, 1935-03-21
WASHINGTON
BY GEORGE r

up against a hard summer.
The big fellows controlling what
are known as captive mines" are
doing II. That might reasonably in
dicate to the public the probability
Of a general walkout In the soft coal
fields on April I.
Strike" is an ugly word that has
been used many times before TO coax
r new wsge-and-hour schedule out oil
the mine bosses. Disinterested OBJ
servers believe the threat will be
made good this time In an effort 70
force Congress TO act favoranly on
at least n OF two pending bills
which would benefit organized labor
immeasurably.
John L. Lewis-president Of the
United Mine Workers Of America
would especially like TO e the Cuff
fey bill become law. This one would
nationalize coal production by set
ting future production quotas. pro-
hibiting the opening OF new mines
and broadly protecting labor.
More important TO the entire Am
erican Federation OF Labor Is the
Wagner ~bill-which would effective
ly outlaw company unions. perpetu-
ate the National Labor Relations
Board as a separate entity and re-
affirm inciSively the collective bar
gaining rights Of labor.
The word In Washington IN that la
Dor S~trategists figure a tie-up OF
the bituminous coal fields next
month may put sufficient pressure
on Senate and House to get st least
one OF these bills across. Plenty
heat has been turned on.
Squeeze - But there's a funny an
gle TO all this. It's intimated by in
siders that some Of the biggest OPP
orators in the so-called central COM
petitive field - which includes
western Pennsylvania. Illinois. Ohio
and Indiana-would Just as soon see
a break-off OF labor relations the
first Of next month.
The idea is that they would bene-
III from the provisions Of the Guffey
bill ~allocating future production and
shutting off new competition.
Opinion Is growing that Senator
Guffey'S measure will get q vote
even II Senator Wasner's doesn't.
Government representatives OF
the consumer don't care much for
this bill. They foresee that II would
squeeze the consumer between the
operator and the miner.
Care - III the miners walk out II
will be q suspension" - not a
strike"
This is a technical difference that
means a lot 10 the United Mine
Workers. During a strike. strike
benefits have TO be paid out Of the
union treasury. When a wage con
tract expires and the men don't
report for work, that is something
else again.
This doesn't mean that John Lew
Is won't take care OF his well-orgsn-
lied brood. But there is a difference
between fare and strike payments
Track 80 II is amazing how Cos
sip persists on Capitol Hill that
President Roosevelt will choose a
new running mate 10 supp.ant Vice
President John Nance Garner next
year. The rumors keep coming d.
rect from senatorial offices which
frequently know what they are talk
ing about.
The story goes that Senator Bob
LaFollette OF Wisconsin-head OF
the r~esurrected Progressive party
will get the call. This belief Ia bas-
ed on the assumption that the New
Deal has lost a lot OF support among
the working classes recently and
something must be done TO build II
up.
This correspondent still thinks
John Garner has the inside track.
Choice - More gossip from con-
g%reSsional office buildings has Jim
Farley reSigning as Postmaster
General as soon az Huey Long stops
shooting.
Senators and representatives alike
have figured II out that Fa&ley will
devc& his time TO the Craftsmanship
OF the Democratic National Com
mittee after retiring from the cab
met. They foreSee him helping 10
SpeEd that "a .6e0.000. 900 OF gork-re-
lief money judiciously.
White House sources say Just the
opposite is true-tJIat Farley will IL
nally adhere to the Roosevelt rule OF
one joe only and resign the national
Craftsmanship. II Big Jim has ad-
ditional personal political ambi-
tons. this would cen to BY the
more reasonable choice.
Pay - While the White House,