, 1935-03-06
WASHINGTON
Bv George DurnO

Observation-Disclosures Is trying
to fathom the change IN surface
sentiment between the election fig
ureS OF November s and the rum
tl4ngs OF March 8. There are many
iDdications-theSe past few weeks
particularly-that the New Deal Is
finding the now very thin on parts
Of the toboggan and even an up
grade In sight.
Deep IN the background are men
representing very big business in
terestS who might tell where some
OF the backfire originated-but they
DON'T for the very good reason they
never like 10 appear publicly.
Much more IN the open are ef-
forts being put forward by LETT
wing groups. organized by such men
as Senator Huey Long and Father
Coughlin, who want to lead the
masses well 0yond the New Deal
formula.
AT the moment Mr.. Roosevelt Is
suffering a sustained attack which
comes jointly from the extreme
right and the extreme left.
Complaints Continued increase
OF retail food prices Is doing the
administration no good in patching
up national good will. Urban house
wives are making themselves heard
m Sacksful OF protesting mail.
Advocates OF the bonus. share
the-wealth, ami large old-age PEN
sion plans are helping TO stir mp
a feeling among members Of con-
greSs that Mr.. RooSevelt's popular
ity must be slipping.
Any disinterested poll OF Capitol
Hill will show that constituents who
we're warning their legislative rep
reSentatives a year ago not TO de-
sert the White House are now writ
ing in with complaints on a dozen
fronts.
Rescue Nevertheless. President
Roosevelt still Is expected 70 come
out OF his current scrap with the
senate over work-relief ! n fairy
good order. Senator Bob Reynolds
II N. C.. who voted originally against
the White House on the prevailing
wage issue. more or less summed
up the sentiment OF a sufficient
number OF his democratic colleagues
when he said. in offering a substitute
he hoped would be acceptable all
around:
we are not going 10 Straddle any
fence. | hate a straddler. ! hate 3
man who stands 30 that the people
can not tell where he stands. We
should stand on one side Of the
fence or the other. or else take
the fence away and then the people
can not tell where we are standing"
He added that II the senate adopt
ed his compromise 10 would take
the senators out Of the hole ana
everybody will be sitting on top OF
the ground
Emery-The winning or this bat
tie over the 1880, 0O0.0o0 work
relief bill has some uncomfortable
angles. however.
III sufficient fire Is placed under
certain democratic feet in the SEN
nte the administration thinks II can
come through. Trades will have 10
be made involving future leeisla-
ton. Even so. those switched over
would be made privately.
But If the White House should
by any chance decide 70 step back
and let congress stew In its own
Juice the precedent would have been
established and the recalcitrants
would feel free TO continue pouring
emery into the New Deal crankcaSe.
Humidity-A veteran member OF
Congress after watching develop
ments in the last month predicts Il
will be July / before the HonoraoleS
finally hear the adjournment gavel.
Thus far the house has passed
six OF the nine regular appropria-
ton bills and the work-relief bill.
The senate has passed two approp-
ration measures. That Is the sum
total Of major legislation 70 date.
Everything else Is in a snarl.
Some ar WaShington'S warm
weather may speed the bows up "A
bit If 10 arrives In time. Old Man
Humidity has been on the p-eSi-
dents side in this town more than