Evening star., 1934-12-30
BY OWEN L. SCOTT

MOI so long ago the left-W1ngerS IN
Congress gloried in their designation
as sons of wild jackasses." They
liked to be known as politicians who
could kick over the traces. Then
came President Roosevelt with a tech
nique for breaking political wild ami
mails to harness. That technique
worked through two sessions. But
next Thursday there comes the new
Seventy fourth Congress, and with it
comes more than one forewarning
that the left-wing performers want
to earn back the reputation for
troublemaking that they lost under
the spell of the New Deal.
This time the radicals, and some
not so radical, are planning to harass
the President into giving them what
they want. Some of the group are
suspicious Of him. Others want to
promote their dream of a third po-
litical party, which they would lead.
Still others feel the need of the lime
light to foster their ambitions for
power. A few more can't be content
until they find out how their pet prof.
ects for imitation will work in practice.
Mr.. Roosevelt prides himself on
being able to keep political prima DON
mas in line. He has an admitted
ability to discover the lowest common
denominator into which the conflict
ing views Of political groups will di-
vide. His desire obviously is to steer
down the middle, merging into ma
tional policy the radicalism of those
hiC left and tho e
those on his right. Judging by the
talk of some Senators and few Rep
reSentatives, the President will have
use for all of his abilities as a nego-
tiator and conciliator. Also, he NAV
need to bear to the right to keep the
left from dragging him farther than
he wants to go.
*+A
The compelling factor in the pres
ent situation, from the point of view
OF Congressman, Is that the United
States has entered its sixth Winter
OF depression with the problem of
unemployment as acute as ever.
Where year ago, before C. w. A.
went into effect, relief was costing
about s65,O00,0oO a month, this wear
1t is costing about S150,000,00O a
month. Last year relief rolls carried
fewer than 100000 persons. This
year they are carrying more than 20
100000. The number of unemployed
year ago. according to American
Federation of Labor figures, was about
100000 below the number of unem-
ployed at this time.
Congress wants to do something
about this situation. Senator Long
will be on hand with his plan to re-
distribute the national income. Sena-
tor Black Is getting ready to bring
back his plan to limit the work week
in industry to 80 hours. It was a
53-to-30 vote in the Senate favorable
to this idea that led in June, 1888,
to creation Of N. r. A. One of Presi-
dent Roosevelt's most difficult Jobs
may be to sidetrack the Senator's
new plan.
Then Senator Frazier and Repre-
sentative Lemke have their strongly
backed scheme to print $1,000 900, 900
in nice new greenbacks, which then
would be used to pay off farm mort
cages. Senator Elmer Thomas is lin
Ing up formidable array of schemes
to initiate the currency even more.
Representative Patman has the SOL
dier bonus plan all polished up ready
for introduction the first day. This
involves about $4,000. 100000 in print
ing press money and will take lot
OF battling to keep off the statute
books. AS If that were not enough
on the subject of imitation, Repre-
sentative Mcleod is back again with
his plan to print about 1900, 900, 900
in greenbacks to pay of depositors
in closed banks.
Just for favoring, Senator Borah
and Senator Nye are prepared to bat
tie for a return of the antitrust laws
in any revised N. R. A. Senator Nye,
too. wants $4,000 more to spend on
keeping alive his investigation of the
munitions industry. When to this is
added the really tremendous drive
that has been generated behind the
plan to provide old-age pensions run
ming up to 5000 a month for every
one over 80, the task confronting Mr..
Roosevelt is readily appreciated.
How will he meet this pressure for
imitation and for new levies on in
dustry? By negotiation, by some
strong-arm work in Congress, and by
having some plans Of his own that
Will take the limelight away from the
Congressman.
Nearly all the country's pressing
problems grow from continued unem-
ployment and from the financial bur-
den OF relief. The conservatives be-
lieve that those problems can best be
solved by reducing relief costs to a
seeking a balanced budget,
and depending on pickup in private
industry to absorb the unemployed,
who would stay on q "dole" in the
The radicals, or at least one school
of them, believe that the way to solve
the problems is to float the country TO
on a wave of RreeubackS.