Evening star., 1935-03-03
Demand Seen
for Report on
Bill Soon.
DELAY CAUSED
in COMMITTEE
House Hearing on
Bonus to Open
Tomorrow.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


On the eve of his second anniver-
sary in the White House, President
Roosevelt still faces a determined
Senate in the fight over the work.
relief bill
Meanwhile. the House Ways and
Means Committee is preparing to
start hearings tomorrow on soldiers
bonus egislation-just as unwelcome
from the point of view of the White
House.
And within a few days the Senate
Finance Committee is to launch its
investigation of the operation of the
N. r. A., the hub of the New Deal.
Committee Delays Measure.
For more than a week the admins
tration has been sitting on the lid, so
far as the work-relief bill is con-
cerned. using the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee to hold that measure
in allegiance How much longer the
lid can be held down is a question.
Unless there is a meeting Of the COM
mittee to consider the relief bill, in
preparation for reporting it again to
the Senate, there is likely to be a
roar in the Senate itself over the tao
tics of the administration leaders.
When the bill was recommitted,
following the adoption of the McCar-
ran prevailing amendment
which is opposed by the President,
Senator McNary. Republican leader,
said on the floor of the Senate:
Il want 1t understood that when the
joint resolution goes back Ito the
committee) prompt action will be
taken by the committee in bringing
out bill to relieve distress"
Compromises Reported.
That was more than week ago.
During the week there has been talk
of concessions" and compromise"
in connection with the prevailing
wage amendment. with frequent con-
ferences among Senators supporting
and opposing the prevailing wage
amendment. In the meantime there
has been no meeting of the committee
to consider the bill.
tration was waiting for the country
to be heard from. From the Sena-
tors it appears that comparatively
little has been heard from back
home" regarding the amendment, and
the messages regarding it have been
pretty evenly divided for and against.
The latest proposal, emanating, 1t
Is said, from administration sources,
was a substitute for the McCarran
amendment, which would call for
payment of the prevailing wage on
work relief projects, where the pay
ment of the security wage might beat
down the wage scale of industry. This
would be applied particularly where
public buildings are under conStruc-
ton as part of the relief program.
were made last night that
this might eventually become the sub
stance on which a compromise will be
based. It has not, however. so far
been accepted by the supporters of
the prevailing wage.
Claim Situation in Hand.
Claims were made in administra-
ton quarters the situation is in hand.
This means hat enough Senators will
be found finally to vote for the bill
permitting the President to pay the
security wage" estimated at an aver
age of $50 a month, for the 3,500,000
men whom it is planned to employ on
work relief projects, to be paid for
out of the proposed $4,000,000, 900
work relief fund. If the administra-
ton has the votes it may be expected
that a move will be made before long
to get the bill back into the Senate.
But until such a move is made, skep-
ticism fingers.
When the bill is taken up again in
the committee for consideration,
move is likely to be made again to
cut the appropriation to sum needed
for direct relief, leaving the work-re-
lief proposal for future consideration
and action. That is a course which
has been advocated by Chairman
Glass. And such an amendment was
lost originally in the committee by
tie vote. It is not satisfactory to the
administration, however, which has
insisted that the two proposals be car
ried in the same bill.
Yesterday was again day of con-
ferring among the Senators in small
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