The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-03-09
rEcRETARY OF WAR DERN. prob-

E(tEIAhI Ot WAN DEltN, PROD
~ ably following the ideas Of Gener-
al Macarthur, chief Of staff, told the
military affairs committee Of the house
that he was decidedly opposed to con-
gressional plans for an independent
and greatly enlarged air corps He
was arguing against two bills intro
duced by the committee providing for
the purchase of 1884 military air
planes and for the separation Of the
army air corps from the Jurisdiction
of the general staff, and the granting
to officers and enlisted men of the air
corps special compensation and rank.
Mr.. Dern held that the air corps
was only coordinate part Of the
army, that It's flying officers and men
were not heroes Of glory any more
than the infantry and the artillery,
that the whole army organization must
proceed in balance and that the air
corps has had more than its rightful
share of progress in recent years.
ONCE more the tariff comes up as
~ leading issue, for the President
has sent to congress request for new
powers permitting him to fix the tariff
within wide limits. The legislation he
asks is designed to expand trade and
would give the Chief Executive author
ity to shift the tariff up or down by
as much as 30 per cent so that reci-
procal tariff treaties with other ma
lions may be negotiated. Furthermore,
these treaties would not have to be
confirmed by the senate, and the tariff
commission would not be consulted.
The new authority would be limited to
three years and no article could be
placed on the free list or removed
from it. 1t was predicted that many
Republicans and some Democrats
would oppose the scheme, but that it
would get through congress after long
debate.
Under the management of Gen.
~ Hugh Johnson, the MIRA opened
series of public hearings in Washing
ton, open to all individuals and or
CARNATIONS that wanted to present
suggestions or complaints concerning
policies or administration of the NRA
codes. The possible benefits from such
hearings appeared to be lessened by
the restrictions decreed by General
Johnson. He ruled that all speakers
should be considered as witnesses"
that only facts might be presented.
and that no argument would be per-
mitted
General Johnson opened the proceed
ings by admitting MIRA had many
faults that he hoped would be correct
ed. Then came the flood of complaints,
starting with those Of small business
men who assert the codes have oper-
ated against them and In favor Of the
large concerns. Mrs. Pinchot, wife of
the governor of Pennsylvania, unex-
pectedly appeared and declared the
government had been defeated by the
"steel trust" and she was supported
by Edward F. McGrady, assistant Sec
rotary Of labor. Mrs. Pinchot said
that in the cases of the big steel COM
panies the workers had been betrayed
by the MIRA, and she made bitter
personal attack on General Johnson.
Next day the cause of labor was
brought more prominently to the front
by Mr.. McGrady and others who de-
clared employers had been evading the
code provisions at the expense of their
employees.
ENGLAND is proverbially lenient
~ with agitators of all kinds, but
when thousands of unemployed from
all parts of the country marched into