Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-02
ANTEFEDERAL|SM
| SPIRIT BREAKS OUT
Governors Conference Dele.
gates Resent USurping of
State Functions.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July al
there be any doubt whether the growth
In the power Of the Federal Govern.
Gnent is being viewed complacently by
She severa. Say, 1t has been dispellec
by the Conference of Governors meet
ing here.
Leaving out of the discussion the
political phases of States rights. there
Is here an underlying sentiment. not
only that the Federal Government
meaning in this instance, Congress, is
prurping the functions of the States
but that the interests of the several
States are not properly protected.
Anti-Federal Spirit Expressed.
Gov. Christianson's speech gave
Formal expression to the spirit Of anti
Federalism, but the Minnesota Governor
was not alone in his criticisms of what
were termed the coercive tactics of the
Federal establishment in appropriating
sums that had to be matched by the
States. Several Governors who did not
gay anything in the conference itself
Md talk informally about the difficulty
$f getting even members of Congress
- think in terms of their respective
5tates.
One Governor argued that Senators
Us well as Representatives get the
Federal viewpoint in Washington in
stead of battling for the rights of the
States.
The feeling is perhaps a bit more
Intense this year than usual because of
She Halves Cooper law, which in 1894
IS TO prevent prison-made goods from
being transported in interstate COM
3nerce. and because Of the growing OBJ
geetion to Federal interference with the
right to tax national banks. Both
topics were on the program of the last
two days and provided much food for
discussion. But it is interesting to
note also the reaction which governors
express to the speech Of Gov. Frank c.
Emerson of wyoming, who argued on
the first day for the release by the
Federal Government of public lands to
the several States. Eastern governors,
who ordinarily take little interest in
public land problems, said frankly that
they believed the public lands should
be turned over to the States for devel-
Opment.
Oppose Technical Limitations.
One gets an altogether different i'm
preston of governmental problems by
attending governors conference than
Is likely to be obtained by continued
contact with the Federal Government
in Washington. The States are troubled
by the difficulty of levying and collect
ing taxes to meet increased expenses.
They want technical limitations brushed
aside so that they may develop sys-
TENS Of taxation suited to local needs.
They recognize the need Of budget con-
troll and the tendency Of Legislatures to
look at taxation from the political,
rather than the economic, viewpoint
But. above all. the governors seem to
regard the business of administration
as in inself growing responsibility,
which many of them thought was not
widely appreciated.
Several Of the Governors mentioned
the ore-year and two-year term idea
as destructive of stability and argued
for at least four-year term. Otherwise,
the Governors said. they became con-
stantly absorbed in primary and cleo
Tion campaigns.
The principal comments on all these
questions developed in the informal
talks the Governors had with each
other. The Governors Conference never
aegislates or adopts resolutions on public
questions; 50 the interchange of ideas
and informal parleys are the principal
reasons for the annual meetings.
(Copyright, le3o)