The Washington times., 1935-06-19
POWER BIC F De
IN ROOSEVELT
CAMPAIGN
BY EARL GOODWIN

Old-time county chairmen have
q saying that you can't talk
politics in a straw hat" which
means that the boys like to wait
until the harvest is over and the
county fairs are under way be-
fore they are willing to be button.
holed by the politicians. But
politics are now being talked OF
by men in straw hats, Panama
hats, jungle hats or what have
you.
Probably the individual most
talked of by the politicians who
were out at the grass roots conven-
ton at Springfield, Ill, is
woman. Mrs. George B. Simmons,
wife of a Missouri farmer, made
the hit of that gathering. She
is a natural coiner of quips, words
and phrases which she losses off
like sparks from a red hot horse
shoe on the village anvil. For in
stance:
II am one who does not be-
lieve that some sOft-handed fat
head down in Washington can
run my husbands farm better
than 1 can"
WON'T MAKE 1T ISSUE
She was ripping AAA and the
New Deal farm program when she
got that one off. But as strong
as was her attack, the Republican
politicians have evidently decided
not to make the agricultural Situa-
ton a political issue.
Democrats here believe the 7-to-1
vote for the AAA wheat contract
is firSt-class evidence that the
farmers don't want to scrap AAA
for a mere platform declaration;
they will ask the politicians op-
posed to AAA for specifications
Of the substitute they propose.
miniSt r a ion agricul-
tural leaders believe that the pro-
posed AAA amendments now be-
fore Congress will relieve the agri-
cultural administration act of any
faint of unconstitutionality.
At the same time, those closest
to the AAA never did think that
the processing tax is unconStitu-
tional; some others, though. think
so and have entered suits against
the United States on account of
the processing taxes. BY the time
these suits get to the Supreme
Court, if they get there at all, the
new amendments will be effective.
Somewhere in this series of
events the Administration leaders
believe that the G. o. P. will not
have much of a political issue on
the farm situation; that it would
not be wise move for the Repub-
licans to pick on the unconstitu
tionality of the AAA.
There is, however, considerable
talk that the New Deal as an en-
tity is likely to accept the chal-
lenge of conStitutionality on the
Guffey coal control bill which is
one of the Presidents must"
I measures.
That bill does several things:
one is to set up a little NRA" in
the bituminouS coal industry and
is backed by organized labor and
y section Of the mine owners,
while another section of mine
owners bitterly opposes it.
Suppose that the Guffey bill is
enacted and knocked out by the
Supreme Court on grounds similar
to the NRA case, it is the talk now
that someone in the New Deal
would be willing then, to go to the
mat in favor of a constitutional
convention to amend the Consti-
tuition to give the Federal Govern
ment control over such things as
labor in industries as widespread
aS mining.
i Expects Fight There
The strongest political influ
ence, it is believed by Administra-
ton leaders, will come from the
public utilities and their stock
holders.
The President expects knock
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT fight on the
utility holding bill now in the
House; it may be the last-ditch
fight between Power and the
'Eerried ranks of those liberals and
fprogreSsives who have been snip
ing at the power interests for
'many years.
The power influence is wide
spread and vast in it's strength.
Specifically, it has with it the
great insurance companies, trust
companies and their wide finan-
fcial affiliations, all because of the
investment in utility securities. 1t
has with it most of the metropoli-
tan press; and it has with it the
great army of employees and in
veStors and their friends and
families.