Evening star., 1934-12-28
CONGRESS Birdie
MAY Be NEEDED
Rampant LaWmaking Is Be-
Iieved Threat to PreSi.
dents Plans.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Judging by the way legislative pro-
posals are piling up-and the van
guard of Congress has brought in
wide variety-President Roosevelt will
have to find some way to indicate
early in the progress of bills whether
he wants them passed.
Otherwise, a good deal of useless
work will be done by committees.
This does not mean that the Presi-
dent need express opposition, for un-
questionably many bills will reach
committee consideration and even be
reported to one House or the other,
and this status will be all Mr. Roose-
welt might want for a particular
measure.
There are some bills on which the
President will await a crystallization
of public opinion, and obviously the
Steering Committees of both Houses
will move rather cautiously about re-
pressing any bill that has popular
support behind it.
Other Theories to Be Heard.
The President will have no trouble
getting the kind of legislation he
wants, in the main. But there are
determined advocates of conflicting
economic theories in Congress who
feel they are equally solicitous with the
President about improving the lot of
the average man, and this will mean
that such advocates will have to- be
afforded an opportunity to blow off
steam" and show their constituents
how really solicitous they happen
to be.
The spending proclivity which usu-
ally makes a session of Congress some
thing for business to fear, will not be
the uppermost source of worry this
time, for Mr.. Roosevelt has all the
authority and all the funds he needs
and what Congress will give him will
merely supplement a vast spending
power already bestowed.
What will be the cause for concern
among business men is the tendency
to enact legislation of a rigid char
acter, limiting hours of work or put
ting the whole question of relations
between employers and employees under
the jurisdiction of Government boards.
Trend Toward Central Power.
The trend is toward centralization
of power in the Federal Government
and the use of Federal funds to exer-
else indirect control over State and
city affairs.
A number of delicate situations will
arise in the coming Congress which
will challenge the Presidents power to
put into effect the program of CO.
operation between the Government
and business which he has outlined
in recent speeches. In other words
while the President has been trying to
persuade business to go ahead on the
ground that it has nothing to fear If
it is honestly conducted, the legislative
proposals now being Matched in the
week before Congress indicate that
Mr. Roosevelt will not be able to re-
main silent about such measures and
at the same time keep faith with the
business leaders.
The President will not relish telling
Congress what it shall or shall not
pass and he will prefer to let some of
the legislation die by the silent treat
ment or the simple process of burying
proposals in committee. Unfortunate
ly, under this method. business will
not know till the session of Congress
ends whether the sword of Damocles
has been removed or still hangs over
the heads of legitimate enterprise.
Regulation Mania Feared.
The spirit Of regulate everything
dominates many of the returning
members, who see the President
achieving considerable publicity by all
the various plans being made public
for the future betterment of mankind,
and this leaves the average Congress
man with nothing but his age-old
weapon either of taxing business to
death or regulating it into liquida-
ton.
Two big issues that will test the
present economic theory to the utmost
are involved in what shall be done
about the railroads and what shall be
done shout the power and light busi-
ness. There are some in Congress
who would favor taking all these util-
tiles and issuing Government securi-
ties for their purchase. There are
others who think private ownership
with more Government regulation is
desirable. And Mr.. Roosevelt, who is
eager to bring about unemployment,
will be faced with the question of how
to keep business alive while at the
same time responding to the demands
Tor considerable regulation. The presi-
dent has substantial majority on
paper, but the true test of his leader
ship will come as he grapples with
the Progressives who plan to out-New
Deal the New Deal. There are plenty
of nervous moments ahead.
Copyright. 1934)