Evening star., 1938-04-05
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

AeIeIlt JACK IN lLS el1OrC TO pass Lne HreSl-
dents reorganization bill through the
House from that which 1t followed in
the Senate fight last year over the court
bill. In the Senate fight, the President
was immovable. There were to be no
amendments. That attitude maintained
until it was too late to save the court bill
with any amendments. Now the admin
istration forces in the House, having
found themselves up against real
fight on the reorganization bill, have
agreed to permit number of amend
ments. They yield for one purpose
alone-to get a favorable vote on the
passage of the bill.
House-and presumably the President
have agreed that amendments may be
adopted which give Congress power, by
concurrent resolution, to veto any execu-
tive order made by the President pur-
suant to the reorganization bill. They
have agreed also to an amendment which
would prevent the shift of the Federal
Bureau of Education from its present
place in the Interior Department. They
are willing to accept an amendment
which would also exempt the Veterans
Bureau from the operation of the bill
The leaders believe that with these con-
cessions they have gone far enough to
line up enough votes in the House for
the passage of the bill.
But they may be mistaken. They may
have to yield to amendments which
would prevent the elimination of the
Civil Service Commission and the sub
stitution of one man to administer
the civil service-under the President.
They may have to yield also to an
amendment which would prevent the
abolition of the Office of controller gen.
eral of the United States, as now con-
stituted. 1t is possible that these amend
ments may be accepted in order to get
the bill through the House. But such a
course would be a bitter pill for the
President.
The strategy of the House leaders in
accepting amendments which the Presi-
dent does not relish is not difficult to
understand. They hope to have the bill
sent to conference with the Senate, and
In conference to have the bill rewritten
until it is satisfactory to the President
The conferees representing the House
and the Senate on this bill, quite natur-
ally, will be members who are following
the President in this fight. It should
therefore, be comparatively easy for the
conference Committee to write a bill of
rh1r9rtnp Nhot I'll
to such conference report-if it is
made-ls another matter. 1t was freely
predlcted in senatorial circles today that
II bill approximating the measure which
passed the Senate is returned from con-
terence, long fight will be made against
the conference report. It was even pre-
dlcted that the Senate might not again
approve it, because of the growth in
Senllnent against the reorganization
bill
With the President back home in the
Whlte House, administration leaders
nave regained some of their courage.
Ihey will look to the Chief Executive to
AID materially in lining up the members
OF the House. They are not anxious to
take a licking on this reorganization
oiii-as they did on the wages and hours
Dill last session. Concession is the
"atchword-for the time being at least.
The prospect of a wages and hours bill
al this session is not bright. It is true
the President may start a new campaign
Tor such legislation on the theory that
IT Will help to bring recovery from the
new depression. But how effective that
Will be is another question. Predictions
are being made very freely that the ad-
mlnlstration will launch again a heavy
Government spending program to stem
the tide OF depression. The program NAV
have difference. Much of the money
may be put forward in loans to private
business instead of in direct gifts for
puolc works and w. P. A. It must not
oe overlooked, however, that the Presi-
cent already has a large sum, running
well over billion dollars, for relief.
OTolnarIly an administration in the
throes OF a depression has to bear the
orunt OF public displeasure-and that
olspieasure Is expressed in no uncertain
terms at the polls. The Roosevelt ad-
mlnlstratlon may escape a visitation of
such dSpleasure if it can appease enough
OF the voters with a spending program.
1t Will depend very largely upon how
the people look toward another bic
spending program which eventually will
nave to be paid for by the taxpayers.
congress is more intent than ever that
something be done to help business and
malt the depression. That was its atti-
tude when 1t was called back to Wash.
lneton last December by the President.
The administration, intent at that time
upon its reforms. did not take this
attitude as seriously, perhaps, as it does
today.
Democratic opposition to President
Rooseveit's policies is found in widely
separated sections of the country. For
example, there are Senator Bennett
Champ Clark of Missouri Senator David
l. Walsh OF Massachusetts and Senator
Josiah w. Bailey of North Carolina, all
shouting against the Presidents reor-
ganization bill and all opponents of the
President on other legislative occasions
There is nothing sectional about this
Democratic revolt in Congress. Presum-
ably the attitude of these Senators from
widely separated States reflects the atti-
tude of many of their Democratic con-
stituentS.
X X
Senator Walsh, author of the motion
in the Senate to send the reorganization
bill back to die In committee, does not
come up for reelection until l94O-when
President Roosevelt himself will be cam
paigning either for himself or for his
prospective successor in the White
House. Apparently the Massachusetts
Senator feels so strongly about some of