Show I Mallon Motion Sees Hidden M Meaning in Consumer Plank I By PAUL MALLON 1 PHILADELPHIA June 27 That 27 That simple platitude about the the- the consumer consumer ill n the Democratic pl platform means more than it says It is pla plank k number number num- num ber jer four and consists of one sentence sentence sen- sen tence ence We will act to secure to the consumer con- con umer sumer fair value honest sales and anda a decreased spread between the price he pa pays s and the price the tho producer producer pro- pro ducer lucer receives This sounds Bounds like a choice tion ion of ot fin fine words meaning nothing but ut the real significance of it would be app apparent rent if it you ou could see the rest of it as originally written by President President dent lent Roosevelt's platform manager Senator Wagner Scissors Used Unfortunately the practical politicians poli- poli on his platform committee would not stand for more than that than that one sentence They used scissors on the rest Mr Roosevelt was was' content to get in n just a single a-single line on it as a basis for the future action ho he has in III mind I so it will vili stand officially as meaningless meaningless meaningless mean mean- ingless until he chooses to Inte interpret pret it Note As Note As the liberal insiders hero here say that is a very touchy socializing reform which must be approached v very ry gradually The They like Mr Roosevelt were content in the end merely to get In a line on it IL What Mr i Roosevelt has in I mind here hero again is possible development development de de- I of the consumer co cooperatives cooperatives cooperatives co- co coI I operatives in competition with private business and application of the Scandinavian collectivist system in some degree to the United States Apparently he be basno has bas no specific plan plan on it yet Specifications will await the return return return re re- re- re turn from Europe of the Baker cooperative cooperative cooperative co co- co- co operative mission recently appointed appoint appoint- ed But the president knows what i he wants to do and arid if he works true to form he will not pay much attention to the fact that the convention convention convention con con- politicians chose not to explain explain explain ex ex- ex- ex plain the idea Wagner to lo Europe Note Note Incidentally Incidentally Senator Wagner Wagner Wag Wag- Vagner ner may go to Europe this summer 4 to look into the Scandinavian cooperatives cooperatives coop coop- cooperatives himself He has been in in- in Undoubtedly he will be in charge of any legislation may arise out of the new course upon which Mr Roosevelt is embarking What kept the platform com corn committee committee out so lon long was inside squabbling over planks which did not eventually appear in the fina final p published bUshed version The hottest and last squabble was over a power plank which hinted at government ownership of public utilities Senator Black of Alabama kept Insisting on it and threatened to remain In session session ses ses- ses- ses sion slon himself for lor three weeks unless unless unless un un- un- un less the plank was kept in Cooler Senator George of Georgia and Bailey of ot North Carolina were the ones who stopped it il They said they would carry their fight to the floor of the convention unless the plank was dropped Eventually a special subcommittee subcommittee was selected to write the milder on power plank finally agreed The inside solution of ot the two- two thirds rule com compromise came not nol I from the top of ot the convention but bu t from front an alternate with half halt a vote vot 3 in the rules committee As the insiders tell it one Francis FrancL a W W. Durbin of Ohio was sitting in Ir inon inon on the committee as alternate for his father a treasury official who is something of an amateur magi magi- cian The appointment of a prestidigItator prestidigitator to the treasury was considered considered considered con con- particularly significant In view of ot the money magic going on at that time The Tho youngster is Js said to be something of a Do trouble maker within the Ohio organization but apparently ho he knows how to settle it as well vell as to make it He sat around listening to the bigwigs argue until he be wearied and sugg suggested sug sug- g sted that the national committee committee com corn study reapportionment of state delegation strength to cool off the hot-blooded hot southerners The idea was taken up Immediately Immediately immediately Immedi Immedi- by the committee committe and adopt adopt- ed As usual Boss Farley Fancy is get tin ting the tho credit for lor having instituted instituted lusti- lusti it Constitution Change It is incredible but true that the two persons responsible for the mention of a constitutional amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment in the platform were permanent permanent permanent perma perma- nent Chairman Robinson and Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- Sen- Sen ator Wagner Robinson said nothing about it in his convention address but he started working on the platform committee to mention a a a- constitutional constitutional constitutional amendment soon after he ar ar- ar- ar rived Wagner of course has al always always al- al ways been in favor of ot that method b but t Robinsons Robinson's conversion could have been effected by no one except the man in the White House Hedged With Ifs Irs Even ven so the mention of the constitutional constitutional amendment is hedged with ifs to such an extent that nobody nobody nobody no no- body here believes Mr Roosevelt will ever get around to espousing it The shrewdest stroke in the convention management was quiet suppression of the liberals Of the left wingers only Senator Wagner Vagner appeared prominently be before before be- be fore tore the convention Absent or suppressed were the Hopkins I Wallaces and et a al Miss liss Perkins appeared but only in a social role The reason was that the congregation congregation congregation congre congre- gation here was composed almost entirely of politicians with few if any Social Democrats of the intelligentsia intelligentsia intelli intelli- type The Tho practical side of the new deal face was wa presented It does not show the ast cast in the left eye Copyright 1936 |