Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-05-16


However. a minority of the Chan
bers leaders, including Mr.. HarrI
man, Gerard Swope, Winthrop Al
drich, James H. Rand, and q scor
od other business and industrial
leaders. went to the White House. Il
company with Secretary Roper, I,
present two reports from the Busj
ness Advisory and Planning Council
one In a general way, approved tn,
social security program and the othel
recommended a t%wo-year extension
OF the MIRA. Meanwhile, at the White
House, the President made clear that
ne believed he had the support Of
mo@ Industrial and business leaders
n n a this was based on previous
experiences which showed that often
organisations did not really voice
the opinion Of the majority OF the
individuals for whom they speak.
Political reverberations quickly fol
lowed. Organized labor pledged its
support to the two-year extension of
MIRA. while Rep. Smell, House Re
publican leader, charged that the
PRESIDENT was absolutely unfair" In
his criticism of the Chamber OF Com
merce, which for two years had tried
to follow him. Meanwhile, political
observers tried to estimate the stu
alton, with many believing that the
open hostility OF Big Business was
another famous break" for the &C.
Nl1nQ nf ~ Tho nIvh,ta Iynv Dk--.
pointed out that the higher bracket
business men were never sOlidly be-
hind the President and that because
the Chamber is popularity supposed
to speak for Big Business, its opposi-
ton would strengthen the Roosevelt
prestige In the country at large,
where 1t had suffered something like
a setback.
Moreover, the lineup for 1886, they
think, Is coming into line, with the
Democrats swinging to the left and
the Republicans, while more liberal
than In the past, being forced toward
conservatism. The third party forces,
1t Is believed, will suffer serious i'm
pairment. Talk of such a movement
was growing among the less fortu-
nate part OF the population, num-
millions, who were beginning
to fear that too many concessions
were going to the conservative for
ces. In this sentiment the Long
Coughlin campaign making
gains. This drift, it is thought in
many places, will be checked and
Congressman will find it harder than
ever to oppose the program proposed.
We have taken our space this week
to recount In some detail the genesis
OF the break between the President
and so-called Big Business, as ex-
pressed in the resolutions OF the u.
S. Chamber of Commerce and the at
titude Of other leaders. One should |
not find the situation pleasant be |
cause no country is going to make |
progress when it Is divided, but on
the other hand it is Of the utmost |
importance for the people OF the
country, regardless of politics, to
erstand the situation. Whether
the Chamber speaks for business
large and small, I'VE cannot say;
whether the administrative program
will succeed and bring about perma-
nent recovery Is a guess that we do /
make.
In the interest of truth, however, |
We chronicle a resentment through
out tine land toward tactics employed
by what is popularity called Big Bust
ness. a feeling that some of it's gains
are M-gotten, that control Of the
government OF the nation has, at
times, rested In the hands Of a few
and to the damage OF the interests
of the people.