Evening star., 1937-05-18
Congress ats.

Congress Waits.
The President has set at rest one rumor
that OF an early recess or adjournment
OF Congress. He has told the congress
sional leaders that he will send messages
dealing with labor legislation and with
water power. He has also told them
that he expects Congress to act upon
recommendations he has already sub
mitted before folding its tents and mov-
Ing out of Washington.
Perhaps many of the. members Of
Congress will wish that the President
had given the signal to go ahead with
all this legislation a few months ago,
when the session was new With more
than four months behind them, in which
they have done little, the legislators
have acquired leisurely habit Moth
ing breeds delay like delay itself. 1t Is
something OF a pain in the neck to many
OF the Senators and Representatives to
be told they must now go to work and
furthermore that they must stay around
Washington far into the Summer, or
even beyond.
The administration continues to con-
centrate on the court reorganization
bill, which the President sent to Con-
gress on February S. During this time
the Senate judiciary Committee has
conducted extensive hearings Today 1t
IS actually voting on the bill and the
presumption is that the bill will be re-
ported adversely to the Senate by q
majority Of the committee And that
Is the record after nearly three and a
half months in which the President and
many Of his official family have CAM
paigned extensively throughout the
country and by radio for the passage of
the bill
There seems no good reason at all that
other legislation should have been tied
up, unless the administration planned
to seek legislation that would require q
new Interpretation of the Constitution.
A number OF the measures which the
President now demands Of Congress
would not be in conflict with the Con-
stitution at all, even in the opinion Of
the present Supreme Court. His in
sistence that there shall be "layman's"
balanced budget at the close OF the next
fiscal year is perfectly constitutional for
example. His T. v. A. legislation has
stood the test Of the courts, and II he
wishes other power authorities of that
kind doubtless he can have them with
out conflict with the Constitution.
Labor legislation, it is conceivable in
the light Of what the President has pro-
posed IN the past, may be in different
category, and also legislation relating to
industry. 1t is possible that the Presi-
dent may desire new blood" in the
Supreme Court in considerable quantities
before his new laws are put through and
run the gantlet The unanimous de-
cision OF the Supreme Court invalidating
the N. R. A. and later decision hold
Ing the Guffey coal act unconstitutional
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hesitant in putting through substitute
legislation dealing with labor on a ma
tonal scale. However, the President has
now promised to send a message on
labor legislation at some time later"
which is bit indefinite but at least It
puts Congress on notice of what is ex-
pected at the present session. The legis-
lation will probably deal with minimum
wages and maximum hours.
Until the President produced his new
blood" plan for the Supreme Court, it
was generally supposed that Federal
legislation dealing with minimum wages
and maximum hours Of labor might re-
quire constitutional amendment. The
administration, however, has set its face
against constitutional amendment, on
which Congress probably could act with
considerable speed If 1t related only to
wages and hours. So the Congress waits
upon the President and upon the result
OF the fight over the court bill-and
waits and waits.