The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-02-16
National Topics Interpreted
by William Bruckatt


istics Of the New Deal which Presi-
dent Roosevelt IL
Dre0ns giving us is
Becomes Reality a. queer a,.a ad,n,ztg spe
the long-range developments along
with quick action for. as well as un-
der the guise Of, emergency problems.
None can say that he has failed to be
quick on the trigger when 1t came to
taking some kind Of action when emer-
gencies had to be solved, whether one
agrees with them or not, but coupled
with this haste he has been moving in
the direction of long-range planning
with celebrity that Is, to say the
least, unusual in government.
Some months ago, l wrote of the
possibilities of the transfer of human
beings, like SO many cattle or chat
tells, into new spheres of activity, into
new locale, into places where some
of them have chance for an even
break in the battle for subsistence.
At that time. I believed the idea, ad-
vanced to me by some of the Presi-
dents advisers, was largely dream.
But it has gone past that stage and is
about to become reality.
Harry Hopkins who started out to
be administrator Of the governments
job of extending relief to the destitute
and who since has become one Of the
Presidents right-hand men, IS now Sc
riously planning rehabilitation move
ment Of the very kind that, as said,
was only a dream six months ago.
Hundreds Of thousands of individual
families are involved Their future is
all bound up in the scientific planning
or the within, whichever you choose
to call 1t, of those social engineers Of
the New Deal. It is experimental, ad-
mittedly, but those who are working
out the plan claim 1t can be carried
out successfully. With Mr.. Hopkins
are Rexford Tugwell. assistant secre-
tary Of agriculture and one of the pro-
fessors of the New Deal; Mordecai
Ezekiel. also of the Department of
Agriculture and also one Of the pro-
fessors; Dale K. Parrot and Conrad
H. Wirtk, of the Interior department,
and Jacob Baker, of the Civil Works
administration. Their plans will be
completed within another month.
Summarized the program contem-
plates the physical transfer Of thou
sands upon thousands Of men and
their families from cities and indus
trial areas or from farming commu-
mites where the land has been worked
to death, to areas where the people
have a chance to produce their own
living instead of being. as they now
are, on roles Of charitable or govern
ment relief organizations. This trans
planting seems to have two purposes:
First, 1t will provide those people who
are moved with better living condi-
lions and fresh start and, second, 1t
will relieve the crowded conditions
and the demand for jobs in the places
from which they are moved.
"We have large numbers Of families
whose economic future is so discour-
aging that 1t seems entirely improb-
able that they will ever again be ac-
commodated in industry, or particu-
.larly in the industry where they once
had jobs" said Mr.. Hopkins. 'They
are in industries that have been
worked out, such as in the steel cen
tiers to some extent, in copper areas
and in farming country that is no long
err productive and where no one can
make living out of it.
"As to submarginal lands, in con-
tradistinction to timber land, we find
families living on such lands and the
government cannot go in and simply
purchase the lands and have those
families move on and go places. They
must have some place to 60. So that
the plan is not only for those in CEN
tiers where industry cannot help them
but for those on submarginal land who
are in the same kind Of economic stag
nation. This plan gets into the gov
ernment's long-range program and into
some Of the first steps that are neces-
sary to work out that program. We
are SOluS " thys thSAO " w ee-.eS
those first steps in the interest OF
those needy people involved and in
the interests of national economy
at the same time"
Thus the picture is unfolded of a
general program that, carried to the
ultimate, means the
ReD1oke herding of the popu-
cur No. lation into the vari
Gus sections Of the
country or cities as the planners in
Washington deem wise. 1t is pro-
gram that is designed to remake the
social map of the nation. Those who
sponsor 1t go into ecstasy In discuss
ing the beauties of the dream and the
ideals which are sought to obtain.
They depict for the transferred popu-
lace one permanent JOY Of living, or as
nearly such as may be expected on
earth, and in listening to their expo
eition OF the plans. one will feel the