Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-05-13
A Hollow Mockery.

A Hollow Mockery.
Democratic members Of this Congress at
the beginning Of the session expressed
willingness to cooperate with the Hoover
Administration in any or all measures
proposed by the latter In which their judg-
ment appeared to be potentially effective
In relieving depression conditions and en-
ablins the Federal Government to meet its
obligations and maintain its financial in
teerity. In numerous instances this coop
Grafton has been freely given in a non-
partisan spirit. only to result In Admins
uation spokesmen claiming the entire
credit for the Administration.
On the other hand, when the sales tax
feature Of the Revenue bill. as reported
cot unanimously by the House Ways and
Means Committee, was killed. Mr.. Hoover
himself was reported by highly repata-
bic citizen, coming direct from q visit to
the Executive at the White House. as
referring to the sales tax as Democratic
measure.
This reported and undenied statement
Of the President wee made In the face OF
the fact that Republican members Of the
Ways and Means Committee had COOP
Grated with the Democratic majority In
making the sales tar an outstanding fea-
turs Of the bin with the belief that they
were rendering apatriotic service by aiding
tho Government to balance lie budget. It
also ignored the facts that when the bill
reached the House. Democrats and Repub-
leans alike were widely divided on the
sales tax. and that the successful revolt
against Il was led BY an insureent Repub-
ican-
II the Democratic floor leader Rainey
found his ranks badly broken. Republican
hoos leader Smell found his followers-at
one time thought to b overwhelmingly in
favor Of the bill-in state Of wild Insur-
rectlOn akainst L.
The Democratic House found II even more
difhcult to Get any effective cooperation
Gfom the Administration In ice efforts to
enact an economy bill. The President
Insisted upon his demand that he should
Be given the power to reorsanize the
Executive Departments and coordinate the
various overlapping bureaus. and was
given his own way In part: that is. his
acts were to be subject to the approval Of
the Congress.
The House Committee on Economy had a
plan Of drastic retrenchment In the various
departments and the President had his,
and he insisted upon il. with the result
that bill was reported designed to cut
down expenses more than $500. 100000
Because Of the insistence OF the Admins
tfation. the plan Of the Executive and the
plan Of the Committee were incorporated
In an Omnibus bill. ssainst the protest OF
the Chairman Of the House Economy Com
mittee. As result Of including many
controversial matters In the bill opposition
was provoked which eliminated or changed
90 many items that the bill as passed by
the House provided for reductions Of only
$4,000. 900. Il was denounced by Chair
man McDuffie as "a hollow mockery,
sham and farce"
Chairman McDufie puts the blame for
the failure Of the Economy bill squarely
upon the President and Secretary Mills of
the Treasury Department. Naturally the
bureaucratic 10 and out Of the departments
resisted every attempt to curtail activities
Or otherwise reduce expenditures. and this
opposition was supplemented by propa-
eanda pressure from many sections Of the
country. All Of which indicates how firmly
the Federal bureaucracy is intrenched and
how desperately il will fight to retain its
hold upon the Federal revenues. II also
indicates In some measure the extent TO
which the people themselves are unwilling
TO make sacrifices through the postpone
msnt Of Federal projects In their various
localities even In crisis
Perhaps 10 no greater respect has the
Administration shown lie failure to CO.
operate with the Congress- than In the So
called economy blu which was wrecked by
Ice lnsistence to over load Il with its own
proposals..
Not only that. but the President had
been quick to take . partizan advantage
Of the failure Of the bill la the house by
attempting. 90 usual. to put the entire
blame upon that body.
Whatever criticism may fairly be made
Of Congress In connection with panic relief
legislation. Il must be admitted that their
were extenuatins circumstances in the
facts that tho deficit 10 a Hoover deficit.
and that president Hoover waited two
and half years before taking any steps
fos retrenchmcnt. Even then the task Of
evolving . plan fell In major part upon
Congress-. because most Of the suggestions
that came from the executive were neither
definite. comprehensive nor convincing.