The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-01-03

was appeased somewhat by an
amendment stating that congress
did not intend thar such severe pen
allies should be imposed for slight
or casual violations.
Then came Herbert Hoover, who,
with Charles Curtis, as vice presi-
dent, was inaugurated as chief ex-
ecutive on Mar.h f.. In a vigorous
inaugural address the new Presi
dent promised that his campaign
pledges would be fulfilled, and
dwelt especially IN the problems OF
law enforcement, farm rellef, ana
the tariff. He announced that the
first of these would be subjected to
a searching Investigation by a ma
tional commission which he would
appoint, and urged congress TO 90
its duty in respect to the others
Mr.. Hoover's cabinet was meade
by Henry L. Stimson as secretary
of state and contained two hold
overs-Secretary Of the Treasury
Mellon and Secretary Of Labor Da-
Wis. The names of Mellon and
Davis were not submitted to the
senate for confirmation, and a little
later the foes of the head of the
treasury tried In vain to inlpeach
his right to hold the portfolio.
Farm Relief and Tariff.
The President called congress to
meet in special session on April 10,
asking that it conine itself to pass
ing bills for the relief of agriculture
and revising the tariff especially
for the benefit of farmers and in
dustries that had not been prosper
Gus. The house in ten days passed
the Haugen farm relief bill and on
May % it gave its approval to the
Hawley tariff measure which re-
vised most of the schedules and
generally increased duties.
In the senate the Republican rad
icals and the Democrats insisted
on putting in the McNary farm re-
lief measure a provision for the de-
benture or export subsidy plan,
though they knew this would not be
accepted by President Hoo~er. In
this shape the bill was passed on
May IA, and for a month the house
and senate c~onferees struggled over
1t, the house finally winning and the
debenture scheme being eliminated.
Mr.. Hoover signed the measure on
June 10, and soon after named the
members of the federal farm board
authorized by the act. Alexander
Legge of Chicago, president of the
International Harvester company,
was appointed chairman, and the
board proceeded to promote the for
nation of farmers cO-operatives,
which would be aided with loans
from a revolving fund of $150,00O,-
600 that had been voted by congress.
This work continued throughout
the year, meeting with general ap-
prevail.
With the question of tariff revi-
sion the senators got tangled up In
a fight that seemed interminable. A
coalition of Democrats and radical
Republicans was formed that sue
ceeded in tearing to pieces the bill
reported by the senate committee
which resembled that passed by the
house. The anomalous majority
%professed to be acting for the farm
ers, and even inserted in the tariff
measure the export debenture plan.
The rewriting of the bill could not
be completed before Thanksgiving,
and so was passed on to the reg
ular session that opened on Deem
Der 2.
In their spare time during the
autumn the senators investigated
the activities of lobbyists, especially
those concerned with tariff rates,
and from some witnesses, notably
Joseph Grundy of Pennsylvania,
they heard comments on them and
their doings that were not pleas
President Hoover on May 20 ap-
pointed his commission on law en-
forcement. consisting Of eleven emf
nent men and women with Geroge
w. Wickersham as chairman. 1t
was understood this commission
would take several years for it's
Investigation, making Recommended
tions from time to time.
Stock Market Collapse.
The great debacle mentioned in
the Introductory paragraphs came
In late October and continued 0
two weeks. 1t was the elimination
Of many months Of frenzied gam
bling by amateur spectators in a
sensational rising market. Prices
fell rapidly and paper profits OF
about seventy billion dollars van
The government could do
nothing to check the collapse, but
when normal levels had been
reached President Hoover came for
ward with a program for the staDll-
of business and industry and
The continuation Of prosperity the
country had been enjoying. He
groups of leaders in all lines
to conference in Washington and
received from them assurances that
-hey and their organizations would
cooperate with his plans. AT a
final meeting of big industrialists
and fnanciers a permanent commit
tee was named to watch out for
weak spots in business and apply
remedies.
In his message read to the first
session of the Seventy-hrst
congress the President expressed
the confidence that the measures
taken had re-established confidence
and that a very large degree OF I'M
employment had been prevented. lie
recommended increased eXpendi-
lures for waterways, buildings, and
other public works, and asked con-