Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-03-30


stronger banks everywhere. It surely
will have been a blessing even though
It leaves sore spots and heartaches IN
many communities for the time being
as result OF the harshness OF lis
terms.
President Roosevelt's bold action re
speeding the banking situation resulted
in many p er q 8
Move Required overlooking what
Courage am inclined to re-
gard as a move that
required more courage when eonsla-
cred from the political standpoint. He
was able to gain quick and decisive
and almost unanimous action on the
banking legislation because OF the
perilous situation. He had no such
united support when he asked congress
to give him dictatorial powers to cut
government expenses. Especially IS
this true concerning the right he
sought to trim down the payments be-
ing made to former soldiers, sailors
and marines whose compensation was
being given In cases of physical disa'
bility that did not result from actual
service In the fighting lines.
No one knows, nor can anyone tell
how much money Is being paid for dis
ability not connected with the service,
It "a known, however. that the total
payments to veterans exceeds $500.
0o0O. a vast sum even for our rich
country.
There seems to be no enuivocation
about the willingness to pay compen'
sation to veterans who received In
juries In the fighting lines. That Is
undoubtedly their due 1t Is the least
government can do. But where the
CONDENSATION Is being paid for things
that have happened since the war
there surely Is room for doubt. That
Is the type OF payment which the Pres
ident SAYS he Is going to eliminate
Now that congress has put through
the legislation permitting the manu-
facture and sale Of
nrvs Keep In beer with an alco-
Fight on Beer hollc content, some
v- thing near what
beer had before the days of prohlbi.
ton. much speculation fias arisen as
10 how the matter will be viewed by
the Supreme Court Of the United
| States The question surely will get 70
| the Supreme court In rather short or.
der. Prohibitienists are net going to
| be licked without that final test.
In view OF these circumstances, II
NAV be interesting to recall an argu
ment made privately by former Sen
ator John ]. Blaine OF Wisconsin
when he sought to get action on beer
I bill In the last session Of congress be
| fore his term expired. Senator Blaine
took the position that 1t would be nn
| constitutional for congress to pass
beer legislation that would authorize
| the manufacture and sale OF BEEF
| where II contained an alcoholic con
tent In excess OF one-half of per cent
But he contended that II congress en-
acted legislation declaring there wal
no penalty to be used where the alco
holic content was below stated fig
ure, there was nothing which the Su
preme court could hold to be uncon
\ stitutional.
I'm other words, the way he proposet
to, make beer legitimate was by neg
atiye action. Since the Eighteenth
amendment said congress had powe
to pass enforcement statutes, congress
had acted In accordance with TIL
amendment, but 1t had placed the limI
on the punishment. =
There seems every reason to believ
that the law as enacted In the extr
session will stand the constitutions
test
O. 1895. Western Newspaper Union