Evening star., 1938-06-10

IlOuSC di1u
ate struggle each day for a compro-
mise which both houses can adopt
without delay.
Despite all the talk of an amend
ment to the Constitution which would
end all filibusters by doing away with
the short session of Congress. the
weapon of f1libustering still remains
and apparently can be used as effec-
lively at the end of long session as
in the old-fashioned short session
which used to end on March 4th.
But a filibuster is at best an express
sionof strong minority point of view.
and it is certain that nowadays no
one man can hold up the business of
a session. 1t takes a sizeable group
and doubtless this will be construed
as right of the minority anyway
For in the Senate unlimited debate
has been closely associated with the
principle that when it cmes to some
thing fundamental minority Of SOW
ereign states should not be forced to
accept economic legislation imposed
by the majority without at least full
dIlu ldl
House Measure a Mystery.
Despite the fact that wage and hour
legislation has been before the present
session and the one a year ago, the
subject has not been thoroughly
studied. The economic effects Of the
proposal which was jammed through
the house-a uniform system of wages
and hours applying to all sections of
the country alike-are unknown even
to the administration sponsors. Acour-
ate information as to how industries
will be affected and what purchasing
power will be added and what will be
subtracted cannot be furnished by any
Government agency.
But the orders from the White
House on this piece of regulation are
to legislate first and study after
wards. The Southern members of the
Senate have all along felt that some
differentials in the rates should be
made so that the South should lot
be expected at once to absorb the new
plan. Mr.. Roosevelt has been insistent
that a start be made on a law this
session, because if the bill which
passed the House and the bill which
got through the Senate are not welded
together into some compromise, the
whole process of getting new bill
through both the Senate and House
must be repeated next January when
Congress reconvenes.
Southerners Know Strength.
The pressure on the part of the
White House to get some kind Of law
enacted can, therefore, be we'll under
stood. Indeed, it Is thoroughly un-
derstood on Capitol Hill where the
Southerners know they have the whip
hand The legislation, therefore, in
all likelihood will take into account
economic and especially regional fac
tors. Some sort of machinery to ad-
just the rates to the situation in the
South will be forthcoming, though
this Is not to the liking Of many
Northern members who have wanted
to do away with the cheap labor ad-
vantages of the South, which their
own industries in the North find it
necessary to compete with nowadays.
The moment discretionary authority
Is vested in some board or administra-
tor to allow exemptions or differen-
tials, political pull enters the equation.
The Southern members may not
realize it but one of these days these
administrative agencies are going to
fall into the hands Of some Of the
Republicans and wage and hour diff
ferentials may be eliminated over
night If board has full power.
There will be no chance to f1libuster
then-the South will have to take
whatever bureaucrat doles out.
Might Draw Line.
The truth Of the matter Is that the
Southern Senators might, with more
justification, insist on a fat Is or
even 80 cent minimum and fight all
other proposals above that point, ar
guing that 1t Is better to see by gradual
stages what effect even such mini
mum actually will have.
1t seems peculiar, indeed, for this
Congress to be attempting to bind
other Congresses over a seven-year
period. 1t is easy enough to contend
that Congress can always revise the
new law and make changes, but what
seems to be overlooked in that kind
Of an argument is that, while it takes
only majority to get law onto the
statute books with the Presidents