OCR Text |
Show jr.al Topics Interpreted ' by William Bruckart . Katlonal PrM, Building- Washington, P. C Washington. It appears that at last all of those questions as to whether the na-NRA na-NRA Up to tlonal Industrial SapremeCourl going to be answered by the Supreme Su-preme court of the United States. That Is, they will be answered by a Supreme court decision unless the moving spirits in NRA decide again to dodge the Issue as they once have done. Sometime ago W. E. Belcher, an Alabama lumberman, ran afoul of a national recovery administration code ruling and he was promptly prosecuted. Lower courts decided adversely to the government, however, how-ever, and the NRA lawyers decided to appeal. They wanted a Supreme court decision. But before the case reached the stage of argument before be-fore the highest court in the land, the Department of Justice suddenly withdrew the petition and announced an-nounced its refusal to prosecute Mr. Belcher any further. There Immediately was set up a far-flung cry accusing the NRA and the Department of Justice of being afraid of a constitutional test Legal brains of the Department of Justice stood pat and offered no explanation, explana-tion, but NRA brain trusters let it be known that they preferred to avoid a test at this time because of the imminent expiration of the Industrial recovery act. They pointed point-ed out that the law expires June 16 and that congress Is now engaged In consideration of a revision. The implication im-plication was that the NRA believed a test In the Belcher case was a waste of time and money because of the probability that a Supreme court decision would not be handed hand-ed down until after the present law was no longer operative. Now, however, the NRA authorities authori-ties think they have found the right kind of a case for a constitutional test They have announced they will fight to have the act declared constitutional con-stitutional in a case in which the Schechter Live Poultry market of Brooklyn, N. Y., Is accused of violating vio-lating the poultry code. So Instead of trying out the constitutional question on boards, the brain trusters trust-ers are seeking a decision on the hen. The whole situation is regarded by observers as being much confused con-fused and no one seems to know exactly ex-actly what is behind the sudden reversal re-versal of position on the part of NRA and the Department of Justice Jus-tice lawyers except a good many folks think the NRA could not stand the gaff of countrywide editorial edi-torial criticism. It Is true that after aft-er abandonment of the Belcher case was announced, nearly every Important Impor-tant metropolitain newspaper In the country printed editorial comment about the action and little of it was favorable to the NRA. Politically, the Department of Justice's Jus-tice's determination to avoid a test In the Belcher case already Is having hav-ing repercussions. Barbs and back biting are coming not alone from Republican antagonists but from among Democrats in congress as well. Senator Hastings, a Delaware Republican, and Senator Clark, a Missouri Democrat, joined in an effort ef-fort to have Attorney General Cum-mings Cum-mings reverse his position and urged npon the head of the Department of Justice the necessity for clarification clarifi-cation of legal questions Involved. The administration's position also has drawn fire from Republican Leader Snell In the house and there are in that body also certain of the so-called progressives who have charged that President Roosevelt Is unwilling to face the music In the Belcher case. Economically, the decision to refrain re-frain from pressing the Belcher case for final adjudication by the Supreme court has caused a wave of uncertainty to permeate the business structure. What the end Is going to be, even Donald Richberg, number one man In NRA, has avoided saying. Since he has not enunciated policies his subordinates are afraid to move. Consequently, according to some of the letters now going out from the NRA to business Interests, the whole question of codes and their enforcement frankly can be said to be up in the air. If the NRA can be said to be up in the air, the agricultural adjust-... adjust-... . nient admlnistra-AAA admlnistra-AAA in tion can be said Trouble to be a rudderless ship. There Is no longer any doubt that AAA policy Is confused, not to say floundering about In helpless fashion. It has reached the stage where delegations and individuals are arriving In increasing in-creasing numbers to wait on the doorstep of Secretary Wallace and Administrator Davis for advice as to what the program is. It ought to be said just here that Mr. Wallace and Mr. Davis are showing signs of Irritation and that Is always significant It was only the other day that a group of farm organization leaders came In to Washington to tell Mr. Wallace how the Department of Agriculture must do something to enable far mers In the areas that were drouth stricken to plant crops. They pointed out tne necessity for quick action because crops must be planted within tne next few weeks. They did not stop there, however, but added points of criticism about AAA policy. This so irked Mr. Wallace that be announced an-nounced abruptly that the interview inter-view was closed. The secretary was quoted by members of the delegation as having hav-ing Inquired whether the Roosevelt administration had not done more for farmers than any previous administration. ad-ministration. He was reported also to have said he did not like the attitude or the spirit which the visitors vis-itors displayed in their conversations conversa-tions with him. The result was that farm leaders went away from the vast building housing the Department Depart-ment of Agriculture with a decidedly decid-edly bad taste in their mouths and the prediction Is heard frequently now that these men will cause much trouble for Mr. Wallace hereafter here-after by telling their stories among the home folks. I think It is generally conceded that economical and political numskulls num-skulls may be found In positions of responsibility among farm organizations organiza-tions but after all they serve as something of a leadership for groups that speak for agriculture and when Mr. Wallace becomes angered an-gered by their criticism of his administration, ad-ministration, serious trouble for him lies not so far ahead. Such circumstances circum-stances as the one just mentioned usually are accepted as Indicating a thin skin on the part of a public official and that condition Is nearly always fatal it ruined Herbert Hoover. Around the halls of congress, also, there Is Increasing criticism of Mr. Wallace Criticise and it Is of a Wallace character to undermine un-dermine him If It continues. When such stalwart Democrats Dem-ocrats as Senator George of Georgia Geor-gia describes a cabinet officer as being unfit for the office he holds, the situation as regards that individual indi-vidual necessarily becomes precarious. precari-ous. The controversies that are centering center-ing around Secretary Wallace naturally nat-urally are having their reaction on his legislative proposals. It is my understanding that considerable difficulty dif-ficulty Is faced by the amendments to the adjustment act which the secretary desires to have passed at this session of congress. These amendments are described by the secretary as being designed to strengthen the adjustment act and accord the AAA more power In enforcement It seems, however, a certain bloc in congress holds the conviction that there Is already sufficient suf-ficient power In Mr. Wallace's hands and those members are growing resentful re-sentful toward proposals delegating more authority to him. The recent house-cleanlnsr which resulted In elimination of certain of the brain trusters in the Department Depart-ment of Agriculture and Its stepchild, step-child, the AAA, had a wholesome effect on relationship between the Department of Agriculture and congress con-gress as a whole, yet in some quarters quar-ters It appears, the housecleanlng did not remove all of the stigma with which oppositionists have stained the administration's farm policies. I believe It is not too much to say that conditions In the NRA and uu AAA have added Honeymoon" t0 the genera, Is Ended uncertainty con-, con-, , cernlng the polit ical and economic outlook of the administration. In this connection It should be mentioned that the Republicans Re-publicans are showing signs of life For Instance, Republican Leader Snell took a shot at President Roosevelt the other day that indicates indi-cates a forthcoming deluge of criticism crit-icism of him personally for the first time since he entered the White House. The volume of mall being received on Capitol Hill tells its story as well Members of the house and senate are beginning to Inquire of each other what their political course should be in view of the type of inquiries that are now being received. "8 Through many months, the personal per-sonal charm of the President has seemed to prevent expressions of a critical nature and certainly hs held off complaints from the bus, ness section of the country. Ce ! tainly those who have money in. vested were not being tolri L I future plan,. It seenfs n v, tw ever, that the "honeymoon" Z which Mr Roosevelt asked Zs ed and that henceforth It will .1 a battle of realities. be The most direct athel-President athel-President and uvl Z came from Representation Wadsworth, a New xt J"'? -n. Mr. Wa.lsworth ZT' certainty. In f.,(.r i, MHl. of the hrcV m ' ' " U'U " onu of the MnmZrlZn 'W |