Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-08-22
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individual businesses each yer. 1t
has Jurisdiction to order elimination
OF unfair trade practices and to expose
just plain cheating In private business.
Therefore, the commission may be said
to have vital influence on the lives
and businesses of those whose opera
lions may be characterized as small
and important only in small commune
ties, as well as on the great masses
of capital and national trade associa-
lions. Since the commission has shown
a willingness to consider the rights of
individuals to foster their own inter-
ests, some observers believe that it's
prestige will be enhanced and that we
may find in the future that the COM
mission will be popular government
al unit rather than one which business
looks upon with fear.
Throughout the Roosevelt admins
tration we have observed almost daily
announcements that
Executive the President has
Orders done this, That or
the other thing 'by
executive order" In the rush of legis-
lation designed to help us ove2 the
came thick and fast. No one thought
great deal about them. 1t was I'M
| usual for them to emerge from the
| White House in such numbers but I
believe it was the general desire to
forget the precedent that was being
established, numerically at least, in
the issuing of executive orders because
of the acute conditions in the country.
Subsequently, attention was called
officially to the great number of these
orders and that they had the force and
effect of law. 1t was the more impor-
tant because the Supreme court of the
United States called attention to the
| facts. The court digressed far enough
in a weighty opinion which it rendered
to suggest that it was impossible for
the average individual to know what
these executive orders contained; what
inhibitions or prohibitions were pre-
scribed and what rights, if any, a citi-
zen had left.
The American Liberty league, which
is addressing itself consistently to
analysis of governmental affairs, in
forms me that between March 4, 1888,
and the end of July, 1885, Mr.. Roose-
| welt issued more than one thousand
two hundred and fifty executive orders.
The league offices also say that this
is greater total than the number of
executive orders issued over the pre-
| ceding 10 years.
Some fifty new agencies and addi-
tional branches of existing agencies or
| departments have been created by the
simple expedient. of an executive order.
| These new agencies have embarked
upon all sorts of projects never even
discussed at the time of the enactment
Of the law under which they were is
| sued.
In addition to the executive orders, it
| Is claimed that something like twenty
thousand administra-
Orders Upon tive orders have been
Orders issued by officials of
various agencies
whose sole legal basis for their acts
was an executive order signed by the
President.
"The examples of executive orders
which have been cited show clearly a
usurpation Of legislative power" the
| league commented In a statement is
sued the other day. "By no stretch of
the imagination can many Of these or
ders be regarded merely as ministerial
acts in execution of laws enacted by
/ the congress- Policies are involved
which under the principles Of democ-
racy should be passed upon by the con-
gress, members of which reflect the
ferent areas and schools of thought.
So long as the judgment Of the entire
membership of the congress is applied
to important questions a balance will
be maintained in the public interest. It
| Is contrary to our scheme of govern
ment to place supreme power in the
hands Of single individual as has
| Deen done IN european countries Where
parliamentary bodies have become non
entities. Encroachment by the exscu-
tive upon legislative prerogatives, In
violation Of the letter or even of the
intent Of the Constitution, smacks of
autocracy and despotism.- 1t is sub
versive Of popular government"
SO Tong as executive orders and ad.
ministrative regulations issued under
them involve. only administrative prac-
tees, there is seldom much public In
terest in them. Always, after enact
ment Of legislation, the administrative
agencies designed to carry out the pro-
visions of the legislation issue rules
and regulations interpreting the stat
ute. But 1t Is to be remembered that