The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-23


 He could have prodded commit tee chairman Cotton Ed" Smith until the COWS came home and the melliflous South Carolinian would have taken his own sweet time. Smith had told newsmen it would be weeks before his com- nitee would have the farm bill ready.
 But two days later, when the packers of the anti-lyinching measure had forced 1t before the Senate, Cotton Ed" was warbl- ing different tune.
 even have a bill out by next Monday" he announced, "even if 1t consists of nothing more than a blank piece of paper with number. We can work out the details on the floor"
 Reason for this abrupt change was barrage of outcries from Southern colleagues that Smiths delay on the farm bill was play- ing squarely into the hands of the antl"lyncnlnB pIoc.
 Under the agreement made at the close of last session, the farm bill takes precedence over all other legislation. The minute 1t reaces the floor of the Senate everything else, including the anti-lynch act, returns to the shelf.
 So Cotton Eds" colleagues put the heat on, reminded him that he was up for reelection next year, that his opponents would make the most of his farm bill delay and consequent indirect aid , to the anti-lynching act.
 "Cotton Ed" is no dumbbell politically. He got this in a flash. Sick Man
 Smith faces a very tough bat tie in South Carolina to hold his seat.
 Young Governor Olin Johnston is after his scalp and is accusing Cotton Ed" of being an enemy of the farmer. He cites as proof the fact that Smiths committee did nothing about farm bill last session when cotton prices began to tumble.
 Fact is the farm bill Is . bitter pill for Cotton Ed" to swallow.
 He doesn't want marketing or production control, would love nothing better than to take off his coat and cudgel the president. But South Carolina farmers are overwhelmingly for control - as Smith learned forcefully at a hearing he conducted in Colum- bia, s. O., last month. After a speech in which he took some left-handed slaps at regulation, Smith shouted:
 "I want to know what you fellows right from the hOe- handle think. How many favor compulsory controi?"
 Out of 600 cotton growers present, 575 raised their hands. After the meeting, Smith dole- fully told a friend: T wasn't feeling very good before that hearing, but I'm sick man now" The administration will depend on Louisiana's rly-headed Sen- ator Ellender to carry the ball on the control issue. The Huey Long protege Is a red hot control ad- vocate, urging 1t at all of the twelve Southern farm hearings. smith, incidentally, although chairman of the committee, at- tended only three of these meet- ings. And even at these three, Ellender stole the show.
 NOTE - While Roosevelt and Secretary Wallace want farm bill with teeth. they are chary about going too far. They favor a "middle-of -the-road" course, with cotton and tobacco under some form of compulsory control, and grains on Q voluntary basis. The chances are strong that this is the kind of Q measure Congress will pass.
 Homer S--?
 Attorney General Homer 8. Cummings was explaining to a press conference how he had labored for years to get rid of his middle initial.
 q just about had it buried" he said, when the president included 1t in my name when he sent my appointment to the Senate for approval. I guess ! never will get rid of 1t now"
 "Why don't you send 1t down to the anti-trust divisi0n?" re- marked Q reporter; "that would end t."
 NOTE - Until Roosevelt re- gently made Bob Jackson head of