Towards Adjournment

Towards Adjournment

President Roosevelt discovered last week that it was much easier to call Congress into special session in March than it was to send it home in June. Weeks ago he set June 10 as the day he wanted adjournment. June 10 came and went; Congress still sat and snarled. The President had two good reasons for wanting the Capitol promptly vacated: 1) the World Economic Conference which opened in London June 12 (see p. 16); 2) War Debt payments falling due June 15. Because his voice carries farther on the floor than off, many a Senator itched to prolong the session and harangue Washington and the world on these twin subjects, imparting advice to the U. S. delegation in London, flaying foreign debtors about to default. The President was tired and wanted to get away this week on his own vacation which included a sail up the New England coast on the schooner Amberjack II to his mother's summer home in New Brunswick and a speedy run down to the Virginia Capes on the cruiser Indianapolis. All week long President Roosevelt poked, pressed and prodded Congress towards adjourning Saturday night. To placate the House he gave ground on his pension cuts (see p. 13). To avoid a long Senate wrangle, he dropped his plan to ask Congress for authority to make special tariff treaties at the London Conference. To put down resentful little rebellions in his own party, he released a flood of Grade B patronage. At his command the Senate sat for twelve-hour stretches. Oldsters could recall nothing to match the Roosevelt drive for adjournment. But at the last moment the President made a tactical error which cost him his whole week's work. Submitted to Congress at 8 o'clock Saturday night was an executive order for minor Government reorganizations which the President estimated would save $25,000,000 per year. The Bureaus of Immigration and Naturalization were to be merged. The National Screw Thread Commission was to be abolished. The Shipping Board's functions were to go to the Department of Commerce. By law the President had to submit his plan to Congress, to become effective in 60 days unless vetoed by a two-thirds vote. Blaming the pressure of other public business for his delay the President declared in his message: "Please let me tell you very simply and frankly that in transmitting this executive order at this late hour, I have had no thought of taking what might he considered an advantage of Congress." But the Senate thought that the President was taking an advantage and promptly exploded. California's Johnson leaped to his feet in hot protest. Why, there weren't even printed copies of the President's order for Senators! Wisconsin's La Follette and Idaho's Borah, who never want to go home, joined the fray. Pennsylvania's Reed called the President's action a "contemptuous gesture." Shouted Missouri's Clark: "Why is June 10, this day, sacred for adjournment?" Retorted Senator Borah: "Because the World Economic Conference begins on Monday." Starting a filibuster, Louisiana's Long strutted the floor: "There's no hurry. We're not going to leave here tonight or tomorrow night or the next night." Democratic Leader Robinson telephoned the White House, asked the President to withdraw his reorganization order. The President refused, told Senator Robinson to hold the Senate in session all night, if necessary, to wear out the opposition. Director of the Budget Douglas, anticipating adjournment, arrived at the Capitol to advise the President on signing last minute bills. The President waited at the White House--and waited and waited--for the Senate's bad temper to simmer down. At 10:30 p. m. Senator Robinson telephoned again, got the President's consent to a recess until Monday. Once the session went over into a new week, it became anybody's race.

P:Talking informally with the President and his wife one afternoon White House newshawks asked: "Mrs. Roosevelt, how would it be if we grabbed our racquets and got out on the White House tennis courts sometime?" Replied the First Lady: "Why, most certainly. Any time you boys want to play those courts are there for you." Request No. 2 was: "And, Mr. President, what about the swimming pool some of these hot afternoons?'' Shot back the President: "Yes and there's also those sand boxes we've put out there for the children. You might try them, too."

P: To keep the Civilian Conservation Corps on its toes President Roosevelt last week approved a bonus system for workers-in-the-woods. Instead of the regular $30 per month (two-thirds or more of which is sent home to dependents) the best 5% in each company are to get $45, the next 8%, $36. For misbehavior woodsters can be docked up to three days' pay per month.

P: Last week President Roosevelt appointed John James Elaine, onetime Republican Senator from Wisconsin, to the board of Reconstruction Finance Corp. Other appointments: Massachusetts' John H. Fahey, onetime president of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, to the Home Loan Bank Board; New Hampshire's Raymond B. Stevens to the Federal Trade Commission; Basil Manly, onetime investigator for the Senate, to the Federal Power Commission.

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