Nogales international., 1936-11-14

SreSScS, dIlU GIldG GIlefc Will NC a
swing toward the conservative side
in the Democratic Congressional
leadership.
An interesting phase of the Con-
gressional situation is the rise to
prominence in the Democratic Par
ty councils of the Texas group. Vice
President Garner is the leader OF
this bloc, which is more powerful
than most people realize. seven
other Texans in the Lower House,
including Representatives Rayburn,
Connolly, Summers, Marvin Jones,
Buchanan, Lanham, and Patman,
WELD among them a powerful IN
fluence. They have a close tie WIN
the Administration through another
Texan. Jesse Jones, Chairman OF
the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration. who in many respects Is
the most powerful figure in the eX-
ecutive department. Texas has SIX
committee chairmen in the House.
On the Republican side the stage
is set for an active and aggressive
Opposition, looking forward to the
congressional elections of 1888 ana
the Presidential election of 194O Tne
foremost Republican leaders are
Representatives Smell, WadsWorth,
! Hollister: Bolton, Martin and Tread
way. In the Senate, Senator McNary
will continue to be the nominal
leader by virtue of seniority but as
he is regarded by his associates as
being distinctly pro-Roosevelt, the
actual leadership will fall to Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan. who selz-
ed the reins last Winter and LED
the only effective opposition which
has developed in the past 3Hs years.
All the indications, therefore
point to serious and intense poll
tical activity on Capitol Hill for the
next two years.
There is some doubt whether Rep
resentative Bankhead of Alabama
the present Speaker of the House.
will be physically able to continue
in that office. The principal cand1-
dates for the speakership. in the
event of Mr.. Bankhead's retirement.
are Representatives OConnor OF
Tammany. Rayburn OF Texas ana
Mccormack of Massachusetts. The
Tammany influence is expected to
be stronger in the new House. ana
the Tammanv bloc will hold the
balance of power on manv issues.
Another thing. which seems Ger
tain is that there will be more lob
bies and more powerful ones trying
to influence Congress on behalf OF
special groups and minorities than
at any previous time. The labor
lobby will probably be the most
powerful of these, having as its OBJ
iective the Guffey Coal Bill, the
Six-hour Day for railroad workers
and the 3O-hour week for all en-
plovees. Part of the Labor program
is to try to build up a strong labor
party to play part in the cam
paign of 1910.
The effort of the farm lobby will
be to keep what it has got rather
than to urge further benefits for
farmers. The Veterans lobby, how
ever, having succeeded in getting
the prepayment of the bonus over
President Roosevelt's veto, has been
encouraged to believe that it can
get anything it wants What it wants
now is a general life pension for
veterans and the widows and Or
phans of veterans.
So far as washington observers
can see, only two or three Cabinet
changes are in prospect. 1t is the
general belief that someone will re-
place Dan Roper as Secretary of
Commerce, though there is no
dPcGGI1CI1I DIS W VIII 40 ulOOG 1AhC1y
to get this post. There will be a
new Secretary of War to replace
Harry Woodring If Mr.. Ickes wants
to retain his job as head Of the
Department of the Interior he can
do it. Mr.. Ickes has built up
powerful political machine of his
own and it would be politically in
expedient for the President to try
to replace him if he wants to stay.
It is the general belief that very
much less will be heard about Tug
well, Frankfurtter, Jerome Frank
and other members of the "brain
trust during this second Roosevelt
administration.
Washington has it that the man
clisest to the President now is DON
aid Richburg, former head of NRA,
and that he is likely to receive an
important Cabinet portfolio.