Evening star., 1933-05-19
INDUSTRIAL BILL |
LIMITED BY T|ME|
Held Reassuring Answer. to
Those Fearing Funda-
mental Change.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Inc HQuStIldl COlltTOl Dlll lhlu Uc-
fore Congress by President Roosevelt
those who fear that some kind of fun
damental change is taking place in the
American system of government and So
cial organization. 1t is fact that the
powers over business conferred by this
bill on President Roosevelt and his ap-
pointees are extremely far-reaching.
The reassuring point however, in the
industrial control bill Is the time
limit in section C..
It reads: This Tact ] and
any agencies established hereunder shall
cease to exist two years after
the date of enactment or
sooner If the President shall by procla-
nation declare that the emergency
has ended" This time limit
is q reassuring answer to those who
fear fundamental and permanent
change
Assume that enactment now under
way in Congress will be completed June
l. Then look forward two years to
June l, 1885. and the apprehensive
will find cause for comfort. On June l,
1895, the law will end automatically.
Continuance Of it after that date can
only come about through re-enactment
by Congress. There is a wide differ
ence between enacting bill with llml-
tation of time as set forth in Mr.
Roosevelt's draft and one without limi-
tation.
No Permanent Change Sought.
The Limitation of time in Mr.. Roose-
velt's bill is evidence that he regards
it as an emergency measure only and
does not wish it to be a permanent
change in the American system. ThlS
evidence is borne out by knowledge OF
the way this measure developed. some
of Mr.. Roosevelts advisers and small
minority of his cabinet believe in ana
wish for permanent Government con-
troll of industry, and even further 1nno-
vation in the direction OF collectlVlsm.
AS for the President himself. the evi-
dence Is overwhelming that he does not
lean that way.
There is further Importance in the
date, approximately June l, 1885, When
this bill comes automatically to an
end. On that date Congress will not
be in session, unless Mr. Roosevelt
shall have called it into special SEE
sion, which is not likely. Furthermore,
the Congress of that time will be a
new body. There will have been in
the meantime congressional campaign
and election of new Congress IN NO
vember. 1884. In this 1894 congress
sional campaign, If an issue shall have
arisen between individualism and col
lectivism springing from this and sim
liar measures, the issue presumably VIII
be fought out. Yet further, when this
bill comes to an end, we shall be
fairly close to the presidential election
of 1885. and again, If there Is difference
of opinion about the centralization OF
l.1tv, fnd
made an issue.
Aside from these political aspects OF
the two years duration of the indus
trial control" bill, much water will have
gone over the dam in economic re-
spects. The universal hope and very
general expectation Is that we shall
be far on the way into new cycle
of prosperity. That hope, presumably,
is held by Mr.. Roosevelt even more
than by the rest of us. 1t Is lair
inference that politically and in every
way he will not wish or June l, 1885,
to ask renewal Of this bill. His much
stronger wish will be to have exercised
in advance of that time the option
given him in the bill, by proclama-
ton to declare that the emergency has
ended" To proclaim that bad times
are ended and with them Government
what Mr. Roosevelt will prefer.
Measure Goes Far.
So much about possible permanence
of the measure Aside from that 1t goes
very far indeed The power given the
President and his appointees, to exer-
else if they choose, is as broad as pos
sible. To trade associations In every
industry, the government says, IN erect,
You have long wanted to fix prices
and otherwise be a monopoly, but you
have feared the antitrust law. very
we'll we now not only permit you but
command you to be a monopoly. We
suspend the antitrust acts. But
and this is a very big but-"in return
for this privilege you must submit TO
Government control of your prices, the
wages you pay, your hours OF work, the
quantity of your production Inc
Government then goes further, saying
IF any one corporation, firm or indi-
vidual in your industry cuts prices, or
otherwise departs from the practices
prescribed for the industry as a whole,
we will fine him and take away MS
license" In other words, the little
independent" formerly the pet OF the
ticians now becomes for two years an
outlaw, while big business becomes
the laws pet.
Broadly speaking, the law includes a
may" and a must" Which will be
most emphasized depends much on the
administration of the law. Business
men as a whole see the may" as more
| important Most of them want the
law, and their representatives have CO.
operated in writing it. They fear that
with factory capacity far in excess OF
present consumption, there may be
cutthroat competition. Escape from
this is what they welcome in the bill
Some among them think they are ex-
changing their birthright of liberty for
a mess of pottage in the form Of Sc
curity against temporarily excessive