Plentywood herald., 1935-06-27

Inc condition of affairs can be un
derstood when we point out that the
finst session OF the Seyenty-Fourth
| Congress enters its twenty-fifth week
this Wednesday. From JAN 3 until
the day the Speaker addressed the
House only one really important
New Deal measure had been approx.
ed and some fourteen bills were
awaiting action. In fact, the com
plications of the NRA case upset
which entailed lost time and re-
v1sed program of legislation, had set
before Congress task even greater
than the one that faced 1t when the
session convened.
Something of a major battle be
tween the President and the House
seems slated to begin this week over
the death sentence" clause of the
utilities holding company measure.
AS passed by the Senate, with the
IBorah amendment making 1t mand-
atory to dissolve any holding COM
pany which "held' another holding
company, the bill was pronounced
even stronger than when introduc-
ed However, the final vote OF Sc
to 80 does not indicate true senti-
ment in the Senate. where two deter
mined efforts to curb the power OF
the Securities and Exchange com-
mission were beaten by slender mar
gins of one and two votes.
Last week the House Subcommit-
tee reported unfavorably on the dis
puted section and what the House
members would do seemed problem
attic. While the President has had
his way, usually, with the House the
fight over the holding company bill
Is intense, with much active work
being done by the opponents of ell
imination In the hope of securing
in the House which will
enable them to get another chance
in the Senate. sharp line has
been drawn with bad feeling increas-
ing.
The death sentence" provides for
The dismemberment or dissolution OF |
the giant holding companies, with |
the BOrah amendment becoming ef- |
fective Iby 1910 Efforts in the Sen
ate to ameliorate the severity of the
bill were supported by 29 Democrats
and Is Republicans, while 35 Demo
Gratis, 8 Republicans and two others
stood firm for the rigorous pro-
Later, on passage Of the
bill IS Democrats and IA Republi-
cans cast negative votes. Inasmuch
Is billions of dollars are involved, to-
yether with millions of people, one
,an understand the clash as advo-
,ates demand the death Of holding
parasites and opponents
speak up for what they say is the
of more than 100000 in
7estors.
'irst and aid offered the unemploy
I'd only through the direct work re-
ief program Harry Hopkins promis-
IS jobs for 3,5OO,O00. The govern
nent win spend half Of the four bill
ion dollar fund, pouring the money
nto the states, where works pro-
yress administrators have been In
;tructed to see that the overall cost
If projects Is kept down to the av-
srage Of $1,000 a man employed in
order that the sum appropriated by
Congress will accomplish the task
Moreover, it is urged
hat men thus employed be transfer
'ed as rapidly as possible to private
even If this means slow
ng down, or stopping, some pro-
ects.
President Roosevelt in addressing
he men to have charge OF the pro-
yram in the states emphasized that
politics is out, that there be no dis
and that 1--WE cannot
furt our enemies, nor help our
riends." He hoped that there
would be definite pickup all over