The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-02-23
LEADERS MOVE
To CARRY ON
DIRECT AID
President Indicates Veto If
Measure Is Passed With
Pay Provision
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON
International News Service


Faced with revolt from within
and without Administration ranks,
the four.billion-dollar work relief
bill was shunted back to commit
tee today, probably to die there.
Instead of the 1880 million dol.
lars with no strings attached"
which President Roosevelt weeks
ago asked Congress to grant him,
he probably will get, instead, a
Straightout relief fund of less
than half the amount.
This was the direction in which
Administration leaders were NOV
ing today, after their defeat on
the McCarran amendment, which
would have the Government to
nay prevailing wages" on all pub
lie works.
Up to Leaders
President Roosevelt left the
Capital for Boston and Hyde Park
today, leaving his legislative lead
ers to battle it out.
They understood that under no
circumstances would he accept
the measure with the prevailing
wage" amendment. The President
considers that this amendment
defeats the very purpose of the
measure. and he let legislative
leaders know that he planned to
veto it if it is presented to him
in this form.
Confronted with the exhaustion
Of Federal relief funds, Admins.
tration leaders at the Capitol
planned to strip the works fea-
ture from the bill and rush to
enactment a straight relief meas
ure.
Labor Alarmed
The Administration tactics
were viewed with alarm by organ
lied labor leaders, who feared
some parliamentary move would
be made to review the work-relief
program without including the
McCarran amendment. This might
be accomplished by passing a d.
rect relief bill in the Senate and
then adding the work program,
without the McCarran amend
ment, in conference with the
House.
Senator McCarran CD of Ne.
vada, author of the amendment,
issued a biting warning against
such a move. He virtually threat
ened to launch g. Senate filibuster
to kill the bill entirely if the Ad-
1ninistration adopted such tactics.
He said:
II favor any necessary ap-
preparation for direct relief,
but If there is any member of
Congress who believes a direct
relief bill can pass the Senate
and be converted into q Public
Works bill without the prevail
ing wage amendment, in con-
ference, he is sadly mistaken.
PREDICTS DEFEAT
"'It Is my firm belief that
there are enough Senators who
understand the temperament of
the American people and whe
are willing to make any sacri-
flee to maintain our. American
standard Of wages, to defeat
such o move. 1 have faith
enough in the Senate and in
the American people to believe
they will not tolerate treachery
or betrayal on this vital ISSUE"
Adams Leads Move
Senator Alva Adams CD Of
Colorado, announced he would
dead the move in the Senate APP
propriations Committee to aban-
don the whole work relief pro-
gram in favor of a one billion,
eight hundred lightweight mil
lion dollars appropriation for d.
rect relief. He said there would
be mo restrictions" on the PreSi-
dent spending this money to help
the starving, but that the Presi-
dent would not be empowered to
construct Federal projects.
The bill originally proposed
four billion, eight hundred eighty
million dollars appropriation. OF
this sum four billion dollars would
have gone to relief projects and
but 100000 for direct re-
lief. It was the Administrators
plan to terminate the dole by
next December by transferring
all persons from relief rolls to