Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-03-07
CONGRESS MARKS TIME
WORkS-REltEF DEFEAT
REVOLT SIGNS PLAIN
LABOR LOBBY SCORES
AWAIT PUBLIC REACTION
NEW DEAL MOVES SLOWLY
FOR NRA EXTENSION
FOR NRA EXTENSION

FOR NRA EXTENSION
Washington marked time for the
most part last week as both Congress
and the Administration waited fol-
public reaction to the defeat OF the
$4,000, 900 900 Work Relief bill in the
Senate. BY a vote OF 44-43 the upper
house had written in the McCurran
prevailing wage" amendment In the
face Of a clear statement that this
would mean a presidential veto
While the defeat was something oil
a surprise. there had been abund.
ant evidence that the opposition was
strong and determined.
80
Going back a bit, one recalls that
the first revolt against the huge
work relief exhibited itself
in the House where Administration
spokesman, under pressure from the
opposition. were forced to yield in
order to get the bill through the
House. 1t was referred to the Ap-
preparations Committee Of the Sen
ate, which. by a scant margin OF a
tie vote, failed to reduce the amount
to $2.S00, 200, 900. thus forcing a con-
tinuance OF the dole" opposed by
the President.
Then came the fight over the Nc
Carran proposal to require that the
prevailing wage" be paid IN any
project undertaken in any locality.
This was strongly advocated by the
| Anoo~too- EoI0xot,o, - II okor -rhtoh
maintained an active lobby and
brought to bear upon senators the
powerful influences of labor through
out the nation. The Presidents con-
tention was for the payment Of NOM
inal wages" something above the
dole payment but still far enough be-
low the prevailing wage in any To-
cality to encourage workers to seek
private employment
Moreover, the objection was made
that the prevailing wage" provision
would vastly increase the cost OF the
works project and, in the Senate,
Senator Carter Glass emphasized
that it might even endanger national
credit. When this amendment was
first voted upon by the Senate Com
mittee, it was carried, but, subse-
Quently, the committee reversed it.
self under White House pressure and
substituted a compromise, which, In a
vague way carried out the idea that
il the works program resulted In
lowering wages, the President would
meet the situation by raising wages.
Then came the vote in the Senate
which resulted in the most serious
setback the President has yet suf-
fered. OF the 50 Democrats, only Al
supported the Administration. TWEEN
ty-one members Of the majority party
joined with an equal number Of Re
publicans, one Progressive and one
FamerLaborite member to support
the McCarran proposal. Administra-
ton spokesman publicly declared
that the huge program was dead"
Following this setback, the Presi-
dent took himself to New York for a
weekend, being absent from the cap
ital for about a week. He maintain
ed publicly at least his usual optim-
ISM
Meanwhile, political s~trategists at
tempted to analyze the situation. AT
the outset they faced the undoubted
fact that the last Congress elected
overwhelmingly on a pro-Roosevelt
basis, includes numerous groups and
factions which do not hesitate to
combine against him, on particular
issues. Moreover, the opposition Is
not solid but varies as the issues
themselves. For example, the veter
an Carter Glass, senator from Vir
ginia, a spirited opponent OF the fin
ancial policies OF the Administration
was a w~armIhearted and courageous
advocate OF the works program. Sen
ator Wagner of New York, who de
livered something like a eulogy o.
the President, voted against him
Practically the entire Republican
membership favored the amendment
which would add billions to the po
tential cost OF the program In spite
Of their constant complaints against
the extravagant spending Of the AID
ministration.
Interesting Is the doubted effect
~iveness of the activity Of Labor
lobbyists who did not hesitate to put
the pressure on In full force. 1t Is
quite probable that In view OF recent
strained relations with the White
House over Code questions, organic
ed labor was anxious to make its In
fluence felt. However, IL the works
program is dropped, 1t may be thai
laborers will lose more than the leg
i~slative victory Is worth.
Meanwhile, during the past week
both houses of Congress, without
: pressure or leadership from the AID
ministration, idled along. 1t was