Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-15
Relief-for the Whole People.

Relief-for the Whole People.
Every effort must be made by the
leaders of Congress to expedite final
enactment of the So-called reconstruc-
ton bill This measure is expected TO
be passed by the House today. But as
1t differs from the bill passed by the
Senate it will. in all probability. have
10 go to conference Both houses are
represented as being insistent upon the
amendments that each has added. And
after Congress completes its work the
President must make the appointments
to the Board of Directors of the Re
construction Finance Corporation, en-
abling it to get to work
No effort should be spared to cut
the corners and put the bill in final
shape Congress has been in session
six weeks. Nearly two weeks Of that
period were lost with the Christmas
holidays. And if there has been even
relative speed so far in handling this
bill, the actual time spent on it must
be considered in relation to the fol-
lowing descriptions of the emergency
quoted from the Senate Committee on
Banking and Currency report on Janu-
airy 6;
Unless vigorous financial support can
be promptly rendered the inevitable
consequences must be increased diff
culties for every branch of business.
the country is eager
for the prompt enactment of a meas
ure guaranteeing Government support,
su~h as is provided by this bill
That this step should be taken with
O minimum of delay is the unanimous
opinion. Moreover. if the machinery
provided by the bill cannot be set in
motion without loss of time. the OPP
pOrtunity for good which might other
wise be accomplished will inevitably
be sacrificed and the aid when offered
or made available may come too late.
During the debate on the bill in the
House it has been pointed out that
speed in enactment of the measure is
of the utmost importance. Represent
alive Underhill of Massachusetts, went
so far as to express the belief that "if
we had realized the seriousness of the
situation soon after we convened and
had shortened our Christmas vacation,
irrespective of what was done before,
relief, I do not believe that the Satur-
day before the new year % banks would
have gone out in North Carolina and,
I think, an equal number in South
AS 1 said, I do not offer this as criti-
cism. We could not anticipate how
serious the situation was"
Yet there has been delay already and
more delay is threatened in the eventual
process of substituting the Senate bill
for the House bill, or vice versa, or
ironing out their differences in con-
ference
Such delays as have been encoun-
tered and are threatened are not due
to natural doubt that might arise as
TO the efficacy Of the measure itself.
There are few such doubts on any
body's part. The trouble is in the at
tempts, against which the House was
warned so well by Mr.. Luce of Massachu-
sets, of attempting to make the bill
ar omnibus measure of relief for the
benefit of particular interests, classes
and regions The farmers have sue
ceeded. as usual, in getting a front
seat The cities. or one Of them, has
been defeated in their attempt to get
on the band wagon. So far the House
has made a good record in getting rid
of a number of proposals that would
clutter up the bill with amendments,
making it more than difficult to ad-
minister. The demand of the coun-
try now is that the House continue
this good record, under the leadership
of able men, and that the conferees
in House and Senate strive to strip
the bill clean of amendments that will
in any degree impair it's usefulness or
slow UP the process Of its administra-
ton.
It must be remembered that Congress
Is dealing with an emergency. The
thing We are doing now is TO tell the
people of the United States that its
Government is going to save them
said Mr. Luce. The bill is not for the
relief of the bankers. the railroads, or
the farmers-aS such. 1t is not for the
specific relief of that list enumerated
by Mr. Tucker Of Virginia farmers
laborers, merchants, doctors or law
yers." but, as he declared, it is for the
relief "of the whole people Of the United
States The bill is not a pork barre
an disguise 1t is not measure to In
fate the currency or to initiate values
but is designed to apply emergent rem,
edies in a period of dangerous defiation
1t sets up machinery that can work a
Cop speed, unincumbered by red tape
for direct aid for vast and valuable en-
terprises that must be saved. 1t is no
designed to repair damage already done
but to prevent future damage nov
threatened.
This is an emergency. The bill is al
emergent measure. Emergent step
must be taken to enact it without NOR
loss Of time.
Army-Nayy Foot Ball.