Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-26
ThePOlitical Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

Il
The Importance of the state Of health
OF the House of Representatives from
today until the Congress has met and
the House has organized was empha-
sized last week by the situation brought
about by the sudden death of Repre-
sentative Hale of New Hampshire. The
interval before the meeting Of Congress,
at present a matter Of only "a days
and growing briefer and briefer, docs
not give time in which to bring about
special election to I'LL vacancies. The
death OF Mr.. Hale makes a total of
seven vacancies in the House member
ship today. 1t leaves the number of
Republican members, 2l3; Democratic,
ga. and Farmer-Labor, l. Five of the
vacancies are due to deaths Of Re-
publican members and two to the death
Of Democrats. The law of averages has
made it practically certain that a con-
siderable group of House members
would die between the date Of their
election last November and the as
sembling of the Congress in first regular
session next December T. The Grim
Reaper has been busy in the ranks Of
the Congress and more than a dozen
members-elect of the House have died.
In special elections, q number OF the
no case where special election has
been held, however, hes the result
changed the political line up of the
House as elected last November.
New Jersey is making plans to I'LL
the vacancy caused by the death q
couple Of weeks ago of Representative
Alderman. Alderman Is q Republican,
and his district is strongly Republican.
Just what the New Hampshire Repub-
hcanS can do to expedite the filling Of
the more recently created vacancy in
the Hale District remains to be seen. 1t
was feared at first that a special cleo
ton could not be held until the first Of
the year. Should there be no more
deaths among the House members. and
should the Republicans fill all their
vacancies other than that in New
Hampshire, the score would stand when
the House assemblies 217 Republicans,
ZIG Democrats and l Farmer-Labor. If
all the Republicans stick together ON
matters of organization they probably
would elect Speaker and take charge
of the standing committees with such
lineup, for the Farmer-Labor member,
Kvale of Minnesota. might vote with
them.
Gov Clifford Pinchot of Pennsyl-
vania, speaking before the Mems Club
of the First Congregational Church.
Flushing, Long Island, yesterday took
another crack at President Hoover be-
cause the President has not called
special session of the Congress to
put through legislation for the aid
of the unemployed. Gov. Pinchot wrote
q letter to the President some time
ago urging that something be done
by Congress, some Federal appropri-
ations be made and taxes increased
If necessary, to feed the people who are
out Of work. Gov. Pinchot in his speech
yesterday undertook to show that the
Hoover plan of dealing with the unem-
ployment situation is wrong, that the
better way is to take more money out
of the pockets of the very rich through
Federal taxation and buy food with it
for the men and women in distress.
President Hoover's whole effort has
been to rouse the local communities and
the individuals to the need of taking
care Of the unemployed this coming
Winter, and he has set up a national
committee, headed by Walter Clifford,
president Of the American Telephone d
Telegraph Co., to aid in a national
campaign for this purpose. The Presi-
dent does not believe that the Federal
Government should take over this work
of feeding the unemployed and thereby
establish a Federal dole, with long list
OF unemployed on the role perhaps for
the rest Of their lives.
k& ~
Some Of the Progressive Republicans
Of the West have taken the same view
of the unemployment situation as Gov
Pinchot. Recently when the Governor
was in washington he visited the Sen
ate once Building and discussed the
matter with these ProgreSsives. It has
been limited more than once that Gov.
Pinchot would not be averse to becom-
ing the hope of the Progressives in the
coming contest for the Republican
nomination for President. If the adj
ministration falls down in its efforts to
get the country to do its full duty this
Winter toward aiding the unemployed
there Is an issue ready-nade for Gov.
Pinchot. When he first called for q
Federal appropriation to aid the unen-
ployed, from many sources it was point
ed out TO the Governor that Pennsyl-
vania is one of the wealthieSt States In
the Union and ought to be able to take
care Of its own unemployed.
In his address in New York yesterday
Gov. Pinchot said:
There are. upon the best evidence
can find. seven million unemployed
in the United States Their situation
dangerous that the President of the
United States has been urged from
many directions to call an extra ses-
sion of the Congress to provide for the
Nations proper share in relieving their
necessities. Among others, saw the
need. and 7 did my clear duty in ask
ing for such q session.
mo extra session has been called.
Instead. the National Government has
undertaken, in other and far less eff
fective ways, to secure relief. 1t Is q
task whose enormous magnitude and
critical Importance gives US pause.
yet there Is more than one man in
the United States whose personal wealth
Is so vast that, IL it could be devoted
to unemployment relief, 1t would carry
the whole national load.
Those who advocate only local re-
lief are shouldering enormous RESPONSE
bility, for local relief alone cannot pos
Sibly meet the need.
80 far as 1t draws on contributions
from people of small means, local relief
will help to prolong, not to end. the
depression"
about taking the money from the
wealthy by taxation to meet the needs
of the unemployed, why not put through
legislation in the Pennsylvania Legis-
lature increasing taxes to take care Of
the large number of unemployed in
that state? The States have the power
to levy taxes for such purpose as well
as the Federal Government.
X X
While President Hoover and the
French prime minister NJ. Pierre Laval,
have been discussing international ques-
lions at length in Washington, Senator
Dickinson Of Iowa, Republican, and
Senator Harrison OF MISSISSIPPI, Demo-
craft. have been at it hammer and tongs
out in Iowa over the tariff. Senator