The Washington times., 1937-10-30
Paul MallOn--.
NeWS Behind
The NeWS

M OHE COMEDY Will DC Aouno
NA in the sour budget than
elsewhere in washington.
Treasury Secretary Morgen-
thau, for instance, has lately be-
come grim about 1t. Similarly
General Farley has gnawed off a
few sharp economy words in a
speech promising to apply them
to his Post office Department.
Don't mention II within
throwing distance Of them, but
they have secretly presented
their own budget demands for
their own departments to Dl-
rector Bell. These are still Sc
cret but a privileged gentleman
with good eyes has looked them
over and disc you
guessed it-they both requested
more money next year for their
own branches of Government.
Note-One explanation Is the
P. o. DGS cut LoD during the
depression and, Nth expanding
business, costs hare increased.
The Treasury, OF course, Dtlt
haze to pay more interest on
the public debt neTt year.
TOHN LEWELLYN LEWIS has
- not been doing so well for
himself lately. That explains
much Of what is going on inside
this CIO-AFL peace conflict.
Particularly, it tells why the
AFL got gruff about a settle
ment.
What the AFL peace dele
gates knew and the general pub
lie did not, Is that Lewis is hav.
ing big trouble with his two
biggest contracts and lot Of
little troubles Yin addition.
His negotiations for renewal
Of the General Motors contract
are now in progress. Naturally
he wants a wage increase. But
business Is slipping, and further"
more, G. M. cannot grant an
increase while competing with
Ford non.unionism as Lewis well
knows.
AL he has won so far Is the
responsibility Of being the COL
lective bargainer for G. M. en-
ployes. But If he cannot deliver
anything more than himself. his
dues-paying followers are apt to
consider him no bargain for
them. That trouble has al
ready developed. There are rea-
sons for believing many CIO
employees are not paying their
dues.
THE Lewis contract with Big
= Steel expires in the spring.
With operations falling off
sharply, it seems highly unlikely
that the labor tycoon will be able
to distinguish himself as a bar
gamer in this industry. The
possibility Of a wage increase or
shorter hours is so remote as to
be almost as impossible as in
the auto industry.
Then, things have not been
going well down South. Those
who have been looking over Mr..
Lewis shoulder have seen re-
ports indicating the CIO textile
committee has fewer members
now han when Lewis took 1t
over. This, Of course, is en-
barrassing his bargaining with
the same industry in New Eng.
land where operators cannot
grant increases which will bene-
fit their Southern competitors.
If this evidence seems to be
somewhat hearsay, get the last
official announcement on labor
elections conducted by the Gov
ernment's Labor R ella ttonS
Board. This shows Lewis has
been losing most Of the recent
small elecionS, while winning
one big one (American Woolen
Company, oy a margin which Is
far less than sensational:
The AFL may be content to
wait.
TODAY'S 1910 special-Sena-
= tor Robert La Toilette. aged
AZ, experienced legislator for his
years, expert on taxes; leading
congressional left-winger since
the illness of his friend, Sena-
tor Norris; not much for radio,
but makes good solid speech.
Politicos rate his chances:
Very slim for first place on
the 1910 Democratic ticket even
if Roosevelt wants him; he can
- i