The Alamance gleaner ? . ? \ VOL. LXI. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY MARCH 7, 1935. NO. 5. News Review of Current Events the World Over President Returns From Vacation to Face Critical Test of His Administration Policies as Foes Stand Firm on Prevailing Wage Clause. By EDWARD W. PICKARD ?, Western Newspaper Union. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT ended his vacation at Hyde Park and left for Washington where his administration faces serious trouble, involving the TtMO^twA A* *?*??? |/>caugc ML IUQ ??mvc House. Capitol Hill la foil of lively curiosity over the President's program, and whether he will fight the pres ent congressional de fiance of his leader ship and go before the people with one of his famed fireside talks, or whether he will R.n Wann.r ? cuui|nuuiiae. Wagner Mr Roosevelt at the end of his second year In office faces a predicate In his relations to congress similar to that which confronted Mr. Hoover In 1931. Unless he regains control his entire program Is likely to bog down. The fight hinges on the $4,880,000,000 work relief program, the first item In the President's budget message and the principal mainstay of his program. Se cret conferences at which slices of pork were reported to have been dan gled before the avid eyes of revolting senators were said to have been held. A few supporters of the McCarran prevailing wage amendment which wrecked the bill and forced its recom mlssion to the appropriations commit tee were said to be wavering under the pressure. Senator Robert F. Wag ner, who voted for the amendment, act ed as peacemaker. He Intimated the possibility of a compromise by paying more than the so-called security wage of $50 a month, but still lower than the prevailing rates. Other leaders de clared they would not badge from their positions. Since next year will bring another Presidential election, a third of the senators will be up for re-election, and all of the house members. They are watching closely the present situation because, If the President Is slipping, they want their own records back home In good order. X/fUSSOLINI has sent 5,000 more Italian troops to east Africa, making 10,000 that hare been dis patched for the possible war with the empire of Ethiopia. With the latest contingent went Gen. Rndolfo Grazlanl, who will be In command of the expedi tionary army. The soldiers were given a fine send-off at Naples, Crown Prince Humbert being present. Mussolini has set European govern ments buzzing In a speech In which he roared defiance at Italy's foes, assert ing that he could put eight million armed men In the field If necessary. Newspapers during the past few weeks have openly referred to the possibility of a war between Italy and Germany over Austria, and It was thought that II Duce's speech was made to Impress upon the Nazis that he was prepared to defend Brenner pass, although a part of the troops are being used In Ethiopia. THE Blue Eagle lost another tall feather the other day, when Fed eral Judge Nields at Wilmington, Del., held that the collective bargaining pro vision of NIRA. Is unconstitutional when applied to companies not engaged In Interstate commerce. The adminis tration and organized labor Immediate ly joined In a fight to preserve the va lidity of Section 7-A, and announced that an Immediate appeal would be tak en before the United States Supreme court The Wagner labor relations bill mak ing Section 7-A the law of the land and outlawing company unions may have to be revised. If Judge Nields Is upheld by the high court The ruling also gives support to opposition now forming In congress against extension of NRA unless It is reorganized. Judge Nields' ruling was on an In junction suit brought by the govern ment against the Welrton Steel com pany to enjoin the steel firm from al leged violations of Section 7-A of NIRA and the labor section of the fair com petition code of the Iron and steel In dustry. He upheld the right of em ployees to form company unions for collective bargaining, thus upsetting the claim of the Amalgamated Associ ation of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, that the company Intimidated employ ees and dominated the company union. The court held that the company is primarily engaged in state, not Inter state commerce, which congress Is not empowered to regulate. Judge Nields stated: "Power to enact Section 7-A was not conferred upon congress by the gen eral welfare' recital In the preamble of the Constitution, nor by the welfare clause, Article 1, Section 8, of the Con stitution." Unless the Supreme court reverses Judge Nlelds, the decision will prevent the New Deal from Interfering with employee-employer relationships of a vast majority of American business. New Deal policies received another Jolt the same day when Judge Charles L. Dawson on application of 35 west ern Kentucky coal operators issued a writ enjoining the government from enforcing the bituminous coal code, re affirming an earlier decision that the national industrial recovery act was unconstitutional. Judge Dawson de clared that the coal mining Is an In trastate business, and beyond the pow er of congress to regulate. He had previously issued a tempor ary writ, on petition of the operators on the ground of invalidity of the code, but the court of appeal remanded the case for a finding of fact on the ques tion of Irreparable injury. "When the government unconstitutionally inter feres with the right of a citizen to do business in his own way, that lnterfer ence constitutes an injury to the prop erty rights of the citizen," said Judge Dawson, who labeled as fallacious the government lawyers' contention that gains resulting from the coal code should offset losses. FhJJKKAL, JUDGE W. I. GRUBB Of Alabama gave the New Deal a sharp rap that threatens the great electric power development In the Ten nessee valley. Be ruled that the Ten nessee Valley Authority has- no legal authority to dispose of surplus power generated at hydro-electric plants on the Tennessee river. The administra tion la depending on this enterprise to bring about the lowering of private power plant rates, and It was believed there would be an Immediate appeal from the decision. In Washington especial note was taken of the fact that Judge Grubb made permanent an Injunction re-, straining 14 north Alabama cities and towns from negotiating with the Public Works administration for loans to build electric distribution Bystems. There was speculation as to what ef fect, If any, this might have nationally on PWA's policy of giving financial encouragement to municipal power de velopments. INTERNAL troubles continue to rock Cuba, and President Carlos Mendi eta's regime appears tottering. Manuel Despalgne, the only member, of Mendl eta's cabinet who was In office, has resigned as secretary of the treasury, completing the rout of the min istry brought about by the school strike. And twelve assistant cabi net secretaries have also deserted the ad ministration. The cabinet resigns ?lsvn<. kn .... Cartas "wui> largau over ainer u.ariia*. ences of opinion as to Menaisu how to deal w|th the strike of several hundred thousand stu dents and teachers which has devel oped into a national movement to oust the Mendieta administration. Commu nist-led labor organizations are ready to throw their strength behind a revo lutionary general strike, and the situa tion Is becoming crjtlcal. Although armed forces are being held In readi ness to quell disorders, there Is some doubt as to their loyalty to the presi dent CoL Fulgenclo Batista, army chief of staff, was reported ready to throw his support to Dr. Carlos Manuel de la Cruz for president If the Mendi eta government falls, but leaders of the antl-Mendleta movement,have Indi cated Batista's choice would not be acceptable to them. Terrorism continues rampant Bomb ing has become general, railroads have been blown up, and Havana has suf fered considerable damage to property. POSSIBILITIES' of a merger of Dem ocrats with Republicans In fighting for repeal of the "pink slip" or Income tax publicity section of the 1934 rev enue act was seen as Representative Bell. Missouri, pleaded for Immediate passage of bis bill eliminating the publicity provision. "Not only Is there fear on the part of the people of the country on ac count of gangsters and racketeers," Bell asserted "but there also Is concern among business men, because their competitors will have the opportunity of nosing Into their secret files." A SWEEPING Investigation of NRA and charges of graft and corrup tion was started by the senate, when it passed the Nye-McCarran resolution for a finance committee inquiry after a series of floor conferences between -the sponsors, administration leaders, lib eral 'Democrats, and western progres sives. Sponsors of the bill originally demanded a special committee to In vestigate NRA, but finally agreed to the finance committee handling the In quiry. Since the finance committee is headed by Senator Pat Harrison, ad ministration follower, this may mean little. However, it is understood'that Harrison agreed that counsel and pro fessional Investigators be employed, and also yielded to demands that the committee Confer with McCarran and Nye in planning the Investigation. If Harrison attempts to "whitewash" the NRA, It Is rumored that Nye will take the floor to demand that the inquiry be placed in the hands of the judiciary committee. THE Irrepressible Huey Long an nounced In Baton Rouge that he will be a candidate for governor of Louisiana In 1936. That may be just more Klngfiah conversation. However, it is known that Long has not preferred the office he now holds, and there is some possibility that he may seek the chief executive's chair of his state. When asked What would become of his candldaey for the presidency, he said that being, elected governor and being a candidate for president would not interfere with each other. 1 . \ Determined not to accept the lleCarran-Federatlon of Labor prevailing wage amendment, the ad ministration forces In the senate sent - , I, ? H|l.# Kill uic nvi? tcuct uui back to the committee. What will bappen now to the President's big program la problemat ical. Senator Byrnes of Sooth Carolina, one of tbe administration men, declared tbe measure had met its death. Insisting he was ex - , UlCMUUK U1B uwu uc* f. Hu*y lief and not talking Lwepao+r Syndicate. WNU Service. Question box i * ED WYNN, The Perfect Fool j Dear Mr. Wynn: I am a boy twelve years of age and have been offered a Job after my school hours. I am supposed to set 15 rat traps In the basement of an office building every day. Is It hard to learn to set a rat trap? Sincerely, L D. CLARE. Answer: It Is very easy to learn how to set a rat trap after you once get your hand In. Dear Mr. Wynn: I am the mother of a girl seventeen years of age. I want her to take up golf, tennis, swimming and other out door sports. She refuses and stays In the house. She says she prefers In door sport. Are Indoor sports all right for a girl her age? Truly yours. I. WORRIE. Answer: An Indoor sport is all right for a girl. If she knows when to send him home. Dear Mr. Wynn: I have a girl friend who Is a good swimmer. She told roe, yesterday, that she once fell off a boat into the water and a large shark came after her, looked her over, then went away without even touching her. Do you ; believe that? Yours truly, IKE ANTIIEE LKEYIT. / Answer: Sure I believe it. It must have been a man-eating shark. Dear Mr. Wynn: My husband, who was a fireman, was discharged by tiie city. The only rea son given In his discharge was "For acting childish at the Inst fire." What do they mean by .aying. "he act