{ By EDWARD W. PICKARD WO to one against the New Deal was the week's score in Federal court decisions. The administration suffered severely, The Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincin- nat! first held uncon- stitutional the con- demnation of land by the PWA for clearance. Then the Circult Court of Ap- peals in Boston dealt the AAA a terrific blow by declaring un- constitutional the processing and flour - taxes. The one favor- Chester .ble decision was by Davis the Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans and was that the sale of cheap electric power by the Tennessee Valley authority was consti tutional. Harold Ickes, who is PWA adminis. would be carried on, though necessarily in modified form, AAA administrator, openly admitted that “the end of the processing taxes Adjustment administration in all its ing of the court at Boston. He as serted he had expected that decision to be adverse, saying: “That section around Boston Is a hotbed of resistance to the processing taxes. Why, It's right up there among ali those cotton manufacturers.” This was most ex- traordinary comment from a high gov- ernment official, but the Appeals court in Boston has not yet cited Davis for contempt. Most well informed and unbiased persons have never believed the proe- essing taxes would stand up under court test. The Guffey coal bill has some similar features, so graphs in the Boston decision: “The power of congress to regulate terstate commerce does not authorize it to do so by taxing products either of agriculture or industry before they enter interstate commerce, or other wise to control their production mere- Iy because thelr production may in- directly affect interstate commerce. “The issue Is not, as the government contended, whether congress can ap- propriate funds for any purpose deemed by congress in furtherance of the ‘general welfare,’ but whether con- gress has any power to control or reg- a special tax for that purpose.” Several hundred sults to enjoin col- lection of the processing taxes have been filed in Federal courts by proces sors. If they pay the taxes and the act is held unconstitutional by the Su- preme court, they will not be able to recover, under a provision of the pend- ing amendments prohibiting recovery suits against the government. ROPPING all their rebellious in- dignation, the Democrats of the house did everything the administra- tion wished In considering the social security bill as altered by the senate, The conferees had settled all dif- ferences after two weeks of hard work, but one of the amendments they aec- cepted was that permitting private pension systems to function under the measure. The majority members of the house were informed that Presi. dent Roosevelt was opposed to this, so they refused to accept it. The senate would not permit the elimination of the amendment, 80 back to conference went the bill HOMAS D. SCHALL, the blind senator from Minnesota, has been one of the sharpest tongued critics of the administration In the senate, Re- cently he described President Roosevelt a8 a “megalomaniac,” and, though the word was subsequently eliminated from the Record, the Democrat. fe senators were de cidedly miffed. 80 a little later Senators ; Robinson, Black and Bone found opportu. end nity to tell Schall y what they think of Senator Schall him and to demand that he conform to the rules of “decency.” The argument starfed when Schall had read by a clerk an editorial from a Texas editor, and an address of his own—all critical of the administration. Robinson protested. He asserted “when one whose moral obliquities are so great as are those of the senator from Minnesota, it becomes necessary for some one to object.” He added Schall “cannot shield himself behind an unfortunate affliction.” The Schall speech sald President Roosevelt was imitating Mussolini, and that Ben Cohen, an administration ald and bill drafter, had “assumed the leg- islative functions usurped by the Ex- ecutive.” “It 1s small business and only could be done by a man of small mentality,” sald the Arkansas senator, Replying, Schall sald, “If the people knew what was behind this govern- ment they would not stand for it a minute.” ENDING floods of telegrams to senators or representatives for or against pending legislation will not be 80 effective In the future, as a result of the disclosures before the senate lobby Investigators, They heard evl- dence to the effect that large numbers of telegrams against the utilities bill were sent from Warren, Pa, by an employee of the Associated Gas and Electric system, that the messages were signed with names takes from a city directory and that the originals were destroyed at Warren, The senate committee, evidently planning a nation-wide inquiry, asked the Western Unlon Telegraph com- destruction of any messages transmitted during the last year, and officials of the company promised to co-operate, WENTY months of apparently fu- tile moves to revitalize the com- mercial relations between the United States and Russia, and then suddenly Washington announces that the two nations had concluded a one- year trade agreement under which the Sovi- et Republics agreed to increase their Ameri- can imports by 150 per cent. In return for purchase of £350.000, 000 worth of American goods Russia is to be granted wide tariff concessions by the United States. Russia will buy railroad equipment, machinery for making new automobile models and other products of heavy industry. In addition the Soviets will buy cotton. The railroad equipment is needed badly for modernization of a weak transportation system. In return Russia expects to sell sausage casings, certain grades of iron ore, manganese, furs and dairy prod- ucts In large quantities to the United States, Secretary Hull The pact, concluded by the exchange of notes between Ambassador Bullitt In Moscow and Maxim Litvinov, com- missar for foreign affairs, provides for no further loans to Russia and makes no mention of the more than $700,000. 000 in debts contracted by former Rus sian governments. It is In line with Secretary Hull's policy of trade agree- ments. For these two reasons espe- clally it is attacked by many Repub licans and not a few Democrats In con- gress. Senator Pat McCarren of Ne vada was one of the angriest of these gentlemen. He declared Secretary Hull was a “prize diplomatic dupe” and an- nounced that he would demand afi im- mediate modification of the reciprocal tariff act to rescind powers under which Hull Is negotiating such treaties. Key Pittman, chalrman of the senate foreign relations committee, also 1s earnestly opposed to Hull's trade pro- gram. ENATOR J. HAMILTON LEWIS of Illinols, a member of the for- eign relations committee, long has urged that Great Britain be persuaded to cede to the United States her island pos sessions In the Carib bean sea In payment of her war debt. The other day he was moved to bring the subject up again and delivered an interest: ing speech in the sen- ate. This time he based his proposal up- on the “peace offer” of England to cede a por. Senator Lewis tion of her territory In Somaliland to Ethiopia, which In turn would cede certain territory to Italy with a view of averting the Impending war bétween those countries, The senator also suggested that Eng- land surrender all rights she claims to privileges of constructing a Nicaraguan canal, recalling, as a precedent, that England compelled France to yield all claims to territory adjacent to the Suez canal. The British islands In the West In- dies, the senator sald, are both useful as defense and necessary as protection for the United States. They “could be seized In time of war between nations fighting among themselves to possess the Caribbean and Southern seas They could be used as the backyard of the United States from which sup- plies could be stored to be used In as sault on America” CARLES TAUSSIG, who had served the administration for two years without official title or position, has been appointed chalrman of the advis “i MPEROR HAILE SELASSIE ap | peared before the Ethiopian par- lament and made an impassioned ap- peal to his countrymen to fight Italy | to the death, declaring he had pre- | pared himself to die in the contest If | need be, : “Ethiopia knows how to fight to | preserve its independence and its sov- | ereignty,” he sald. “Soldiers! Follow the example of your warrior ancestors. Soldiers! Traders! Peasants! Young and old, men and women: Unite to face the invader! Your sovereign will be among you and will not hesitate to give his blood for the independence of his coun- try.” Though the League of Natlons coun- cll was scheduled to meet for consid- eration of the Italo-Ethloplan quarrel between July 25 and August 2, there were Indications that the Eurepean nations were about ready to abandon Ethiopla to its fate and that if “The Lion of Judah” doesn't give In com- pletely, Mussolini will be permitted to have his way with him. That probably will mean a long guerrilla warfare the detalls of which will not be pleasant reading. Newspapers of northern Italy Inti. mated that Premier Mussolini might abandon his projected war with Ethiopia if he could find a way of backing out without losing face. But the Roman public was quite sure the duce's. aggressive policy would be un- impaired. This opinion was strength. ened by the sending of more troops to East Africa. Secretary of State Hull entered the pleture again with a rather mild state ment expressing America’s abhorrence of war and confidence in the Kellogg pact, The Italians didn't like this a all, ENATOR HUEY LONG has the po- \J Ilical fate of his chief opponent, Mayor T. Semmes Wal New Orleans, in the palm of his hand. But he Is forcing the peo ph the mayor out. i : : i . N sley of ple of the city to put A ma- jority of Walmsley's | followers, tired of the ! conflict, formally de. | nw 3 serted him when the : i commission council 3 - a adopted a resolution mati endorsing recent state. ments of two commis sioners calling for the city to make with Long. The may- or, standing almost alone, declined peace T. Semmes Walmsley to yield. He council he “would not deal with men who have been cnlled ‘crooks and thieves’ by every member of the com mission council” told the In a eaucus session, 183 of preceding the council Walmsles's 17 ward leaders voted for his resignation “for the good of the city." The mayor told them he was “going to stick from he} to breakfast.” —— V HEN Chinese rivers overflow '¥ they do the thing in a big way. The Han, which joins the Yangtse near Hankow, broke through the dikes and rushed through the densely popu. lated land, drowning about 10,000 men, women and children, NOFFICIALLY and Informally, the general opinion seems to be that the Wagner labor disputes act is one constitutional and will be so declared by the United States Supreme court when that tribunal is called on for a decision. William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, urges labor leaders to pay no attention to claims that the law is Invalid “Leading legal authorities of the na- tion are of the opinion that the met is Constitutional in every respect,” he wrote, but added in a letter that he | expects a court test and that the American Federation of Labor will get | “the best legal talent.” : Even if the Wagner law Is knocked | out by the Supreme court, the admin. | istration believes It has a plan that | will avert at least 00 per cent of the | usual number of strikes, walk-outs, lock-outs and other disorders being launched in Toledo, Ohlo, and has been called the “Toledo plan” be- | cause It was conceived by Assistant | Secretary of Labor Edward F. McGra- dy when he was trying to settle a dispute In that Ohlo city, It has no sectional characteristics; carries no federal compulsion, and | rests solely upon the willingness of workers and employers In every city | that adopts the plan, to abandon the | harsh economic weapons of old and : substitute peaceful discussion for | violence, Here again Green throws a monkey. | wrench Into the machinery, He says | the A. F. of L. will not cooperate in | promoting the McGrady plan because | it provides that the mediation panels would Include on the labor side repre- | sentatives of company unions and of | independent and rival unions. Under | Green's leadership the policy of the A. F. of L. evidently 1s all for the fed- eration, or nothing for anyone, — Wi the approval of the house labor committee a new bill in- tended to replace the NRA was brought forward In congress, but lis chances of passage at this session were small. It would create a federal commission to license Industries sending goods or commodities Into Interstate commerce. To obtaln a federal license, an Indus try would be compelled to: SMALL NEED YET TO WORRY ABOUT It appears that our refrigerating plant Is breaking down. The matter a long time engaged the attention of scientiste, Within recent times the recession of the cap has been of has been observed within the span of only n few decades, For instance, the Russian Arctic expert, N. G. Datsky, In re-examin- ing areas surveyed 40 years before, found that in Siberia, where his predecessor, Professor Shrenk, found eternal frost at the depth of two meters, there was now no frost at any depth, not even in the marshes, In other Jocalities, where Professor Shrenk found only shrubless tundra, Mr. Datsky saw new growths of timber! Only recently, Prof. R. T. Belknap of the University of Michigan came upon a pyramid of rocks and a note originally placed at the foot of the Cornell glacier by the late Professor Tarr. The note was dated 1808. In the time intervening, the glacler had moved back three-quarters of a mile from the marker, R. F, Griggs of the University of Washington tells us that in the Alaskan tundra country the forest line is advancing at the rate of a mile a century. Trees are now grow. ing on land which had for 100000 years, If this keeps on, you say, Hudson bay will eventually become a sub. tropical body of water, Well hat of it? It has been several and, If g America Leads in Cars HERE'S A TIP FAVORITE \ HOW THEY CRAVE FOR IT nourishment than many a hes CARL, YOUR DISPLAY TEMPER CONVINCED ME | CAN'T USE YOU IN THE |) GO TOURNAMENT! YOU'RE ALWAYS BLOWING UP! } { #5 VE ToL You CARL, You J HAVE COFFEE-NERVES. fi STRING HIS IF | HAD MY WV, ID TAKE ALL THE Name. » ing me, Doctor? I thought only children howd never drink t I, too, find that caffein
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