Montana labor news., 1935-02-07
The Washington Scene
By Len De Csux

WASHINGTON-(FP)-The Sun
day visitor to Washington may walk
around and find all the sermons he
wants in stones - particularly in the
stonework OF new buildings.
Whole solid blocks of new govern
ment buildings flank Constitution Ave,
from 9TH to 18th Streets. The thick
wedge of masonry dominates Penn
sylvania Ave. as we'll. And across a
little prairie to the south, the Dept.
of Agriculture sprawls enormously over
acres Of land.
Compare the solidity and promised
%permanence of these new buildings with
the barrack-like buildings that grew
mushroom-wise in war days. The war
was expected to end some day, but the
emergency Of this economic crisis has
brought new forces to Washington that
have come to stay.
The Commerce Dept. building, fit
ing memorial to Herbert Hoover, is
solidest and most substantial Of all,
from outside. But it already looks
aged beside New Deal buildings across
the way. Kubla Khan decreed a state
ly pleasure-dome, but a dumpy business
dome was Hoover's pleasure. He built
solidly, unimaginatively, expansively,
after the image OF American business.
His offices as Secretary of Commerce
we're a super-banker's suite.
Today this cathedral of American
business looks somewhat dingier and
more depressed but still solid. Inside,
however, disintegration has set in and
strange things have happened since
Hoover's days. Cracks are appearing
in the masonry and walls; suggestions
have been made of graft in the con-
struction cheap material made to
look like more expensive, poor work
garnished over with rich trimmings.
And for tenants the Commerce Dept.
has had the NRAl Rowdy Gen. John
son thumped and banged and shouted
not far below the banker calm and
staid mahogany Of Hoover's old Of
flee. Big business, once the honored
and sought-after guest, is now ensconc-
ed in the Commerce Building, a quar-
relsome partner in the governments
business.
Right across the way from the Com
merce building, is a Cinderella story
in stone. In a grimy scullery in the
servants quarter of Washington the
Labor Dept. was kept by the rich and
naughty sisters Of Coolidge and Hoov-
er days. Then one day come the good
fairy Of the New Deal, taking Labor
in a carriage made from pumpkins to
a more wonderful party than ever hap
pened in real life. The shoe fitted Miss
Perkins foot perfectly, Prince Charm
ing Roosevelt had her installed in a
regular palace of her own, and every
lived happily ever after - except
perhaps the once naughty sisters.
Unfortunately the Cinderella legend,
though one of the most popular Of
fairy stories, is perhaps the least true
to life. Every scullery maid can mag
inc herself a Cinderella when she goes
to the movies = but all the good things
happen only to imaginary persons. 1t
is only the Labor Dept, not labor it.
self, that has fitted its foot to the
magic slipper. And the naughty sis
tiers, though beginning to feel their
age, are still star boarders.
Next to the new Labor Dept. build
ing is that Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. 1t too needs room to ex-
pand. For Roosevelt has said in his
message that coordination Of all forms
of transportation, by water, highway,
and air, as well as by rail, under one
government regulatory body, is on his
program. Federal Coordinator East
man has eve talked of railroad nat
ionalization as an ultimate possibility,
and Sen. Burton K. Wheeler is putting