The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-12-29
Nelu Congress Will Center Attack
On Measures TO Speed Up RecOueru
Folks Back Home to Hold
Strong Influence; Progress
sives to Stir Up Strife
~ RODNEY BUTCHER

BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Tribune Washington Correspondent
Washington, Dec. 29.-Here's the
74th congress. It has only the haziest
notion Of what it may be doing before
it gets through. -..
The shadow Of the depression and
its 10000, 900 unemployed still hangs
over the New Deal.
The extent to which this shadow
Is dissipated or accumulated will gov
ern the future Of this congress. For
that factor cannot but determine the
course Of Roosevelt, the ringmaster,
who is now hoping that recovery can
be assured without new and drastic
experiments.
Because 1t arrives fresh from the
campaigns with election promises
still on its lips, and because its con-
StituencteS seem more artlculate than
ever before as to their wants, the 74th
congress IS perhaps closer to the peo-
pie than an other in history.
HOME FOLKS HOLD REINS
You have, In fact, a congress which
is:
!. extraordinarily suspectible
to popular pressure.
2. Committed as never before
to following president who him.
self is keenly sensitive to the
popular mood.
3. Unusually immune to the
pressure Of big Business" and
High Finance, elements which
50 often had the last word on
legislation in the past.
Roosevelt probably will keep the
boys pretty well under control. When
he doesn't, you can be fairly sure it's
because he isn't saying what the folks
back home are saying.
Even before the session, those folks
back home had achieved a couple OF
large pieces Of legislation which ap-
parently hadn't been planned by the
president. The Home Owners Loan
Corporation had barred further ap-
plications for loans on homes and
was about to fold up. The president
himself had expressed doubt whether
the time was ripe for any old age
pension legislation.
Well, II you had seen the stacks Of
mail that piled up on congressional
desks and in the White House offices
you would know exactly why there's
certainly going to be old age security
legislation and at least billion dol
lars more for home loans.
PAIN FOR BIG BUSINESS
In each case there was great pain
In the neck for the leaders Of the
q. s. Chamber Of Commerce and the
National Association Of Manufacture
ers, who so recently met at White
Sulphur Springs to decide what to
tell the administration to do. Not
to mention the American Bankers
association.
II anyone were to compel me to
pose as prophet, ! would suggest
that such pains were likely to become
rather frequent and pronounced.
The Big Business pow-pow COM
promised according to dispatches, on
program which socks most Of the
New Deal principles right on the nose.
The program, II adopted by the ad-
mtnistration, would involve COM
plete about-face Of which probably
even the White Sulphur Springs con-
ferees don't even dream. It con-
tanned not q single new idea.
At the moment, the administration
attitude is one Of hope. Business men
and bankers are still being given q
chance to do their stuff and indus
trial recovery is-according to the In
dexes-just about where It was q
year ago.
Employment figures are only slight
~ higher than two years ago, but
relief rolls are rising. Farm prices
and farm income are materially
higher.
WHAT'S IN THE WIND
Information to date is that con-
gress will
l. Provide . relatively large re-
lief-work, relief public works
appropriation.
|. :. Experiment gingerly with 30
cial security.
). Pass full soldier bonus nay.
ment over : veto-or perhaps
accept > compromise which
won't give the veterans %
much.
4. Provide for permanent NRA,
retaining the present essential
features, but dropping certain
past practices.
;. Pass collective bargaining and
other legislation which may be
more pro-labor than the ad-