The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-07-21
SEEN and HEARD>
around the a@N
NATIONAL CAPITALA< /
BY Carter Field ~
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

~
fore the convention of 1882. that
Hull was ardently for his nomina-
ton, and was pulling Tennessee
along with him.
Banked on Hull
But it came as a tremendous sur
prise to Jim Farley, Arthur Mullen,
the late Thomas Walsh, senator from
Montana, and other Roosevelt lead
ers when they got the last word
from Hyde Park just before the
convention opened. That word, in
effect, was this II any emergency
should arise at the convention,
which required action before Roose-
welt himself could be consulted, the
judgment of Cordell Hull should be
followed
Which may explain-what some
people have never understood-why
Ray Moley and George Peek and
certain other important gentry hit
such stone wall when they at
tempted to do battle with the secre-
tary Of state.
Roosevelt doesn't change very
easily.
Meanwhile, Hull has had little to
do with most of the pullings and
haulings within the New Deal. It
IS taken for granted that he ap-
proves what the administration
does on matters outside his own
province. That is taken for granted
by New Dealers. Hull conservative
friends on Capitol Hill take it for
granted that he does not!
In one way Hull has been par
ticularly fortunate. With this tariff
specially SO developed, and SO gen.
orally recognized, plus the addition
al fact that there is never a week
IN which he is not facing a stiff
fight with foreign interests over
some phase of some new treaty I'M
der negotiation, no one tries to drag
him into any other controversies.
Chandler Irked
Southern employers Of labor,
from big magnates down to share
troopers, are going to find a
changed situation when it comes to
employing workers from now on,
as result Of the big increase for
| the southern states just put into
effect by Harry L. Hopkins Works
Progress administration.
1t may be ffy-specking, critics ad-
NIT, but Governor Albert B. Chan
dler's rage at the method of break
ing the story is somethingeto talk
about. 1t seems that the WPA gave
Senator Alben W. Barley, who is
| fighting Governor Chandler for re-
nomination, scoop on the story.
So Senator Barley announced the
pay raise for Kentucky WPA work
ers" for Sunday mornings news
papers, while the general story, ap-
plying to the whole South, was given
out for publication in Monday morn
ing's newspapers.
The natural result, in all the Ken
lucky papers, was that the Ken
lucky story was big local news on
/ Sunday morning, and the general
raise of WPA rates all over the
South was comparatively UNI
important general news story the
next day So that Barley natural
ly got all the credit for the boost for
Kentucky workers.
But the effects Of this raise are
going to be interesting An imme-
date effect of the increase in WPA
wages in the 10 southern states is to
establish hourly rates for common
labor higher in all counties with
more than $4,000 population than
the statutory minimum of rs cents
| prescribed by the wages and hours
regulation law.
No Politics in 1t
Denying there was any politics in
the raises, Deputy WPA Admin
istrator Aubrey Williams insisted
the adjustments were made to bring
levels more nearly into line with
| schedules of other states.
|
The new monthly wages, on WPA's
l40-hour basis, are equivalent to
hourly rates of EST cents in coun-
ties with rs, 1000 to $4,000 population,
to I'll cents an hour in counties
from $4,000 to 100000 population,
and 28.5 cents an hour in counties
of more than 1000 population.
Heretofore WPA's wages reached
an hourly rate of Is cents only in
those counties which Ahad a popula-
ton of more than 100, 900. New hour
ly rates in rural areas in the South
still fall short of Is cents, figuring
1875 cents an hour in counties under
5000 and 21.4 cents an hour in coun-
ties from 5000 to rs, 900, as compared
with Is cents and I'll cents an hour
in the past.
Differentials between North and
South-the bone of contention in the
wages and hours regulation fight ON
Capitol Hill--are narrowed for UNI
skilled labor by the boost in the