The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-21

WdSIlllbLOLl, OuHc ZA. OuBLlb legislation means the same thing in the administration lexicon as must" legislation meant in previous years. But someone thought it might be easier to get ought" bills passed than must" bills because the word didn't sound SO dictatorial. So they changed the name and continued to use the same old method on Capitol Hill.
 The long Hull in Congress has
 tended to obscure the fact that if
 Roosevelt gets the ought" stuff
 passed even in compromised form,
 this so-called "sitdown" Congress
 will have done more to rejigger
 the federal system than any pre-
 vi0us one.
 Odds still are that the admins tration will get relatively large gob of what it wants. Congress has way cf passing a boatload of vital legislation almost in the twinkle of an eye, after which 1t sometimes takes the country weeks to figure out exactly what 1t did and didn't do.
 The outstanding items on the fought" list are the court plan, the wages and hours bill, the govern- ment reorganization program and the Norris bill to creat seven regional planning developments correspond ing more or less to IVA.
 At Least Two More
 The wage-hour bill is expected to pass. The Norris bill is likely to go over until next session. A com promise is being worked out on the reorganization program which prob- ably will be enacted. A court bill will pass if Roosevelt can get what he considers an adequate comprom- ise with Congress.
 The word "compromise" in re- spect to the court plan should be used in quotation marks. The
 minimum which Roosevelt could accept without taking licking
 would be a plan which would give
 him the appointment of two new
 justices in addition to the filling of the vacancy left by Justice Van Devanter. He still is grimly de- termined not to take a licking, and
 if he makes good his private threats he will either get at least those three new appointments or carry the court issue into the 1888 congressional campaign. At the moment there is no certainty that he can get such compromise out of the Senate or that he will ac- cept it if he can.
 Outstanding feature of the ad- ministration sponsored compro- mise on reorganization is elimina- tion of the section which would have given the President control over functions of the independent agencies such as the Federal Trade, Interstate Commerce, Mari time, Federal Power, Federal Communications and other com missions. Congress would also be given a 60-day period in which It could veto any transfer, abolition or consolidation of federal bureau.
 But the general accounting office and the post of comptroller gem eral would be abolished in favor of a new set-up which would elim- mate the situation which enabled John McCarI to veto expenditures in the executive branch. Congress would have post privileges.
 The proposed new Department of Public Works would be elimi- mated from the program, but a new Department of Public Welfare with a cabinet secretary would be established. The President also would be authorized to hire six administrative assistants. The Civil Service Commission would be abolished to be replaced by a civil service administrator under executive control
 This compromise may not be accepted in full. But it's presenta- ton is expected to grease the ways for passage of a reorganization bill.
 The new agricultural adjustment act, sponsored chiefly by the Amer ican Rarm Bureau Federation and providing control, may pass in spite of rather general apathy on Capl- tol Hill. Farm organization leaders are demanding action and the Pres ident has said bill ought to De passed
 Lynch Legislation Doomed
 Tax evasion legislation at this session seems unlikely because the joint Investigating committee about to start hearings on tax dodging probably won't get its rec concentrations in much before Con- gress adjourns. The adjournment date is still a guess, however. and may come any time after the first of August.
 The moderate farm tenant measure on which compromise was reached in an ought" and doubtless will pass. Much less likely is housing legislation. also fought" because F. ID. R. and the housing experts can't agree on program. Tn e anti-lynching bill passed by the House seems doomed this session by the threat of south- ern senators to filibuster.
 The Senate still has the $1,50O, ,O0O,- 900 relief bill before 1t and that about completes the legislative