The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-22
Evolution With an R.
(MinneapoliS Tribune)


Ogden l.. Mills is one Of the ablest
critics Of the administration. Ar
avowed foe Of RECOMMENDATION and
bureaucracy, he has delivered some
telling thrusts at the new deal. Mr.
Mills may have his deep partisan
bases. and his background of wealth
may be unfortunate, but there Is ne
doubt that he presents whatever case
there is against the Roosevelt pro.
gram effectively and well.
In his speech at White Plains or
Saturday, Mr.. Mills sought to show
that the new deals so-called emer.
gency measures were designed from
the very first. to be permanent. The
administration. he suspects, is working
only incidentally for recovery; what
1t Is really seeking is planned and
controlled economy which shall regu-
lste to the last detail prices, wages
production and the FLOW OF capital
Dr.. Tugwell has declared for such an
economy, and Mr.. Mills protests that
the particular theories OF this par
ticular professor have actually beer
written onto the statute books of the
United States" President Roosevelt
may call this evolution, but Mr.. Mills
sees it as an arbitrary attempt. made
IN the shadow Of great emergency
to set up an entirely new order. It
Is. he says. evolution with an r.
Mr.. Mills scouts the notion that the
administration is planning to retreat
from its present policies Of regimenta-
ton and control when We are we'll on
the road to recovery. Here, of course
Is what many regard as the crux o.
the whole matter: the question Of per-
manency. Under the NRA. the govern.
ment in effect controls prices and
wages, and indirectly production
Under the AAA, 1t seeks at least q
partial RECOMMENDATION o. our agricul.
tural life. Through the securities act
and the administrations stock ex.
change bill, it would place the flow
OF capital under government control
Mr.. Mills suspects that the plot is tt
tighten, rather than relax, this system
OF RECOMMENDATION as time goes on
Does not the Bankhead law project
us into the field OF compulsory cror
control? Does not the stock exchange
bill put the control and ALLEGATION o.
credit still farther into the hands o
government? Why prosecute q New
Jersey pants presser for charging {
nickel less than the code stipulates /
the administration is hot interested
IT. putting the clamps on small bust
nesses as we'll as large?
Mr.. Mills asks all these question,
and more and comes to the conclu'
sion that the administration, under
the guise Of an emergency, Is At
tempting to establish . permanent
system OF economic planning accom-
panied by control Of industry and tn,
RECOMMENDATION of the American PEG
pie" While his fears do not seem Ii
b generally shared. one point that h,
raises y ct least entitled to consid
GRAFTON. The Roosevelt program wa
accepted, BY and large. as IN emer
gency program. Even those who re
garded many phases Of It as too dras
tic and dangerously experimental wer
disposed to concede that the crisi
warranted Unprecedented measured
With that crisis passed, Mr.. Mills look
about him for signs Of . retreat an
finds none. He asks. In effect. t
what extent II u wise and desirabl
to retain, - permanent policies. tn
fruits Of IN emergency
This question, We think. Is entirel
legitimate and proper. II there Is n
real conspiracy on the part Of tn
administration to make these policie
part and parcel Of our national lif'
the feet remains that It u high tim
to consider the possibility that thol
who make fetish Of reform are no.
impeding the natural processes Of r.
covery. Even those who cannot shud
der with Mr.. Mills ct evolution wit
N r" viii perhaps suspect that th
refoemess. having performed the,
Herculsan labors during the eme1
gency, are entitled 70 3 rest. Il
not 60 much . question Of hating
revolution, g Mr.. Mills implies. .
Is Of seeing to II that . happier bal
ance y struck In the future betwee
the forces q recovery and reform.