State of the Union

Had quite a talk with a sub-contractor who gave a little dope on Jim Farley, organized labor and the NRA the other day. This honest man had it right in his simple way. He said that the logical unions were entirely controlled by a small cabal of thieves who blackmailed everybody, including their own members. This isn't five star final material, I know but it simply substantiates an old prejudice of mine to the effect that collective bargaining is all right if honest men are doing the bargaining, but crooked organized labor is a menace to the honest laborer. . . . This chap also said he used to know Farley when he was getting a small weekly salary selling gypsum (hence the name, Gyp Jim Farley.) Says Farley's great on organizing. Jim also is pretty good at picking the right man. All the professors late Jim, you know, because he hasn't the same ideas about career men they have. The professors want men who are good; Farley wants men who are Democrats.

* * *

In the meantime, the Supreme Court has the ball, to quote our President. Everybody's making predictions down here. Met a man today who had a special pass to the Court sessions after they closed them to the public. He says that the learned Chief Justice Is definitely against the constitutionality of the gold-clause repeal resolution. Says he could tell by his questions to counsel. But he expounded to me a view which I have heard elsewhere to the effect that F. D., is sick of the whole gold policy and is anxious to use adverse court decision as an excuse for dropping a flop in monetary economics. But I'll tell you one thing sure. F. D. will not advocate a Congressional statute to increase the membership on the court, regardless of the decision. He has a tremendous respect for the Constitution and the Court, as an institution. Of course he's all for the "broad and resilient phrases of the Constitution," as he said at Gettysburg last year, but he wouldn't think of interfering with the great traditions of the Court.

* * *

I confess all this talk about the Roosevelt Birthday Ball makes me sick. How can you do anything about infantile paralysis until you know what causes it Only a small part of the money is to be used for research into the causes of the disease the rest for so-called prevention and cures. Anyway, the trouble is not primarily with a lack of funds for research. We've got money to spend but we haven't got enough ideas on the subject. I wouldn't have written this if I hadn't just spoken with two internationally know medical research men who scoff at the whole idea. They said it was ridiculous to spend money curing something, the cause of which we don't know. . . . This is not meant in derogation of the idea, but it simply is another pathetic mistake of the uplifters.