Evening star., 1939-01-28
The Political Mill
sIoshine W. P A. Appropriation Only First
Round in Bottle for-Economy

Senator from Illinois, was a subject
of the efforts of Secretary Wallace
and Mayor Kelly of Chicago. They
both voted mo" when the roll was
called.
Just what inducements, If any,
we're offered have not been disclosed.
But it will be Interesting to see what
happens in the future to those Sen
atorS who acquiesced in the drive
and to those who did not. The
mechanics of the drive were not
dissimilar to what has happened
before when administration meas
ures of moment were threatened
with defeat. Federal patronage has
been bait, even to Federal judge
ships.
Unable to Rally Majority.
Notwithstanding the great effort
put forward, the administration was
unable to rally majority of the
Senate to its support-althoug
there are 69 Democrats to % Re-
pubhcans and scattering of 4
members of minor parties.
One patent reason for the failure
is found in the growing sentiment in
this country against continuous and
huge Government deficits, billions
of dollars expended without restora-
ton of prosperity or the reduction
of the unemployed. The Democratic
Senator from South Dakota, Mr..
Bulow, recognized this feeling-for
he had seen his State go strongly
Republican in the last campaign,
when the G. O. P. candidates were
running on an economy platform.
And SO did Democratic Senators
from other sections of the country.
They voted accordingly. So it ap-
pears the recent elections did have
significance.
Then there has for years been a
Democratic bloc in the Senate
which was opposed to big spending
and favorable to balanced budget.
Notable among these gentlemen
have been Senators Glass and Byrd
of Virginia, Tydings of Maryland,
Adams of Colorado, Byrnes of South
Carolina and Harrison of Mississippi
and others. At last this bloc is on
the increase.
The w. P. A. also has lost caste
in recent weeks and months-due to
the charges of political activity
pinned on that organization by the
Senate Campaign Expenditures
Committeeman admitted at least
in part by Harry L. Hopkins himself,
the former administrator of relief
and now Secretary of Commerce.
All this initiated against an in
crease in the w. P. A. appropriation
demanded by the President The
placing of notices on bulletin boards
in the Washington W.sP. A. head
quarters, urging w P. A. employees
to telegraph their Senators to sup
port the S875 100000 appropriation
and also to oppose the Hatch amend
ments to prohibit political activity
in the w. P. A. caused at least one
Senator to shift and vote against
the administration. This was Sem
ator Shipstead of Minnesota, Farm
er-Labor. He was particularly out
ragged by this evident attempt on
the part Of w. P. A. employees to
perpetuate themselves in office.
No Love for Spending.
Vice President Garner, who has no
love for the spending, pump printing
program of the administration, has
been credited not only with defeat
ing the administra ton in the House
on this w. P. A. appropriation, but
also with leading the fight for the
lower figure in the Senate. The
Vice President neither affirms nor
denies anything that is attributed to
him nowadays. But was the Vice
President disappointed yesterday?
He was not. In this connection it is
learned that Senator Smathers of
New Jersey. administration Demo-
crat, was all primed to deliver a
speech in the Senate saying in ef-
feet: II came to Washington to fol-