The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-06-08

There is now much speculation here
in administration, as well as other
political quarters as to what will come
out of the latest social security de-
velopments, which followed defeat of
the Townsend bill in the house last
Thursday by vote of 302 to 81.
Apparently aroused by the strong
public sentiment for the general welfare
BILL the administration now is backing
amendments to the social security act,
to be acted on by the present session
of congress, if current plans are carried
out.
A bill embodying such amendments
is being sponsored by Senator Pepper
of Florida. At this writing the details
have not been divulged, but it is re-
ported in apparently authentic circles
that the annual payments are to be
materially increased, and the time for
starting payments advanced to 1941 in
stead of 1912 as the present act pro-
vides.
Senator Pepper is known as 100 pei
cent Roosevelt New Deal supporter
Whether that is the basis for the claims
that the president has approved the
Pepper proposals, or such information
has been secured direct, seems to bt
not quite clear as yet But that there
is going to be a serious attempt tx
amend the social security act in thi.
session, and that the move has adj
ministration support, have become com
mon knowledge in the past few days.
That the real objective of the mov'
is to kill off the Townsend genera
welfare is admitted on all sides. Thu
} administration resorted to every form
of strategy and political maneuver i'm
aginable to keep the proposal from
) coming to the floor of the house, or
i it did, to have it so overwhelmingl
; voted down it would never again ris
up to plague politicians. Then when
!. became obvious that the bill could no
j. be sidetracked, the gag rule was ap
, piled, allowing only four hours TO
: debate and no opportunity for amend
ments of any sort.
Some of those who supported tn
|
, last minute changes decided on b.
those in charge of the bill, and ap
proved by DR.. Townsend, had ten
dency to cut down the vote. Congress
man William A. Pittenger voted for tn
> compromise bill He has been iteraH
deluged with kilograms, letters an
telephone calls, as well as dozens o
long petitions, from the voters of hi
district, since the session opened, tina
he vote for a more liberal old ag
pension act.
!, AS forecast last week, early adjourn
ment of congress has now gone by tn
boards
About three weeks ago talk becam
rife in the corridors, cloak rooms, an
elsewhere in the Capitol that it wa
futile for congress to try to tackle sue
vital matters as neutrality, tax an
wage-hour amendments, war referen
dunn, the Townsend old age measure
etc., and therefore it might just a
well adjourn at an early date.
This got into the papers, both a
: spot news and the subject of extensiv
l comment both editorially and b
: the columnists. This comment wa
largely of critical character. Mos
} of the commentators took the attitud
! that it looked too much as if congress
, was trying to play hockey and reni
2 on the job.
But all this was mild compared t
, some of the blistering letters and tele
! grams individual congressman were get
l ting from the folks back home. Whe
they thought of what they regarde
t as an inexcuSable attempt to put OF