The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-07-29
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HEARD
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By Carter Field ~
By Carter Field .

Washington. - There is more then
a possibility that the wages and
hours bill will go over until the
next session of congress. The prob
ability right along has been that 1t
would be enacted. in some form,
but the difficulties are great, the
lines of thought which must be rec
onciled are wide apart, and the
number of men in both houses who
would like to see the thing put over
is very large.
It includes the new chairman OF
the house labor committee, Mary
T. Norton of Jersey City, who sue
ceeded to the craftsmanship on the
death of William P. Connery OF
Massachusetts.
If it were not for the Supreme
court enlargement bill fight IN the
senate, the situation might be oil
ferent. But all house members know
that the senate is not going to have
much time this session to fool with
the wages and hours bill, and they
know perfectly we'll that the senate
is not going to rush through any
bill which the house may agree ON
without extensive debate.
The thought of the house, there
fore, is that if they do tremendous
job, surrender principles and opin-
ions in compromises to get some
thing through and perhaps put them
selves on record on things which
may prove very embarrassing later
the whole thing may be wasted.
The senate just might decide not
to take the bill up this session.
The house members know that the
wages and hours regulation bill IS
a subject on which there will be
widely varied opinions back IN their
| districts, with more than prob
ability that there may be consid-
cradle numbers of their constltu-
entS to whom it just is the most I'M
portant measure on which congress
will vote. BY the same token, some
one of these groups may be SO
outraged by their congressman $
vote on this bill that they will be
inclined to vote against him at the
next primary and election regard
less of anything else he may have
done or failed to do.
Danger Multiplied
There is always the possibility OF
/ this sort of thing on any controver-
sial legislation. But in the wages
and hours measure this danger is
multiplied. II is a thing which
touches the lives and pocketbooks,
in one way or another. of a far
larger proportion of people than
the average measure. In fact, there
is probably more selfish interest In
ii than any other legislation which
congress is called upon to consider
at this session.
Voters ought to be equally inter
ested in tax bill, for OF course
every ones pocketbook is affected
by that, but there is quite large
percentage of voters who do mo-
believe that their pocketbooks ars
affected by tax bill.
In the case OF this wages anc
hourS bill it is not the outright OPP
ponents OF the measure who threat
en- to postpone action on it. As
matter of fact, the number OF out
right opponents is SO small as t
be futile against the steam-rolle'
tactics possible, especially in tn
house. 1t is just people who do no
want to take any unnecessar.
chance, if they are sure that taking
the chance at this time will do m
particular good.
Moreover, there are lot OF mem
bers Of the house who think that TIL
sensible thing for them to do Will
the senate is wrangling over tn
Supreme court enlargement bill /
to take a nice long recess, with
gentlemen's agreement that moth
ing will be done and no roll call
forced before a certain day Tha
would give a lot OF them a chanc
to 90 home, or to the seashore
or perhaps even to Europe.
Deep, Dark Stuff
Two jobs are going on under tn
surface at Capitol Hill while tn
senate engages in debate on tn
merits and demerits-or at leas
that is what the debate is suppose
to be about--of the Supreme coul
enlargement BILL
One OF these is an attempt to CON
promise that measure itself On
Of the compromises being talke
about might easily be acceptabl
to most of the opponents OF tn
measure-but the administration
not ready to accept that yet It ma
: never accept it, for the odds woul
seem to favor the administration
: being able to break the filibuster
: il continues to press for such col
/. summation, with no regard wha
ever for consequences.
. The other job is determining,
! private conferences between Sc
ators and representatives. the ia
, Of several other important mea
8 ures. which, under the stringe
!, rules being enforced in the effo
e 10 break the ocloture, cannot
L.. tl.r ~,