Evening star., 1935-06-13
GOVERNORS FIGHT
WIDER u. S. POWER
Regional Pacts Suggested
to Combat Move for
liberalization.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

bWcCH JltC GobdJCS dS a lilCdIlS VI SOuA-
batting liberalization were voiced by
several Governors even before their
annual meeting began here.
Members of the Executive Committee
decided that the first subject of dis
cussion will be the N. r. A., with Cows.
McNutt of Indiana and Johnston of
South Carolina taking the lead.
A statement issued by Gov. john
ston's secretary declared the Governor
had voiced his opposition to con-
stitutional amendment that would per-
NIT what he termed further encroach-
ment on the rights Of the States
IN regulatory matters like the N. r.
A." Gov. Johnston, the statement
said, would recommend to the con-
ference a course of unified action to
preserve the maximum hours and
minimum wage features Of the N. r. A.
Asked later whether South Carolina
would Join with New England to pre-
serve wage standards and prohibit
child labor in the textile industry,
Mr.. Johnston replied: Il think we
would"
Conner Position Similar.
Gov Conner OF Mississippi. inter-
viewed by newspaper correspondents,
took substantially the same position.
He said the States were faced with
choice between political oblitera-
ton at the hands OF the Federal
Government or the formation OF inter-
state compacts which would permit
them more effectively to meet current
| problems.
Gov. McNutt was the first State
executive TO Cash with President
Roosevelt over the N. r. A., when
the President disappro, ed the Indiana
legislature taking control for the
State of intrastate industry. NC
Mutt likely will Join in opposition
to any change Of The Federal Consti-
tutor to extend Federal authority.
1t is apparent. also, that the pres
ent conference Of Governors has been
located in a hot-ped o: dissatisfaction
with the Federal method OF admins
tering relief and other New Deal
agencies. OF he nearby Governors,
all of whom will take prominent
part in the meeting. not only Johns
ton and Conner, but Oscar K. Allen
from Louisiana. Eugene Talmaoge OF
Geol gia and George c. Peery of Vlr-
ginia have clasnod with either Re
lief Administrator Harry L. Hopkins
or Public Works Administrator Harold
l.. Ickes. The relief phase will be
intensified by the appearance OF
Aubrey williams, chief assistant to
Mr.. Hopkins, as the speaker before
the Governors in behalf Of the ma
tional administration.
Object to Relief Central.
One OF the major complaints of
Southern Governors is that control
of Federal relief funds has been or
soon Is to be placed In control Of
Senators from their States, ami that
the latter are using these frankly for
political purposes. 1t was significant,
for example, that Gov Johnston took
occasion in his statement to declare
that my views on the subject Of a
constitutional amendment to not con-
cur with those IT Senator James F.
Byrnes Of South Carolina. who re-
Gently advocated a change n the
Constitution OF The United States TO
permit nationally such legislation as
the N. r. A."
Johnstons frielGs here say he feels
Senator Byrnes rushed to defend the
Presidents position on the Constitu-
ton primarily 20 strengthen his sena-
toria. hand In the matter Of dis
pensing Federal patronage in South
Carolina.
Gov. Conner has a similar quarrel
with the United States Senators from
Mississippi, Pat harrison and Theo-
lore g. Bilbo.
williams First Administrator.
The Governor declares there had
never been any politics in the distribu-
ton of Federal relief funds IN Mis-
siSsippi until the Senator's recently
took a hand in it. The first relief
administrator for the State was Au-
brey williams, assigned to the task
by Director Hopkins on the request OF
the Governor and now Hopkins chief
assistant. williams suggested George
B. Power, Mississippi resident, as
his successor, and following Powers
the Governor, another Of Hopkins
trained social workers, Charles B.
Brawn, formerly assistant relief ad-
ministrator for Texas. was given the
job
Some two months ago, however,
Senators Harrison and Bilbo publicly
announced they had been given con-
troll Of the Relief Administration and
that henceforth its employees would
be selected on the basis of their politi-
cal allegiance. A little later Wayne
Alliston, Baptist minister and politi-
cal henchman of Bilbo, was an
nounced as President Roosevelts ap-
pointee to the position of director Of
works progress" tor Mississippi and
thus the spokesman for Mr.. Hopkins
in distributing that part of the new
81 SOC, ,O00. 900 relief appropriation that
is assigned to the State.
Function Shift Likely.
Mr.. Brawn has not yet been dis
placed as relief administrator. but in
other States the practice has been
to shift this function to the director
OF works progress ana IL is assumeu
that this course eventually will be
followed here.
The political aspect Of this change
Is heightened by the fact that Sen
ator Harrison, who has been Pres
ident Roosevelt's chief spokesman in
the Senate, is up for reelection next
year, and il has been run1ored that
Gov. Conner, whose term expires next
January, will run against him. Also,
It Is significant that Gov. Conner sup
ported Newton d. Baker for the pres
idential nomination In opposition to
Roosevelt In 1882, and the Governor
has not shown himself particularly
friendly to the President since his
election.
II Is the view Of both Cows. Conner
and Johnston that the Federal Gov
eminent not only is seeking to assume
many of the powers Of the State, but