The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-09-26

|
the crystal OF the 1896 campaign and
1t takes no stretch of the Imagination
to visualize what pounding the New
Deal opposition will give the Roose-
Welt administration on this question
/ of spending.
| When Mr.. Roosevelt began spending
he declared 1t was justified because
| hundreds of thousands OF citizens were
starving. His next pronouncement on
| this subject by way of explaining con-
tinued expenditure was that II the gov.
eminent spent freely, 1t would serve
as printing of the economic pump |;
| that the circulation of federal money
would allow industry to sell and that
| Industry would replace by manufac-
! ture the things sold. That, too,
| brought little or no result. Then we
| entered the current stage where the
spending was to be closely supervised
and only projects that held promise of
| actually developing manufacture and
retail selling would be approved and
| financed by federal money. 1t Is re-
| grettable but 1t Is fact that almost
nothing has come of this program.
And to make matters worse, lately,
Secretary Ickes, public works admin
istrator, and Relief Administrator
Harry Hopkins have locked horns on
the bulk of the projects on which
| federal money was to be used.
| 1t Is not strange that these two men
should differ. Mr.. Hopkins. being a
trained, a professional, welfare worker
sees things only from the standpoint
Of the individual who needs food. Mr..
Ickes has a conception of federal
spending that embraces the use of
money In ways designed to start the
great Industries In motion. He figures
that If these industries get going, they
will employ workers; the workers
will spend their wages and the retail
ers will profit thereby and as the re-
tallers sell from their shelves. they
seek requirements from the manufac-
turers. The controversy between Mr..
Hopkins and Mr.. Ickes. therefore, Is
not one to be settled by compromise
or by soft words. In fact, 1t may
never be settled until one or the other
gets out of his place In the govern.
ment.
The Importance of the Ickes- Hop
kins row to the reader Of this column,
however. lies largely
0TedR Tor In the fact that the
Taxpayers particular reader Is a
taxpayer. The con-
nectIon is simply this. the last con-
gress appropriated S4,SSO,OO0.0OO for
use by the administration In public
works and relief If all OF that sum
were spent the public debt would be
increased by that amount because in
terlal revenue taxes are insufficient to
offset more than the ordinary govern.
ment expenditures. Therefore, II all
Of this money Is not spent, and 1t can
not be spent II the Lckes- Hopkins dis
pute continues to hold back admins
tratlon plans. then the taxpayers Will
have just that much less OF a govern.
ment debt to meet through this pay.
ment Of their taxes
So the Presidents order placing all
administrative agencies under the gen.
eral accounting office to see that their
spending is honestly done and the de-
velOpments within the administration
over difference In policy must be
taken together as break for the tax
payer.
Agriculture adjustment adminstra-
ton officials are about ready to pre-
sent to the farmers
FOtdt0 OF this country de-
Control tailed plan for con-
trna OF potato pro-
ductIon. 1t will provide means for
boosting the Incomes OF the potato
farmers something more than 100 per
cent, and VIII increase the cost of this
Item OF food to consumers by pro-
pnrtlonate amount, Of course. Con-
ferences soon will be held between the
AAA and representatives OF farmers
organizations to work out phases of
the plan reqpirlng farmer approval
Various thoughts arise If one reflects
upon5poiato control. First, control Of
potfto production marks the four
teenth agricultural crop brought un.
der RECOMMENDATION and 1t presents,
probably. the toughest of all OF them
In the matter of enforcing It's provl-
sions.
Adoption OF the. potato control pro-
gram represents attainment. of a point
la the life Of the AAA where one step
has led to another until control OF po-
fatoes was essential. or the whole plan
Of crop control flops. 1t will be re-
called that the declared purpose OF the
AAA at the beginning was only for the
central of cotton. Land withheld from
cotton then was planted to tobacco
and tobacco had 70 be controlled, when
tobacco was controlled. and the land
withdrawn, farmers In some sections
turned to peanuts and peanuts had to
be controlled.
understand the AAA Is consider
ably worried about the job Of enforc-
Ing the potato control law. That law
let.