The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-06-29
National Topics Interpreted

Neutrality-suspicious. to and since adj
Journment of the second session of
the Roosevelt con-
Where Is NeID gress, I have tried
Deal Headed? to collect for these
columns compOs-
lite picture of opinion among our law
makers as to where this New Deal In
government is headed. Oftimes have
reported here that 1 was unable to
comprehend many phases Of the New
Deal because there has been so much
confusion. 1t has been Kaleidoscope
In it's character from the start, but
there had been indications that sec
ond session of congress and Presiden-
tial messages would serve to clarity
the situation. Such, however, has not
been the case, insofar as my humble
ability to understand it. is concerned.
To demonstrate more clearly what
mean, let me relate that have sought
the views of great many members
OF congress and, with one or two ex-
ceptions, the replies to my questions
were divided into two classes. If the
or senator was devout
administration supporter, the answer
was that we are headed for greater
human happiness on the basis of
planned national life. If the one to
whom the questions were directed
were Republican or Democrat who
is unwilling to swallow academic the
cries In accordance with the doctors
the answer almost in
variably was: II don't know" Many
of them expressed the belief that
there was merit in much of the New
Deal program, but its ultimate end
was matter which they declared
they could not now foresee.
I also have examined again many of
the letters that have received from
readers of these columns since the
New Deal came into operation, but
they fail to provide consensus as to
whether the writer's of them have
formed conclusions as to direction.
1t is to be recalled further that Mr..
in submitting legislative
to either of the two sessions
of congress, has said with absolute
frankness that his program, then be-
ing offered, contained experimental
features. With equal frankness and
courage, he stated in each instance
that If the experiments failed, he
would be among the first to admit the
fact. Such was his attitude regarding
the gigantic agricultural adjustment
with all of his various pol
icies for limitation of production and
enforced control of surplus. But
since the President has not said yet
that any of these have failed, it can
only be concluded that he is satisfied
with the progress being made.
Opponents of the New Deal and
Thomases are pointing the
finger of scorn more and more to these
and / am informed by
observers who have been visiting va
rious sections of the country that
there Is dissatisfaction in consider
able volume concerning the results
thus far accomplished.
From industrial communities and
the areas where the bulk of the in
come taxes are collected by the gov
eminent, / hear the question: "Who
is going to pay for all of this?'
There can be no doubt that this
question of "who is going to pay" will
become paramount at later date
than it is now. But the leaders Of
the New Deal have gone no further to
this date than to say that restored
will make the payments
easy. And the truth Of their state
ments, of course, cannot be disputed.
II is to be remembered that when we
came out of the World war, we had a
debt of about twenty-six billion dol
lars. In less than ten years. 1t had
been reduced below seventeen billions.
On the other hand, our national debt
again has grown until 1t is beyond the
wartime peak of 1919, and Mr.. Roose-
velt's plans call for expenditures that
will make the total certainly above
thirty-one billions. Some astute ex-
perts tell me that the debt may be as
high as thirty-five billions by this time
next year. IF that end results from the
spending program, then taxpayers will
be called upon to pay taxes for inter
est, alone, On the public debt of about
one billion dollars a year. calculated
on the present average interest rate
on government bonds and notes. Any
retirement of the debt, of course, will
take that much additional. And this
outlay has to be met in addition to
normal running expenses of the gov
eminent.
Many observers in Washington had
thought when the President insisted
on senate confrma-
Fail to Pin ton Of his nomina-
TueweU ton of Professor
Tugwell to be under
secretary of agriculture, there would
be an exposition of the New Deal OBJ
jectives. Such, however. was not the
case. OF course, the senate commit
tee hearing where Professor Tugwell
was questioned turned out to be an
abortive thing, but still 1t had been
expected there would be something
that would add to the sum of public
understanding Of the destination
sought. Senator Smith of South Caro-
lima, Democratic chairman of the COM
mittee and staunch opponent of Pro
lessor Tugwell, tried to pin the pro-
lessor down to statements that would
indicate what the so-called head of the
brain trust thought the government is