Evening star., 1935-02-25
By G. Could Lincoln.

who are employed a hard blow by
bringing down wage scales in private
industry. They say that the President
has gone ahead too fast with his plans
for relief and for recovery without
giving due consideration to what Con-
gress may think about these measures.
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| There Is lot Of talk about Demo-
Gratis in Congress being sore with the
President and the administration be-
cause they have been unsuccessful in
obtaining all the patronage jobs for
their constituents. Some of them are
sore, but they are SO in the minority
that they would have no effect what
ever on the vote in the Senate or in
the House on administration meas
ures If other factors were absent
The House and Senate are both over
whelmingly Democratic. The Repub-
lican minority is so small as to be
absolutely impotent unless there
should be q very great split in the
Democratic ranks. When some Is
Democratic Senators split with the
administration on anything. as they
did in the vote on the McCarran pre-
vailing wage amendment to the work.
relief bill, there is a real split in the
party ranks.
The President and his advisers have
decided that it is time to let the Sen
ate hear from the country. So their
present plan Is to let the relief bill
rest quietly in the Office of the Sen
ate Appropriation Committee until
Senators become convinced they had
better line up with the President in
favor of the security wage and against
the prevailing wage. This may be
effective. There is huge clamor in
the country for more spending, for
more billions of Federal appropria-
tions. There are millions on relief
rolls who will see in any delay of the
Presidents Work-relief bill the posi-
bility of having their food and money
halted. The politicians want money
to pour out. incidentally, there is a
national election coming next year.
Congress has been in session nearly
two months, and still little has been
done. None Of the major pieces OF
legislation advocated by the President
has been put. through. When the
Congress first assembled, predictions
were made that the program would
be rushed through in a hurry and
Congress would adjourn perhaps in
April. The legislative branch of the
Government, however, has come to
life and wants to do some of the legis-
lating itself. When other Presidents
have been In office, such an attitude
on the part Of Congress was consid-
cred patriotic and in accord with the
Constitution Of the United States.
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The pleas made by administration
leaders to the effect that the passage
OF the work-relief bill with the Sc.
curity wage instead of the prevailing
wage is a measure of economy Is max.
ing some Of the legislators smile. They
look on the work-relief bill, carrying
s4,S80, 100000 as anything but an
economy measure. 1t is the largest
appropriation bill ever to come before
any CongreSS-except perhaps ir
World War time, when billions were
authorized for loans to the allies. The
administration leaders insist that the
payment Of the prevailing wage would
add $4,000. .000, 900 more to the cost OF
the work-relief projects. Such addi.
tlonal billions would be too much of q
strain on the national Treasury. The
administrations proposals in the past
as well as the present proposal to ex-
pend nearly $4,000, 100000 for relief
has dulled the economy sensibilities
of people.
Matthew Woll, third vice president
Of the American Federation of Labor
the organization which has been fight.
ing against the Presidents security
wage plan and in favor of the pay.
ment of the prevailing wage on work.
relief projects, in a letter to Henry
Ford said that a movement amons
leading industrialists against high
wages is under way. Mr.. Woll asked
Mr. Ford for his views on the question
of wages. He got a reply from the
veteran automobile manufacturer, II
which Mr.. Ford said:
UNLESS the worker in American in
dustry is enabled to use and enjoy tn
products of industry, the natural bal
ance cannot be maintained. Our onl,
market is our people. I believe tina
wages will continue to 60 higher, no
as a result of politics or from purel,
humanitarian motives, but as the result
of the kind Of management that vii
enable men to earn more. You under
stand, of course, that inexperienced O
short sighted management does no
create the conditions under which mel
can earn more. Industry cannot pa,
men what they do not earn, but i
can create methods by which men
with the same effort, or even less, cal
earn more and so receive more Il
my opinion, absentee ownership in in
dustry is one Of the chief obstacles t,
higher wages, for two reasons-it i'm
poses an extra tax on industry In tn,
form Of unearned dividends and i
will not or cannot give the same at
tentive care to conditions that owner
ship and regard for the good nam
Of the business and the product car
give"
Republicans in the Maine Senate
have turned Q cold shoulder to the
proposal that the Pine Tree Stat<
should hold its elections for Governor
and other State Offices and for mem.
bers of Congress in November at the
time of the presidential election. The
Democrats voted solidly for the change
Apparently the Republicans believe II
is better to keep Maine as the political
barometer State.
! Dirigibles.
Prom the Tulsa (Okla) World.
About all q dirigible enthusiast car
do now is to stick his battered heat
up out Of the wreckage and repor
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