Evening star., 1932-02-25

Bipartisan defeat Of the La Toilette
Costigan bill for the making OF q
Federal foundation for unemployment
relief is commended by the public in
discussion of the action in Congress.
1t is pointed out that the Federal
Treasury would be subjected to q Sc
we're strain, that the dole" has been
disastrous in other countries and that
State and city relief produces more
satisfactory results. 1t is further sug-
gested that the money for this purpose
would come from taxation Of the same
States that received the relief money.
Action by Congress, in the opinion
of the Charleston (W. Va) Daily Mail,
should prove an effective check to
dole advocates" and that paper finds
IAN encouraging feature Of the vote"
in "the way party lines were broken" J"
The Daily Mail holds that private
charity seems amply able to take care
of the need until economic readjust-
ment brings relief" The Richmond
News Leader sees the defeat of the bill
as "a cause for national congratula
tion," with the belief that 'it would
have set up new organized minority,
which would have clamored for larger
and larger sums, until the Federal
Government was committed to an ex-
travagant system OF unemployment in
Surance"
Even were the conditions as bad as
painted, that fact would not alter the
principles of local responsibility and
mutual self-help," says the San An
tonic Express, with the conclusion that
certainly it is preferable that those
who can should give directly and vol
UNFAIRLY. rather than indirectly by com.
pulsion" The indianapolis News offers
the appraisal: The bipartisan group
which turned back the Treasury raiders
has rendered a public service of far
reaching Importance and strengthened
the growing feeling that this is one
of the ablest Congresses in the history
of the country"
X
Stripped of its rosy clouds, this gift
appears to be tax money which the
Federal Treasury would have to extract
from the people of the same States, >
thinks the Scn Francisco Chronicle,
with the further assumption that ''the
States with the greatest relief problems
would Contribute more than they would
get back, and the States with the least
unemployment would get more than
they would contribute"
Observing that administration Re-
publicans and conservative Democrats
were acting together" the Cincinnati
TimeS-Star makes the comment: This
is not a denial of aid, but in effect an
Endorsement of the declaration of Sena-
tor Reed that Federal aid is extremely
unwise, the most wasteful and inef1-
cient means possible Britains disas-
trous experience with the dole and its
dramatic about-face last year when it
saw the abyss ahead was probably a
more telling argument than any ad-
vanced in the long debate. According
TO accepted American theory, relief Is.
first of all, the function of relatives and
neighbors, then of the community, then
of the State. To shoulder it on the
National Government Is to do 1t badly,
to open the way to multiplied abuses
and to make the system hang on like
milestone after the need has passed"
The unfortunate effects OF anything
in the shape of a dole would seem to
be sufficiently apparent In the expert
ences of some of the other nations"
declares the Port Huron Times Her
aid. while the Lowell Evening Leader
warns that "once such a measure was
adopted, a precedent would be eStab-
lished which would surely lead to heavy
raids on the Treasury, for which the
public would pay dearly" The Lincoln
State Journal comments: THE Gov
ernment is now casting about for
billion and a quarter in additional rev.
enue in order to balance the Nations
budget. 1t has already been obligated
to the extent of two billions in an ef-
fort to stimulate business. Uncle Sam,
short of money as he is cuts a poor
figure as money lender"
X X X
Even il 1t we're desirable to start
the dole when experience has shown
it to be demoralizing," says the Duluth
Herald, the amount proposed was a
bitter joke. Treating Nationwide un-