Evening star., 1935-05-04
NEW DEAL SCORED
I'm ROPER COUNCIL
=
Several Members Threaten
to Quit on Suppression
of Criticisms.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

under the guidance OF Secretary Roper
of the Department of Commerce, is
more friendly to the administration
than was the Chamber of Commerce.
But it was reported today that sew
eral members of the Roper council
were threatening to resign because of
what they termed privately lack Of
candor between the administration
and the public in suppressing parts of
the report submitted by the Business
and Advisory Council to the President
on Thursday.
When the Chamber Of Commerce
adopted set of resolutions opposing
some of the New Deal policies, it was
announced that the Roper council
would meet with the President and
that the meeting had been arranged
at the request of the council.
Many prominent business men who
are known to hold views similar to
those expressed in the Chamber of
Commerce resolutions are on the
Roper council and there was surprise.
therefore, when administration pub
licity sought to make it appear that
business men were divided and that
the Roper council had different idea
from the Chamber of Commerce.
The facts are that the Roper council
submitted three things to Mr.. Roose-
welt. One was suggestion that the
N. r. A. be extended for two years in
exactly the form in which it is now
on the statute books, but not with the
enlarged powers inserted in the ad-
ministration bill.
The second item was an indorse-
ment in principle of social security
legislation, but a pointed comment on
the difficulties Of the pay roll tax.
The third was a comprehensive
statement about the dangers to re-
covery and to the investors in public
utility holding and operating COM
panies If the Wheeler -Rayburn bill
were passed.
g.. Utility Reference Omitted.
All reference to this utility legisla-
ton was Omitted from the information
made public by the administration,
and it is understood the objections
raised to other parts Of the Presidents
program were also withheld.
The members of the Roper council
who feel this is q distortion of their
true position were busy explaining to
various members of the Chamber Of
Commerce that they were not parties
to the one-Sided statements issued by
the administration, and that, unless
the full reports were made public,
there would be designations. Talk of
resignation as group was heard, but
this step is unlikely.
The statement on public utilities laid
before the President has been carefully
guarded and copies of it were unavail-
able today, but it is known that the
document pointed out the burdens that
would be placed on operating COM
panies if the section Of the proposed
bill referring to Federal regulation of
operating companies were retained.
Also 1t was declared that the Federal
Government should confine its regu-
latory power to the companies that
were engaged in the transportation of
electricity from State to State.
Most pointed, however, was the
declaration that holding companies
were essential to the safety of operat-
ing companies. not only when inte-
grated in units on geographical basis,
but also when giving financial support
to operations of utilities in different
parts of the country.
Mystery Shrouds Silence.
q: Just why the White House made no
mention of the attack on this most
Important part of the Presidents pro-
gram remained q mystery today. It
was generally believed that the Presi-
dent was shocked and astonished by
the intensity Of the opposition to his
program at the meeting Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce. In meeting the
press Friday. the President indicated
his doubts about the representative
character Of the Chamber Of Com
merce of the United States This
probably will be met by referendum
throughout the country on the atti-
tude Of local chambers of commerce
toward pending measures.
1t is serious thing for the Presi-
dent of the United States and the
business and industrial leaders of the
country to get into an open conflict,
especially when it is so important that
all elements should cooperate to bring
recovery.
The business spokesmen say. how
ever, that ever since last September
they have been trying to cooperate,
and have appointed committees to
confer and have tried in every way
to present their point Of view to the
administration, but the result has
been either pigeon-holing of recon-
rnendations or an outright refusal to
take into account the proposals made
for the economic improvement of the
country.
The real difficulty, of course, is that
Mr.. Roosevelt has a political mind
and the business men think in
straight lines. This leads to a rigidity
on the part of business men and
perhaps too much hexibility where the
President Is concerned, especially as
1t relates to left wing and radical
pressure upon him.
understanding Reported.
There Is report, for example, that,
Q few days ago, while conferring with
an important group Of Democratic
Senators, an apparent understanding
was reached, only to have q contrary
viewpoint expressed by Senator La
. Toilette, Progressive, of Wisconsin,
and the President is reported to have
Immediately changed to the La Fol-
1ette side of the controversy. On
Capitol Hill. this Is beina referred
to as one of the difficulties in insuring
cooperation between the Executive
and the leaders Of his own party.
AS for the business men, they real
ize that cynical remarks about their
supposed lack of interest in human
rights doubtless will continue to be
issued by the administration as a
means of adding to a public opinion
already colored by administration at
tacks heretofore, but that, as bill
lions upon billions have been and
are being spent by the President. with
the relief rolls growing instead of
diminishing In expense, the country
will begin to expect tangible results
on recovery rather than more con-
troversy or invective.
The Treasury figures show that the