The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-08-17

for Recovery force sa ,nal u, 4sa 0s sap.
eral schemes to awaken the nation ana
get business going again. 1t is as
though the war engines OF a powerful
foreign enemy were pounding at the
Notifications marking the threshold Oh
our country which. indeed. Is true, e1-
cept that the enemy, depression Is
and has been among us through almost
four years. | think | can say without
fear of successful contradiction that
governmental activity Is as feyerish.
as wildly unsystematlcs II you please.
as any we observed during The trying
days of the great World war. Though
1t Is along different lines, the activity
Is none the less as direct and as posi-
tive, and In some respects as mllitaris-
tic.
In such an analogy as this. 1t should
be stated that the federal forces are
now being subjected to more severe
influence throughout the land than
they faced during the preparation tor
and prosecution of the World war.
Then, there was physical fear which
could be held up before the people as
a reason for united action. That
threat cannot be employed now. In
Its absence the government Is unable
to overcome the innate selfishness that
must be largely overcome to make the
general recovery program success.
In the beginning OF the World war.
it was necessary to strike quickly and
hard at the enemy military plans. In
the current campaign, it Is necessary
to strike quickly and hard or else some
business interests will wait to see how
the picture Is going to look In order
to gain some advantage for themselves
Thus, the campaign Is at least partial
lY spoiled The reason for the thun-
derous drive. the mental and mus
Gle strain OF these days becomes APP
parent. If The objections of those who
are hesitant about signing are broadly
heard, others who had wanted TO con-
form get suspicious about the conces.
sInns they have made and begin to
shy away.
Therefore. throughout the govern
ment one finds today weary-eyed exec
utiyes, tired clerks near exhaustion
from the endless hours Of labor. Fol
example, In the agricultural adjust
ment administration and In the ma
tinn recovery administration clerk
are working In three shifts. and tn
executives may be found In their of
fees anywhere from sun-up until loni
after the following midnight. Wheth
err you are completely convinced of th'
efficacy of the various plans and pro
grams, or whether you just hope the.
may be successful, your admiration
and respect for those who are trying
to construct this new machinery Ger
tainly Is warranted.
AS sample Of the driving fore
that has been exerted and Is bein
exerted every day
President greater or less es
Saves the Day tent was 'he sol,
ton of the wrangl
presented In the Pennsylvania strik
situation. That was not an ordinar
strike. Its portents were NATIONWIDE
1t involved questions the answers
which meant the making or the breal
Ing of the basic recovery principles.
In the first Instance. the most pos
erful corporate unit In the world-tf
United States Steel corporation-w
the governments adversary. say Il
governments adversary because unle
the recovery administration was alb
to reconcile the differences betwe,
the corporation and the union worker
the program Of blanket codes al
group codes and everything else W
imperiled. Gen. Hugh s. Johnson. I
covery administrator, could not get t
warning groups together. He W
ready to throw up the sponge. Il
he had one more trick In the bag a
that was to call for help from t
President of the United States. Son
how, that trick worked Whether t
merits Of the case were with the C
poration or whether they we're w
the government, the power of the &,
eminent was and had to be supreI
In the emergency.
While observers here are not
clined to defend the steel corporate
fully for taking the position 1t did,
can be said with equnl force that IN
Of them believe there was real dam
of infringement Of private prope
rights. In this sense. therefore,
corporation was within it's rights
resisting. When 1t yielded, 1t appef
1t yielded not to the labor uni
which had stirred up the trouble,
to the sovereignty Of government.
The basic controversy involved
the steel corporation case was
question OF so1called company unit
Labor leaders. the professionals, |
urally want to have all workers in
national. organizations. Otherwise,
strike as a weapon Is Ineffective.
ing quick to see vulnerable spot,
bor took advantage OF the situation
lick the steel corporation which h
tofore has permitted Its employees
holorr only to company unions