, 1935-01-09
WASHINGTON
BY George Durno

WASHINGTON
BY George Durno
Push - Now that the preliminary
tumult and shouting of a new Con-
gress has died there should be little
doubt in which direction we are
headed.
We have passed into the third
phase Of what some people call
the Roosevelt Revolution"
From now on, 1t is going to be q
question Of reform" not "recov-
cry The President has cast an
all-imporAnt die in referring to a
new economic order" and a new
national policy" Week by week,
you will be pleased, or shocked, ac-
cording TO your hereditary politics
and probably startled somewhat
as FDR brings the background cf
his canvas to life with bold strokes.
The big push Of the New Deal Is on.
Shove - The beauty Of the game
from Mr.. RooSevelt's standpoint is
that almost everything Is in his ia
vor.
He has a top-heavy majority in
both houses all OF whom may not
privately think along the same lines
but who are afraid to vote other
than aye" Two years from now
most Of them will be up for r~e-elec-
ton and they can't afford any false
steps on the toes OF public senti-
ment as now constituted.
Furthermore, the President Is in
a position TO ram most of his pro-
gram through merely by keeping
Congress off balance. He is going
to tell them specifically what he
wants item by item. With few ex-
ceptions the legislators will be kept
too busy this way TO make fancy
cookies out OF the leftover dough
If any.
> Activity - BUSINESS men generally
scare easily. They were able to
work up a temperture Of l03 merely
by noting the passages in FDR's an
nual message that elected applause.
They burned when he defined the
profit motive as a right, by work,
for a man 10 earn a decent liveli-
hood; when he attacked present.
day influence which great wealth
exeTts on government: when he
promised social insurance; when he
demanded abolition OF the evils Of
holding companies.
Washington during the next few
months will be fuller Of corpora
ton lawyers and lobbyists than the
back room at an Elk's convention.
Even this all fits into the picture.
Railroads and air-lines do a land
office business carrying the worried
ones here, there and everywhere. So
do the hotels. and to a varying de-
gree downward all local business.
Towns and cities all over the coun-
try benefit as well as Washington.
Angles of this New Deal crop up
everywhere. Have you noticed that
the bellhopS don't push for your
bags any more and the clerk Is apt
to yawn in your face when you ask
for a room? That signifies activ-
ity.
shaping - Wednesday was the
day business men got a chance TO
air their minds before the NRA
about the price provisions In their
Codes Of Fair Competition.
Long before this open forum was
called the present administrative
board Of NRA made up its mind
that an elastic yardstlck should be
laid on industry insofar as price
fixing was concerned. In some in
dustries 1t was desirable; in others
impossible. Some needed stringent
regulation and others would be hap
Ply with a looser set Of rules.
Anyone properly affiliated may
have 10 minutes for facts, figures
and oratory. A Sideliner would be
inclined to observe the breath might
be wasted. Chief Coodinator DON
aid Richberg has been working on a
bill To continue the NRA's life in
considerably curtailed form. Short
~. President Roosevelt will send a
special message to Congress on the
subject. The Federal Trade Com
mission Is set TO take back an TIM
portant chunk Of business regula-
ton.
Roller - The grand strategy COM
mittee Is lining up the procession OF
new measures for passage through
Congress. Vice President Garner
and Speaker Byrns head the COM
mlttee. Majority Leader Bankhead
viii join hands as 500 as he &c
covers = although it's known that
he's very Ill. Chairman O'Connor Of
the Rules Committee will pull a
strong oar.
The big Democratic majority has
the steam roller In fine shape. II
labor and industry were not sharp
| ening their knives the prospect
would be good for creased legisla-
ton. Bonus boosters must be
beaten somehow - nobody knows