, 1935-03-12
WASHINGTON
BY George Durno

ny OcoE8c D1Euo
Chaotic-An OF the thorns In
President Roosevelt's crown fail to
protrude directly from the hatband.
SO far the While House confers the
Thistle Rampant on H1ey Long
and his senatorial colleagues for
temporarily ~rcfrigeratlng the New
Deal program but barbs are begin
ming to foster elsewhere into 20
tential trouble with a tall L.
Personal ana personnel jealousies
In the assorted government agencies
aren't helping FDR onward a bit.
Tie last AAA Shake-up. which saw
Secretary OF Agriculture Wallace
sorrowfullv toss out half q dozen
Young Liberals who thought they
were safe under the wing OF Under
secretary Rex Tugwel, vas only a
Ep-off 70 the HLSsensiOn in the ranks
OF the official family.
Operating efficiency has gone by
the board IN several Of the impor-
agencies largely because so-called
Brain Trusters and old line en-
rloyeS r more interested IN find
ing out who's Loss than taey are In
working out me presidents prob
lens.
Guessers-NRA, now under sen
ate scrunity. L. a fine example. It
Stagnated from the time General
Hugh johnson got the axe but since
s Clay Williams resignation as
board chairman vas announced the
Blue Eagle has gone into a virtual
coma.
Until williams went back TO pri-
Vate life seven men jointly were
trying 10 fill the shoes OF the out
spoken Joanson-Including Walton
hamilton, Sidney Hillman. Arthur
Whiteside, l. G. Marshall. Leon
Henderson and Blackwell Smith.
II NRA workers could be persuaded
&c talk for publication they would
tell you there have oeen seven diff
ie!ent streams Of personnel allegi-
ance running down through the
agency. Minor officials, clerks.
Stenos and we office boys have
been wondering who would come
cut on top ana most OF them have
made q frantic guess. figuring a
Joo these days
Friction Cources close 10 the
White House predicf NRA viii re-
turn 70 one-nlan rule. II never
would nave been placed IN the hands
@. a board had not that been the
least embarrassing way 70 ease
johnson out. General warning was
given at the zine that divided au-
tho-ity wouldn't work
Similar conditions 70 q somewhat
lesser degree exist elsewhere. In
Wednesday g column underground
friction in the Department OF Com
merce viii be discussed.
CCC-Lookis 2 well into the future,
Robert FcchnC-, Dire1to- OF Emer-
gency Conservation Work, Us about
70 ask congress for legislation that
will prevent tn. CCC army from be-
coming a constant public liability
some years haLce.
Members Of the House Appropri-
atoms Committee first took the mat
ter I'D with Ttchner when the di-
rector appeared before an executive
session considering the new CCC
appropriation.
Some OF the congressman had
visions Of a CCC Legion ) or 8 years
from nov which would be pressing
for compensation Just as the war
veterans have lobbied Tor continuing
government payments. Fechner
agreed this was a very serious phase
OF the whole 20 est army movement,
and revealed to the committee that
the War Department was much con-
cerned about what night develop.
Prccautions-The forest general
since mas taken the question up WITH
officials OF the War. Interior. Agri-
culture and Labor Departments. they
being the ones concerned With CCC.
what washington viSualizss as SI
possibility Is a flood Of claims al
some future date that illness or in
capacity was traceable indirectly 70
forest camp work. At present. the
100000 CCC boys are under the U. >.
Employees Compensation Law, plus
al amendment specifically restrict
Tag compensation TO cases OF injury
and illness that could be directly
proven to have resulted from their
CCC service.
But Fechner and veteran members
Of congress want 1t frightened up stil
more. They want to make u impos-
sible for a man who contracts tuoer-
culosis. for instance. 5 years after
his discharge to claim II came from
the Battle Of 1885.
Riding-Treasury and justice OH
Gals are still trying TO figure out q
wav " remetying the constitutional
defect In the governments COLO
clause notification without setting
off a lot Of Political fireworks.
Immediate action isn't imperative
of which the New Dealers are Elao.
The supreme court held congress
had no right to invalidate the prom
Use 10 pay In gold from government
bonds but in the same breath Saio