Evening star., 1933-04-10
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

The Roosevelt administration, having
undertaken to balance the Government
budget by cutting expenditures, mus
people to work. Up to date-outside oi
the forestry and food control camps
proposed-the steps taken by the
administration have been in the direc-
ton of throwing people out Of work
Unless something else, some measures
to put people back to work follow, II
will be just too bad The manufac-
turers and producers generally in this
country have had to slow down or quit
because not enough people could buy
their products. too many men ane
women unemployed The huge cut.
in Government expenditures-particu
larly as they apply to persons employed
by the Government-are going te
reduce the buying power of the people
by $106,000.00 through reductions ir
Government pay this year-pay which
already had been reduced $84 ZOO ,00(
under the old furlough system. nov
abandoned, below the basic pay of Gov
pay cuts, thousands of Government
employees are to be entirely separated
from the service Under these condi-
tions, unless a lot of people are put tc
work In private industries who are nov
out of work, the manufacturers anc
farmers are to fnd their markets still
more restricted the coming year thar
they were last year.
y r X
II reports are correct. the admins
tration will soon come forward with 6
huge public works program, variousl,
estimated ut costing from 81 900 900 ,00(
to $5,00o, ,0o0, 600. Though these ex'
penditures by the Government, worl
will be given to Thousands and buyini
stimulated again, both by the Govern
ment and by individual citizens. II
order not to upset the balance o
Government receipts and Government
expenditures, for ordinary Government
services, bonds are to be issued. These
bonds will necessarily bear interest
Also some day they must be paid. Botf
the interest and the principle IN th'
end will have to come out OF TIT
American people. Prospects OF TAI
reduction, under these circumstances
do not appear to be bright. Indeed
there is talk now about an increase II
Federal taxation-with special take.
levied to take care of the bonds issuee
for public worl construction.
t'H
Public works under the Hoover ad-
ministration were greatly extended sc
as to give more employment through
the Government-they were expanded
to the tune of hundreds of millions oi
dollars. But these expenditures die
not suffice to turn the tide Of depres-
sion. Whether the larger program now
it is said, soon to b. proposed will bt
really effective is only guess. The
trouble about such program is that
1t Is not really needed; that is. it il
not really needed in itself And fur
ther, the people must be taxed to pay
for these public works, in which they
have no personal interest. Men ano
women will work their backs weary tc
pay for homes or to amass savings
which become their own. They are not
so anxious, however. to work themselves
down to pay for public works. That i,
human nature.
~
So the Roosevelt administration
having cut to the bone-is now faceC
by the most difficult problem Of all, the
problem of building up. It has q farm
program in the works now, and II the
farm bill really operates efficiently il
will curtail production and increase
prices to the farmers. It Is planning
to reduce interest charges and, to some
degree, principal on farm mortgages
and small home mortgages.
:: =
The bright shining spot in the pic
ture to date, from the standpoint o1
employment and of Government reve-
nue.. is the legalization of beer. The
new law, advocated and approved by
President Roosevelt, permitting the
manufacture and sale of 3.2 per cent
beer, shows signs of leading the way
toward resuscitation Of business. Al
last the American people have found
one commodity for which the demand
exceeds the supply-beer. It may take
months to bring the supply Of Amer
lean beer up to the demand for that
thirst-quenching article. The money
expended for beer, 1t Is true. might &c
into the purchase Of other commodities
and the expansion Of the beer trade
may hit the-shall we say-softer
drinks trade. ice cream trade. etc. How
ever. the legalication of beer is un-
doubtedly giving work to people who
have been unemployed and Is produc-
ing new revenue for the Government
which certainly needs revenue.
Michigan. by its newly elected con.
stitutional convention, will be the first
State to ratify the proposed amendment
to the Constitution repeating the ma.
tional prohibition amendment. The
opponents Of prohibition elected 90 oi
the 100 members Of the convention. The
State convention meets today-the first
Of its kind since the adoption Of the
Constitution itself, for all the rest OF
the constitutional amendments have
been submitted to the State Legisla-
lures for ratification. Wisconsin holds
1t convention April IS. and all the dele
gates to that convention are vets. Next
month Rhode Island. New Jersey. wy
oming and New York all elect their dele
gates to these constitutional conven-
tions. There seems little for the drya
to hope for In any Of these four States
When Indiana, which for years was
banner dry State, holds its election
Of delegates on June 6, there will be
real showdown. But the Hoosier State
Is expected to fall In line for repeal
despite the desperate effort the drys will
make to hold It for national prohibition
Twenty-eight States have by leais-
lative enactment already provided for
the election OF delegates to State con-
stttutlonal conventions. In PennSyl-
vania . veto Of the bill passed by the
Keystone State Legislature providing for
the convention there Is expected to
be considered this week The bill
passed the Pennsylvania House by an
even two-thirds vote and the Senate by
four more than two-thirds. II Gov. Pin
chot's veto Is overriden by the Legis-
lature-with two-thirds Of both houses
voting for the bill again-it will be the
first time In 40 years that . Pennsyl-
vania Governors veto Of 4 bill has been
made futile.
What Is the Roosevelt administration
going to do about the career men" who
hold posts as Ambassadors and Minis
ters In the foreign service of the United
6tates7 That Is matter which is agi-
tating the career men themselves and
also the National Civil Service Reform
League, which has sent letter to Pres
ident Roosevelt urging that he retain
In fNroirv aArv{ro thA~~ naraar