, 1935-09-11
WASHINGTON
Nv Raw Tucker

2AAAA ~ AN9NA0AA4A OOaA a2lC-
cations acceptance OF the Gutfey
bill has weakened the operators In
their negotiations for a new agree
ment with the United Mine Workers.
II may - or may not - remove the
threat Of q major strike from the
White House doorstep.
At first the great Mellon coal in
terests Endorsed the Guffey propos-
ais. But when they couldn't get
what they wanted - elimination OF
submarginal mines and rivals -
they backed out. Counsel Don Rose
advised that the bill was unconsti-
~tutional, though he held otherwise
off the record. Anti-Mellon inter-
ests made capital Of this discrep-
ancy.
Suddenly the Mellon group adopted
"a neutral attitude. The miners and
sympathetic coal operators rushed
the measure through congress in its
closing hours. Now II Is law the
dominant Pittsburgh interests agree
TO string along.
Greeks - United Mine President
Lewis and the miners representa-
tives don't place too much trust in
this shift Of attitude. They think
the coal interests intend to control
the regional boards which will ad-
minister the Guffey Act.
The most powerful operators
fought the NRA bituminous code
when 1t was first proposed at Wash
ington. Then, as now. they soft
pedalled their opposition and acqui-
esced to NRA provisions. But they
obtained control OF the regional code
authorities in many sections Of the
country and used their power to
handicap their rivals. AS q result, the
code price and marketing structure
broke down and necessitated estab-
lishment Of a new system ever II
the supreme court had not outlawed
the Blue Eagle.
That's why President Roosevelt's
selection OF the men who will admin
lister the Guffey Act becomes all-im-
portant in the eyes Of coal capital
and labor. Nest Of the applicants
so far have been operators whose
companies could not survive the de-
preston. Labor doesn't like the list,
fearing they will revert to type. II
does not trust coal operators bearing
gifts.
Under - Although Charles West.
White House liaison man. was nam
ed Under Secretary Of the Interior
10 improve relations between Boss
Ickes and the politicians Mr.. Ickes
apparently holds no grudge. When
ever he leaves Washington he gives
young Mr.. West full authority to act
in his place.
But Mr.. West won't get much time
10 serve as the presidents research
expert and errand boy under the
routine mapped out for him by Mr..
Ickes. The latter has piled I'D
enough work on the West desk to
keep the erstwhile contact man oc-
cupied for months.
If the president hoped that the
loyal Mr.. West would serve as a
political check on his independent
cabinet member he was mistaken.
Mr.. IcKes has given his new under
secretary ar office on a floor four
down from his own. Already they
refer 10 Mr.. West as -Four Floors
Under Secretary"
Useful? - Some wise republicans
are beginning to lose less sleep over
Herbert Hoover's political promi-
nence as the 1886 election ap-
breaches. They think II might be q
good idea TO encourage II.
Their idea Is that recurrent talk
OF Mr.. Hoover as a possible presi-
dental candidate will draw demo-
cratic fire against him. They have
undoubtedly heard that Charley
Michelson's publicity strategy is to
elaborate on the Hoover crash"
whenever he sends out New Deal
publicity. The democrats one n
swer to criticism OF Roosevelt seems
TO be: do YOU want to go back TO
Hoover7" He is the ghost with
whom the Farley forces hope to
frighten the political children OF
1885.
But II the COP suddenly names a
mar who has no provable sympathy
with Hoover policies - Borah. Knox
or Landon - IL would force the
democrats to make q quick shift IN
strategy. In other words, Mr.. Hoov-
er as a "camouflage candidate"
might turn out to be a real help to
the real nominee.
Help - The lull In New Deal ac-
t~iv'-ieS these DAYS Is not deliberate
1t results from the fact that de-
partmental emergency adminiStra-
tors are occupied with writing reg
ulations to carry out legislation pass
ed In the last few minutes Of the
recent session.
Until they have been PROMULGATED
nobody will know how far-reaching
the various new laws are. iva,
AAA and the National Labor Rela-
tons Board are drafting rules which
entrust them with far greater power