The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-01-03
PSYCHOLOGY UP TO DATE


An interesting debate took place in the senate on
December Ia on the joint resolution which return
ed $16O,OOO,OOO in tax refunds to the pockets OF
giant corporations and milionaires but which did
not relieve by one iota the unemployment among
the millions of wage earners of this country.
Andrew Mellon, secretary of the treasury declar-
ed that the tax refund would have a wholesome
psychological effect on business but Senator Couz-
ems of Michigan, also republican, did not think
so. The Senator said: when it comes to ques-
ton of psychology must abandon economies
especially when the powers that be want us to en-
phasize psychology rather than economics. To have
appropriated this $160,000O0O to help out unem-
poyment would have been unsound, paternalistlc
and insane in the minds of these powers that be;
and yet l want to point out, l am Informed from
reliable sources that within two weeks unemploy-
ment jumped up from 100000 to over 100000
men. think should be wholly unjustified in OPP
posing this joint resolution if there is consider
able public opinion that the passage of the joint
resolution would aid in getting some of these more
than three million men back to work"
Couzens agreed with Senators LaFollette, Fra
zier and others that not penny of this tax re-
fund would be used to relieve unemployment but
would be kept in the Golfers of the milonaires as
insurance against the "rainy days" they expect in
the future despite the Hoover balyhoo about pros
perity in the year 1880.
Later on, in reply to statement by Senator
Wagner of New York who claimed some credit for
calling attention to the unemployment problem
with view to having congress do something to al
leviate it, Couzens said:
'T acknowledge the efforts of the senator from
New York and agree with his proposal; but again
point out one of the reasons why these things get
in &c
we try 10 do anything of this character it is cali
ed interference with business; it is said that it is
unsound economically; that government should
keep its hands out of business and that it is pa
ternalistic. Socialism, Bolshevism and everything
else is attributed to anyone who has any instinct
in government to do anything for those who are
under-privileged and are less able to take care of
themselves"
Whenever a capitalist government, with view
to perpetuatng itself in power, makes gesture
of helping the workers and farmers with an eye
TO the next election, the big capitalists boot paer
nalism and socialism, just as they claimed that pa
triotism was not purchaseable commodity when
the veterans of Wall Streets war were demanding
bonus after the great tragedy Now
they are undermining farm relief which the Hoov-
er administration was compelled to put thru fear
ing revolt of the agricultural population. Evi.
IDENTIFY, increasing the purchasing power of the
masses has bad psychological effect on business
but putting money in the Golfers of millionaires,
who with their wives and affinities will spend it at
Monte Carlo or on the Riviera, is horse of an
other psychological color.
Those who understand the class basis of the cap
italist system Of society and who know that this
government functions in the interests of big bust
ness will not be surprised to this administers
ton giving TO those who have and taking from
those that have not And as long as the worker
and farmers allow capitalist politicians 10 run the
government for them they cannot and do not de
serve any better treatment.