Evening star., 1935-02-04
hePOlitical Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

ny y. Could Lincoln.
Congress has been in session o
month. The administration has put
through the House its work relief bill.
It has caused to be introduced in both
houses It's economic security bill, and
hearings on that measure are proceed
ing before the House Ways and Means
Committee and the Senate Finance
Committee. Several Of the annual ap-
preparation bills have been considered.
The Senate has disposed Of the pro-
posal to adhere to the World Court ad-
versely to the desires Of the President
and to those Of q great many others.
The record Of accomplishment, so far
as speed Is concerned, is not impressive.
However, speed is not everything, par
ticularly In the light Of the vast i'm
portance Of the measures coming be-
fore Congress.
L
| The ructions In the Senate Ap-
preparations Committee over the 81
$50 900, 900 work relief bill are caus-
| ing concern in administration circles.
Democratic members Of the commit
tee have been making cause with Re-
publicans in opposition to the wide
! grant Of powers contained in the bill
to the President. How far this re-
volt against the administration has
spread among the general personnel
of the Senate is a question. The Re-
publicans, with their infinitesimal
minority in the Senate, can make no
headway in opposition to the admin
istration bill unless they are Joined
by very large slice of the Demo-
cratic majority. There may be more
noise than real danger to the admin
istration and Its work relief bin.
n n y
The most important threat to the
Presidents work relief program seems
to come at this point from a demand
that an amendment be written into
the bill which would call for the pay
ment Of the prevailing wage" in the
communities where the public works
projects undertaken under this
measure are in operation. Organized
labor Is demanding that something
be done. 1t has been indicated that
wages for labor might be restricted,
on work relief projects, to $50 a
month. The claim of the labor repre-
l t4t d hA& -
reduce the wages paid in private in
dustry. On the other hand, it is
| clear that If the $50 limit is generally
lived up to, the number of workers
and the length Of time they may be
employed. with a $4,000, 900 900 appro-
priation, would be much larger than
If the wages prevailing in private In
dustry were paid. Furthermore, the
President has made the point that
wages should not be paid on these
| work relief projects which would have
the effect Of keeping men and women
from taking private employment when
1t Is offered. Distinctly the admins
| tration is anxious and is doing its
| best to get the workers OF public
works and back into private en-
ployment.
Up to the present time organized
labor has been very friendly to the
Roosevelt administration and to the
New Deal. The attacks now made
upon Donald r. Richberg, executive
director Of the National Emergency
Council, by President William Green
of the American Federation Of Labor
and John L. Lewis, president Of the
United Mine Workers Of America, be-
cause Of the extension of the auto
mobile code Of fair competition in op-
position to their wishes, are in effect
attacks upon the Roosevelt admins
tration and upon the President him
self. They are hitting through Rich
berg, instead Of directly attacking the
| President. Whether the next step
will be an open attack on President
Roosevelt remains to be seen.
The Presidents demand that he be
allowed to pay wages that are "rea-
l sonable" and capable of keeping the
workers decently instead of paying
prevailing wages on work relief prof.
ects is another wide divergence with
the demands of organized labor.
Fifty years ago Grover Cleveland
became President of the United States
He was the first Democratic President
following the Civil War Only two
others have served in the White House
since Cleveland's day, the late Wood
| rom UYilcnp and Droe{daot Elro ~ Ll;,,
D. Roosevelt. A dinner and ball to
commemorate President Cleveland's
first Inauguration has been planned
under the auspices of the Grover
Cleveland Democratic Club in New
York. Former Ambassador James w
Gerard Is president of the club. On
the dinner committee are many lead
ing Democrats, including Postmaster
General Farley and the two Senators
from New York. The celebration is
to take place February II, which is
slightly before the date on which
Cleveland began his first term.
A lot Of water has gone over the
dam since Grover Cleveland served
as President. Conditions in this
country have vastly changed in the
last 30 years. No such problems as
face Franklin D. Roosevelt today
faced the late President Cleyeland
But the latter had his problems. His
fight against corruption and low
standards In public service, and
against q padded pension roll made
him many enemies at the time.
| X
The administrations work relief bill
is raising the displeasure not only ol
some Senators and organized labor
but has also the opposition, In some
Of its provisions, Of the American
Liberty League. Jouett Shouse, presi.
dent of the league, speaking today al
a luncheon under the auspices of thu
Philadelphia County League Of Won
en- Voters, insisted that If anything
was needed to show the advisabilit,
of an organization such as the Liberty
League, the work relief bill Is tn,
1