The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-01

llSICSS O11 CllC CAlOAo PAN
 The. plight of most of the car- riers is desperate. Overloaded with staggering debts, their equipment run down, receipts-under the pounding of the recession-hit- ting new record lows. they are in urgent need of drastic action.
 All hands are agreed on that. But no one wants to take the in- itiative.
 The President, who dumped the problem into the lap of Congress several months ago with a mes- sage that contained all the vari- ous plans but carefully lodged approving any of them, is saying, in effect, "Gentlemen of Congress, it's up to you."
 And the boys on Capitol Hill with their eyes on the coming elections, are whispering back, "No. it's up to you. MT. Presi- dent. You can take the rap better than we."
 To which the President is re- plying. How do you figure that? I've got just as big stake in the elections as you have"
 The likely upshot of this un- dercover buck-passing is that the session, now rushing to a close, will end without move being made to help the railroads. Wage-Cut Dynamite
 At the root of all this chary maneuvering is the wage-reduc- ton demand of the carriers.
 Until they announced this plan several weeks ago, the stage was all set to shoot through legisla- tion to lend them an additional $300,0 100000 and suspend inter est payments on certain securities. Obviously this was a makeshift program, but it would have tided over the present emergency.
 But when the rail executives made known their intention to slash wages, they upset their own legislative applecart. A new fac- tor entered the play. The power full rail brotherhoods, previously enthusiastic supporters of the lending plan, threw their weight against it. Result: the White House and Congress dropped the scheme like a redhot poker.
 That continues to be the situ- ation today. Each end of Penn sylvania avenue is trying to prod the other into picking up the poker, with each saying to the other. After you, my dear Alphonsc."
 What the outcome will be is anybody's guess. But if the rail- roads really want the $3,000,000, it is their move next The poli- ticos are too scared of the broth- erhoods.
 White House InfOrmality
 Veteran White House attendants smile to think how things have changed since the days of Coolidge and Hoover. At recent White House reception, Mrs. Roosevelt reached new high in informality.
 She was about to introduce a dancer to the guests crowded into the East Room, but the President was seated at the far end of the long room and could not see. So Mrs. Roosevelt asked the guests to divide into two groups on either side of the room, leaving an ave- nue open for the Presidents view.
 When the guests had pushed back, Mrs. Roosevelt, standing on the platform, waved her hand toward the President and called out:
 "Yoo- o-hoo, Franklin, can you see nOw?"
 Same Tar Brush
 Politics is funny.
 The other day Senator Burt Wheeler shook the rafters of the senate with impassioned denuncia- ton of Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins for saying that if he were still an Iowan he would vote for Representative Otha Wearin for U. s. senator.
 This is playing politics in a reprehensible manner, thundered Wheeler and 1t must be stopped at once.
 It so happens, however, that Burt Wheeler has played more politics with patronage than al- most any man in Congrss. He has one of the tightest political machines in the country. built on a foundation of huge mounds of federal pie. And there is no man in Congress more zealous in defending his place at the counter.
 Since Burt bolted the reserva- tion, New Dealers have been try ing to favor Senator Jim Mur- ray, Wheelers colleague who has remained loyal. But they have had rough going.
 OFF THE RECORD