary-Roosevelt proposal. Messrs.
Bone and Schwellenbach pointed out
that Bonneville won't be completed
for two years. so what's the hurry?
They also want 10 make sure that
northwestern cities and cooperatives
viii get q chance to buy some Of the
juice. and they aren't certain that
the McNary measure provides for
that.
Untimely - An overlooked feature
Of the present congressional session
Is the failure TO act on several mea-
sures designed to purify politics.
There has not even been any con-
~sideration Of the Black bill to regis
ter lobbyists. OF Civil Service legis-
lation. OF the SteiEer measure 70 bar
federal office-holders from nation
al conventions.
The Steiwer bills fate Is particu-
larry interesting. 1t passed the house
in 1884 but failed in the senate. It
was called up several times in the