The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-07
Cotton Tune Changed


 The development in cotton caused 8 prompt appeal to the White House from most of the southern contingent which had been inssit- ting rather disdainfully that there was no need of further legislation this session. To the request of southernerS for @ federal loan of 12 cents a pound Roosevelt replied there would be no renewal of crop loans unless Congress passed crop control legislation such as he had vainly requested. This appeared to give the President, with his veto power, something in the nature of Q temporary whiphand. The senate's vote of 56 to 2S for the wage -hour bill has popped up dropping spirits and defeatist attitudes among administration congressional forces.
 Both labor and the White House now hope probably in vain for a stronger measure than the Senate bill permitting a federal board to set minimum wages at not more than 40 cents an hour and maxi mum work weeks of not less than 40 hours. They received an unex- pected sock in the jaw when Con- gresswoman Mary Norton's House Labor committee, supposedly un- der control, voted overwhelmingly to accept the senate bill.
 
 VOfo WCwan's pnSs;hln
 The south appears to have lost its fight against any wage-hour legislation whatever. The House leadership, heavily representative of that section and aided by Vice President Garner, has been the strength of the 'lets go home" movement, which now seems to have lost some of its starch.
 Meanwhile a prairie bloc" has been formed with the idea of trading with northern members on the basis of votes for strong CT wage-hour bill and votes for far-reachin farm bill. If this trade works out we'll you probably will be hearing that the combina- ton has some farmer-labor party seeds in 1t. Meanwhile, there's q good chance that farm legislation will contribute toward protracting the session longer than had been expected.
 Insists on Action
 There is still some possibility that congress will go home without acting on all the administration's Must" legislation. But it's a small one. Roosevelt recently told Senate Leader Alben Barkley. Speaker Bankhead and Majority Leader Sam Rayburn that if con- gress walked out on him he would go to the country with denuncia- tion via radio.
 Tax, Sugar Hurdles
 Threats of tax loop-hole legis- lation which would be retroactive are to be heard and certainly would cause terrific commotion If the ad- ininistration got behind it. The best bet is that the administration won't dare.
 Roosevelt has just tossed in an- other likely cause of delayed ad- journment by notifying House sugar bloc leaders that he would veto any sugar legislation which retained present restrictions on Hawaiian and Puerto Rican sugar refining operations.
 Differences between various Senate and House versions of leg islation indicate the possibility of long drawn out conference squab- bles.
 Roosevelt may decide to veto the District of Columbia appro- priat ton bill because the Tydings- Miller retail price-fixing bill has been attached to 1t as a rider. So more time would be consumed.
 He Is expected to hold up ape pointment of Supreme Court Jus- tice Van Devanter's successor un- til the very end of the sessiOn-- as . matter of strategy.
 Meanwhile the prevalent mo- ton here Is that Congress will get away between the 21st and 28th of August. But even though Con- gress can act with lightning speed at times, that notion is approach ing absurdity.