Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-06-08
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY CONG. JOHN PAUL KvALE

written. What would by all normal odds
hold Congress here for weeks is to
be crowded, if leaders succeed in their
determined plans, into the remaining
week of sessions, and what has to be
dropped by the wayside for lack OF
time or opportunity will apparently
be abandoned altogether or else post
pOned until next session.
The reason for this overpOwering
urge on the part of the administra-
tion leaders, egged on by the White
House and its influential party adj
visors, are easy to understand, even
though they have not been referred TO
publicly to any extent. The approach
ing economic conference in London
has been openly limited at as the chief
and perhaps the only reason, and the
explanation offered is that the Sem
ators, chided and goaded into OBJ
,Servations regarding tariffs, trade re-
lations, financial and economic diff
culties of International scope, would
embarrass the Presidents represent
atives at that London meeting of ma
tions. Another, not openly mentioned,
is the strong possibility that the in
ternational debts maturing on the fiji
teenth of this month. or payments on
such debts, will be in default and
that if Congress were here to express
itself or to be consulted officially re-
garding its constitutional responsible
ties for such agreements or arrange
ments, even more serious embarrass-
ment would follow.
But il is the deliberate opinion of
the writer, thoughtfully stated. that
the same elements which have for
years led the propaganda and the
campaign to discredit Congress, and
who naturally WELD such far greater
influence upon the White House and
the executive departments subservient
to it when the legislative body is not
at its post of duty-those same ele-
ments have led the present campaign
which is apparently to be successful,
and which will result in the absence
from the Capitol by Congress at the
very time when its presence is most
greatly needed.
That would be easier for the men,
If it were not for the fact that events
have moved so swiftly and on such a
tremendous scale during the session
which is nearing a close, that most of
them, particularly the recently-elected
ones, cannot at all be blamed for fail
ing to follow or digest the program
they have been responsible for enact
ing.
Practically without exception, the
great and far-reaching bills they have
written into law are completely per-
missive and optional in the character
of the authority they confer upon the
President. Members have been lulled
into false security by the hope that
these powers would be applied to the
fullest, and would be cO-ordinated so
as together to achieve the restoration
and the recovery that citizens every
where are so desperately awaiting.
Were Congress here on the job, it
could have something to say and do
if those hopes were not realized with
in a reasonable time.
With Congress gone, however, the
picture is so different. All the power
full and thoroughly organized groups
affected by the drastic legislation will
have their representatives and adj
visors here. Already the pressure
for modification of plans and for slow
ing the pace of the authorized actions
is well recognized. And only in the
event of major catastrophe or an
emergency of the most acute nature
will the President recall the Congress
for another special session before it
is to meet in January of the new year
under operation of the recently added
lame duck amendment to our Consti-
tuition. Those are thoughts uppermost
here in many serious minds, and the
predictions of another special session
in the fall came from surprisingly re-
liable and conservative sources.
They point to the hastily drawn
bills which are now law, and several
of which have already shown the i'm
mediate need of major amendments
before they can be considered work
able. They point to the need for an
early rest, especially on the part of
the membership which has been sub
jected to this unprecedented strain
since meeting in December last year,
but add that that could be accom-
plished by a recess which could ter
inmate in September or October, UNI
less an emergency might arise in the
meantime. Apparently they are in
the minority, though, and the plans
for adjournment are being rushed for
ward.
Resentment against operation of the
economy act upon veterans and their
dependents reached it's climax in the
Senate late in the week with a stag
gering assault upon the independent
offices appropriation bill which car
ries the funds for the veterans adj
ministration. The injustice and the
tragic workings of the measure have
been given the thorough airing that
was denied in the House because of
the gag rule that was described in
this letter three weeks ago, with the
result that the bill is being drastically
amended.