The union times., 1944-12-02
On nTheScene Washington
By Polly Cladish

If anyone tries to tell you this lame duck session of Congress is too crippled up to swing a fist at the Administration, don't believe him. It isn't so.
 When Congress reconvened after the election, newswriters and com mentators came out calmly and some what cynically, remarking how things looked slow and it was just a matter of marking time until the session ended Jan. 20. With the exception of few pieces of urgent legislation that shouldn't raise any fuss" they said 1t was just routine business.
 All of which was okay with labor, liberals and prOgressives as they figure really important legis- latiOn affecting the peoples inter- est will have better sailing with the considerably new Congress which meets in January.
 But what the predictors of an un- eventful lame duck session forgot to mention was that the tory Republi- cans and anti-Administration Demo- crats would come back raring to carry on their wrecking program.
 This, of course, if the oppor- tunity arose. It did.
 The first storm signal was sounded swift on the heels of President Roose- velt's proposal for creation of nation wide series of projects, similar to the Tennessee Valley Authority.
 His plan not only would harness the nations resources in a public works program for hydroelectric pow CT, irrigation, navigation and flood control, but will create vast postwar employment in the bargain.
 The threat to creation of his seven proposed regional TWAS blew up suddenly in the Senate over the $l billion flood control bill, an act authorizing construc- ton of public works on rivers and harbOrs.
 Anti-Administration Senators, in- cluding John H. Overton O., La. and John L. Mcclellan O., Ark. ) attempted to write into the pend- ing bill a congressional ban on any future development of river valley projects. If adopted, it would have ruled out creation of new authori- ties like IVA.
 Administration supporters success fully blocked the attempt, voting for an amendment of Senate Majority Leader Alben w. Barkley (D., Ky.) which by expressly stating, Con gress does not intend to preclude es- tablishment of separate authorities in the future" nullified the anti-TVA move.
 The next unexpected hurdle was an amendment offered by Senator Josiah Bailey O., N. O. to throw jurisdiction of dams to be built under the flood control program into the hands of private utility companies.
 Secretary of Interior Harold L.. Ickes sent letter cOndemning the Bailey amendment, charging Git would permit each dam to mOnOpO- Iize on its own terms the power produced at federal projects
 It was only after stormy debate that the Bailey private monopoly" measure was killed by 27 to AZ vote Although as Senator Barkley said, the entire bill is "piecemeal' legislation that should be held over until next session, at least 1t has been shorn of anti-Administration stingers.
 In view of this conclusive proof that the peoples enemies still pack punch, there is another bit of legislation coming up that bears careful watching-extension of the War Powers act.
 This is the act that gives the President broad authority neces- sary for successful conduct of the war. It also gives him authority to order rationing and price control, which is the part anti-Administra- ton forces may try to knife.