The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-05-01
Roosevelt Picks
New Contact Man
Young Chas. West Will Tip Con-
gress Off About Presidents
Legislative Desires

| WkaOI11IN14O4N, 1apAA1 OV-\<1uVO-
eastern the return of PreSi-
dent Roosevelt from his fishing trip,
ruddy and tanned and in excellent
spirits, the political strategy of the
administration in it's dealings with
congress began to be more appar-
ent. From now on it is likely that
less will be heard of a "revolt" on
Capitol Hill and that when the ses-
sion ends the president will have a
considerable handful of new legis-
lation to which the administration
can point as evidence that the New
Deal is still going strong.
Enters, MIR. West
Mr.. Roosevelt's first outward in
dication that he expects congress
to do what he wants it to do came
in the announcement of his appoint
ment of Charles West, a former
Democratic congressman from
Ohio, as the liaison officer between
the White House and the capitol.
Mr.. West, who is a comparatively
young man-just turned forty-will
do the work which formerly was
Col. Louis McHenry Howe's chief
job-that of passing the word
quietly to congressional leaders that
the president insists upon this or
will be satisfied with that, and like
wise reporting back to the presi-
dent that he can get this or that
from congress or that he can't get
it.
In the substitution Of a practical
politician for the theorists who have
heretofore attempted to interpret
the administration to congress, and
vice-versa, shrewd observers see the
beginning Of the presidential cam
paign of 1896. The indications are
that from now on compromise,
where it will result in political adj
vantage, will be the spirit in which
the administration will approach
congress, rather than insistence up
on the precise dotting of every 81"
and the exact crossing of every It,"
So when the word comes out from
Washington that the president is
determined that his social security
program, his banking reform pro-
gram, his utility holding company
and regulation program, his railroad
reorganization program, and all the
rest of the reform projects, shall go
through just as he wants them, the
statement should be interpreted to
mean hat he would like to have
them but if he can't get them with
out sacrificing political advantages,
he'll take what he can get and his
supporters will claim another VIC
tory for the president.
Presidents Advantage
The most powerful club which the
president holds over the head of
congress today was handed to him
by congress itself. That is the 81
$50 ,0O0, 900 appropriation for work
relief, the administration and ap-
portionment of which among the
states is entirely within the presi-
dents personal jurisdiction. It is a
club which the president does not
have to use i'm any crude or blunt
manner.
The mere fact that the power to
allocate the spending of that huge
fund lies in the hands of the presi-
dent alone is enough to make most
members of both houses watch their
steps. No threats are needed; but
those who know the ways Of poll
tics and politicians point out that
every senator and representative is
anxious to get all he can of this
fund spent in his home state or
district, and he is therefore disin-
clined to take a position in opposi-
ton to the administrators policies.
Not that anybody will have warned
him, but "just in case" somebody
might notice how he voted.
The president u.s. in short, politi-
cally in an advantageous trading po-
sition, but probably will not have to
do any open trading to get a
semblance of what he has an