The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-05-26
ECONOMIC H1GHL1GHTs

ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
This is a jittery year for con-
gressmen. Next November every
member of the House and about a
third of the members of the Senate
must go again before the voters for
reelection. AS q result, the law
makers are keeping their ears to the
ground and seeking to mend their
political fences-some Of which are
badly broken down. That is hard
job in an ordinary election year. To-
day, with a major depression con-
fronting them, with large number
Of great, unsettled issues raging
about their heads, with the cleav-
age between the friends and oppon-
ents Of the Roosevelt Administra-
ton growing sharper, it is much
harder than usual And that goes
q long way toward explaining some
of Congress recent remarkable &C
lions.
The Wage and Hours bill is a case
in point. Administration leaders
frankly gave up all hope for pas
sage of this measure some time ago
lit was strongly opposed by the in
fluential Southern bloc Of the DEM
ocratic party, which wishes to keep
the existing wage differential be-
tween Northern and Southern Ia
Dor. The White House pressed
on behalf of the bill, but its chances
Of success seemed slight. Then came
the Florida senatorial primary
long awaited as q test OF New Deal
strength. The issues in this pri-
mary were fairly clear-cut- Senator
Pepper, an ardent Roosevelt hacker.
who voted for practically every
White House sponsored measure,
was opposed by ex-Representative
Wilcox, and anti-New Deal Demo-
crat who had opposed the Supreme
Court and government reorganiza-
ton measure Senator Pepper won
m overwhelming victory. And q
day or two later when q Wage and
Hours bill petition was offered in
the House, there was almost riot
IS members fought to get their
names signed to 1t. Then the House
Rules Committee voted to give the
bin precedence
Whether the Wage and Hours law
win 60 through Is still matter Of
question-the chances are now In its
favor, however, and lately 1t has re-
ceived some unlooked-for backing
from conservative sources, such as
the New England shoe industry. The
main point is that the Presidents
strength in Congress has been
measurably increased by the Pepper
win. Talk is even being heard Of
reviving the defeated Reorg-
anization Bill. And 1t is almost q
certainty that the Administration
new spending program will go thru
practically in its original form.
In brief, the President isn't as in
1ential in Congress as he was in
the honeymoon days Of 1882 and
1883 he seems stronger than he
was q few months ago. This doesn't
mean that White House must" or
ders win be obeyed without ques-
ton does mean that q large
number Of congressman who kicked
over the traces, have returned to the
reservation. And the current out
look indicates that the President
win issue fewer "musts" in the fu-
ture-he and his aides are dealing
rather gingerly with Congress, are
using persuasion rather than hard
mandates. No President wants any
more political turmoil than Is nee
essary In an election year.
Coming primaries win p rovide
more evidence as to the status of
the New Deal In public esteem. The
Pepper victory, while it was signifi-
cant, Is not regarded by most OBJ