Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-12-22
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WASHINGTON
Especial to the Western News

WASHINGTON, December 14LThere
is something strikingly pitiful in the
ever-increasing and futile advance of
armies on Washington The rank and
file apparently possess a child-like
faith in the omnipotence of congress.
Many congressional relief schemes
have become nightmares to their
authors. The national legislature has
demonstrated that it cannot be has
tened. Just why thousands of simple
folks will endure hardships of pill
grimages merely to personally peti-
ton the senate and house is unanswer-
able. Some tricks are, of course, in
spired by leaders seeking notoriety or
for personal gain. A group of deter
mined farmers are here now and an
other visit of veterans is due soon
And nothing is gained with legisla-
tors wrapped up in their own con-
Germs.
Business organizations are cognizant
that heavier tax burdens are in the
offing. Many leaders feel that the anti
trust laws should be modified so as to
make clear that laws permit agree
ments increasing the possibilities Of
keeping production related to con-
sumption. In other words, business de-
mands chance to combine in certain
instances in order to reach high levels
and as compensation for burden
some federal taxes.
The repeal Of the Eighteenth Amend
ment and tax on beer are two diff
ferent approaches to the prohibition
problem often confused. 1t is relative
ly easy for congress to permit an in
crease in the alcoholic content Of beer
as means Of providing revenue, Re-
peal is more complicated for resolu-
ton to this effect if adopted by con-
gress and approved by the President,
must prescribe the terms of ratification
by the states. Beer by Christina" is a
slogan which will not be fulfilled by
legislative action. Opinion Is that a
beer tax will be legalized within a
few months but repeal must wait the
next session.
The large army Of federal employees
are beginning to feel the pinch Of hard
times. While the rank and file of citi-
zens have sustained tremendous wage
cuts or complete loss of employment
during the last three years the federal
workers have enjoyed relative free
dom from economic changes. Now that
the necessity has arisen for marked
curtailment in government expendi-
41a nY,f ar,,r,1ayrpnc fnnl
that the tide has turned against them.
President Hoover recommended in
creasing the savings in government
payrolls from slightly over per cent
to Is per cent.
Organized federal employees have
for years bulldozed legislative lead
ers through the alleged influence of
their relatives in the home district
The temper of the unemployed mil
lions has been recognized by the con-
Gress so that further reductions in
federal pay are. likely to pass within
a few weeks. The United States civil
service commission has also stirred
a hornets nest with num-
Der of recommendations including a
return to the pay levels of the CLASH
fication Act Of 1923 and a seven day
sick leave instead of the present 30
day limit. The commission has made
other suggestions tightening civil serv-
ice laws, which will run counter to
the federal patronage system and
probably fail of passage. Definite re-
organization Of federal agencies has
also cropped up
Some idea of the stupendous prob
lem involved in the relief for agricul-
ture may be cleaned in statistics re-
Gently collected. American farmers
have mortgages for more than nine
billion dollars, which approaches the
entire bonded Indebtedness of the
railroads. Persons living in towns and
cities do not realize that they will be
directly affected by any form of farm
relief. Almost half of the farm mort
cages now in force were placed in
the four year period from 1918 to
1922, when the values were at peak.
1t is now three times as difficult for
farmers to meet mortgage payments
because farm commodity prices have
dropped more than 70 per cent and
land values shrunk 40 per cent. About
40 per cent Of all farms in this country
are mortgaged. Several plans will be
submitted TO congress ranging from
blanket refunding of all mortgages at
low rates OF interest to refunding OF
delinquent loans Of the federal land
banks. The former extreme could be
put into operation by a tremendous
bond issue; the latter extreme pos
sibly by guaranty of federal land bank
bonds. There is another suggestion,
which congress must consider Great
inpinp what is equivalent to a federal