The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-04
ROOSEVELT ASKS FOR FIRMER
STRIkEBREAkING MACHINE

some prospect OF actual tariff in
creases; liquor legislation to insure
that Uncle Sam gets his in the form
Of revenue from the traffic; and the
annual appropriations.
The eleven appropriations meas
ures are calmly expected to provide
tremendous increases in the United
States war chest. As Speaker Rainey
put it: 1.-THE whole world is prepar-
ing for war. Nobody wants it, but
everybody is preparing for it and the
world always gets what it prepares
for" The Navy alone will ask for
$516,000,000 fiye-year building pro-
gram-just by way Of experimenting
the $271 ,653,939 it has already re-
ceived for war preparations under
the pretext of public works. Alto
gether the Roosevelt government has
be d out some 1854, 726, 498 for abso-
lutte war preparations-yet the Army
too will ask for more, and all have
excellent chances of getting it.
Bankers and Lawyers
The members of this Congress are
Overwhelmingly bankers, corporation
lawyers, factory owners, gentlemen
farmers and others who personally
occupy the economic heights whose
interests they defend. Nearest to a
radical is Representative Zionchech
Of Washington, who has cooperated
with the International Labor Defense
and has worked closely with the UNI
employed organization of his town,
Seattle-but who recently informed
me he would not introduce unemploy-
ment proposals of his own.
The proposal of Senator Wagner
Of New York, most famous unem-
ployed champion" is merely to pro-
vide rebate in income taxes to en-
ployers who comply with State IN
employment Insurance Laws. The
object of this, Wagner explains, is
to encourage States to adopt unem-
ployment insurance laws, but the
result obviously would be to TO 9stall
real fight for real federal unem-
ployment and social insurance.
Initiation Bloc
One-third of the Senate are
pledged to push provision for moneti-
cation of silver-another inflationary
measure. Speaker Rainey has said
that Roosevelt's present silver-buying
program is a mere small bite out Of
the cherry" In addition, there is
a bloc of outright inflationists, headed
by Senator Thomas of Oklahoma,
who are determined to cut the value
of the American dollar in two and
embark in a currency and credit in
flation program that might result in
Ia cuTTency-credit expansion" as he
calls it, of more than 80 billion.
Cloak War Budget
SopS to ward off real benefits to
the working class may include re-
storation of the veterans allowances
which Roosevelt took away under the
economy act, and restoration of some
of the pay-cut administered at the
same time to government employees.
Demands for increases in the pub
lie works and civil works appropria-
tions are likely to be forthcoming
also-but without any safeguards
against the siphoning of these funds
into incorporating activities. This,
also, will provide an excuse for new
taxes and the sales tax, although
widely denounced by democrats and
once hurled back into Herbert Hoo
ver's face by Congress, is not yet out
Of the picture.
Plenty of talk about the N. r. A.
will be unleashed but fundamental
changes are not on the horizon.
Returning legislators have candidly
explained to me that the vast major
ity are more afraid of the Roosevelt
political machine in next falls con-
gressional election than they are of
the local campaign-contgibu back
home. And they have no program
of their own to propose as substi-
tute for Roosevelt's. They realize,
further, that the MIRA. has bene-
fitted certain sections of business
Several have admitted to me that
this was at the expense of labor
and have explained frankly that they
| hope to get away from Washington
before anything happens to compel
realistic action This, party leaders
hope, may bring adjournment in
March.