Show I Ji GR W EA ON ONCOMING COMING COAL CRISIS President Roosevelt got back from his notable achievements at Yalta to find serious problems awaiting him at home particularly on the la labor labor labor la- la bor front Some of his advisers felt however that these problems especially especially especially espe espe- the coal crisis could have been averted by beginning to prepare prepare prepare pre pre- pare for it earlier and by appointing a new secretary of labor The President left for Yalta alI almost almost al al- al- al most immediately after his I I ration And up until a day or two before his inauguration he had not I made up his mind what to do about appointing a new secretary of labor In the end he did nothing and andI Miss Perkins continued despite her herM hervery M I very lIery firm desire to resign t I Meanwhile various moves could lave have been made to head off the coal I crisis risis One of them discussed inthe in inthe inthe the background but never brought I I forward is an annual wage for minI min- min I I ers If the miners knew they would be able to work all the year around I 1 i especially in peace times when they have been laid off for about one- one third of the time they might forego wage increases now Another move proposed backstage backstage back back- stage tage was to appoint coal mine representatives on local OPA boards to make sure the cost of living did not go up or if so under circumstances circumstances circum- circum stances they understood But Ute the most important move was to have appointed a new secretary of labor with a new fresh outlook untarnished prestige prestige prestige pres pres- tige who could have tackled the job firsthand and if necessary gone out to the Ute mining areas to meet with the Ute miners them them- selves No one is looking for this thankless job But senate colleagues colleagues colleagues col col- col- col leagues say the one man who could do it if willing would be forthright minded fair Senator Harley Kilgore who comes from Crom the great coal state of West Virginia Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia is known and trusted by labor but also would not hesitate to oppose labor when it is wrong FARM BLOC FUNCTIONS Sometimes the congressional farm bloc feels its oats to such an extent that it demonstrates its power just for Cor the fun of it That was what happened when the house passed the Flannagan resolution which does nothing more than say that congress congressI I considers a law it passed two years I earlier still should be observed This law is the Tydings amendment to the Selective Service act which provides provides pro pro- provides vides for the deferment of farm I workers The house spent several hours trying to decide whether it should pass the new resolution even though everyone knew it would go through hitting Hard-hitting congressmen like Ed Izac of California Gene Worley Vorley of I Texas and Ewing Thomason of Texas Tex Tex- as pointed out that all the resolution did was remind the nation that men from 18 to 25 the 25 the age group the army wants most for fighting fight fight- ing are ing-are are being denied the army El Pasos Paso's Thomason declared his support for the Tydings amendment but said he saw no reason to pass passI I further legislation on the subject I San Diego's Izac a wounded anc and decorated lieutenant commander in inthe inthe inthe the last war came out against the Tydings amendment If we turn this resolution down maybe the senate will have backbone backbone backbone back back- bone enough to throw out all legislation legisla legisla- tion that interferes with the winning of the war Izac continued The boys on the farm are no nomore nomore nomore more precious to their fathers and mothers than are the other boys who I have been taken away and are now serving in the army and the navy After several hours of debate however the house passed the resolution by a voice vote but not before the author of the resolution resolution res res- John Flannagan of Virginia Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia was called upon to define what he meant by an agricultural agricultural agricultural tural occupation Republican Congressman Clason of Springfield Springfield Spring Spring- field Mass 1 was afraid the words might be interpreted as referring only to men growing or handling crops Flannagan assured him it included also poultry farmers and livestock farmers CAPITAL CHAFF Q CJ L Col Harry Vaughan now military aide t to o Vice President was formerly former former- ly his secretary Vaughan is now virtually back on the office staff staff staff-in in uniform C. C l There are about baseball players play play- ers in the American league of which are 4 Baseball moguls say If the 4 are barred from baseball baseball base base- ball the game will have to be played by old men CL 1 l Senator Tom Connally of Texas during prolonged hearings on the Mexican waterways treat treaty The flood of oratory oratory in this committee committee committee com com- room is as hard to control a as s ss the notorious floods flood s of the Colorado river JL l I. Not as many people e know about Elmer Irey as know of J. J Ed Edgar gar garis Hoover but Irey is being talked about for Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis Landis' job lob as dean of baseball Congressman Congressman Con Con- gressman Cochran of Missouri I If baseball gets Irey they says wont won't have to worry about gamblers He knows them all |