The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-03-29

that they want to be legislators and
not rubber stamps any longer. There
Is no longer the overwhelming fear
among congressman of the Presidents
power. They have shown this several
times lately, including the forty-nine
day battle over the public works bill.
Feeling their independence again,
members of the house and senate have
begun to press for action on legislation
carrying out their own ideas. Much
Of this runs counter to administration
ideas on legislation. Further clashes
are inevitable. When there are con-
Fiction of plans in congress you can
expect to see long-drawn-out session,
and since this is not an election year,
there is no need for the members to
rush home to mend their political
fences.
It is not strange, therefore, that
business as a whole is worried about
congress. The business leaders them
selves insist that it is not strange that
they are worried about the secrecy
which surrounds the Presidents plans.
The two circumstances, taken togeth-
err, obviously serve as brake on the
wheels of industry because now as al
ways in the past business will not risk
the last vestige of it's capital re-
sources unless it can be assured of
stability.
n
While the Democrats, the party in
power, are floundering, the Repub-
licans lie wholly DOR
Useless mant. Seldom in my
Onnos;fion experience in Wash
ington has the Oppo-
sition party been as useless as the Re-
publicans now seem to be. They are
making no effort at all to gather funds
for use by Chairman Henry P. Fetch
er of the Republican national commit
tee in taking advantage Of vulnerable
spots in the Democratic armor. In
fact, they have left Mr.. Fletcher rath-
er high and dry and when he attempts
to do anything one faction or another
shoots harder at him than at its nat
ural rivals, the Democrats.
I have heard expressions lately to
the effect that Mr.. Fletcher has gold
en- opportunity at hand. He is in the
enviable position of being able every
time he is criticized by his own par
tisans to point out that the help they
are giving him is worse than nil and
that criticism under such a circum-
stance does not become them. The
thought is that Mr.. Fletcher by TAX
ing the bull by the horns, becoming
militant and mapping out program
with which his wide knowledge Of
politics equips him, could become &C
tually the dominant Republican force
in this country. Thus far Mr.. Fletcher
has sat back in his easy chair and has
taken all the darts. Some observers
are asking how long that can continue
and the Republican party remain alive.
Early in the Roosevelt administra-
ton the Republican policy was to
avoid criticism of the Democratic lead
ership at all times. They declared, and
openly announced their views, that If
they criticized Mr.. Roosevelt and his
New Deal they would be characterized
as obstructionists. If the New Deal
failed the Democrats surely would
place the blame on the Republican OPP
position. But political wrjters here
tell me that Mr.. Roosevelt's political
honeymoon has been over quite
while and that there is, in their opin-
ion, no need for the Republicans long
err to stick their heads in the sand
after the manner of the ostrich, and
see nothing.
AS the administration gets its hands
on fresh supplies of money, strong
demand has set up
Concrete for more concrete
H;Uhyuovs high ways. There
seems to be almost
a propaganda in favor of constructing
concrete highways here, there and
everywhere, including two or three or
four transcontinental, high speed road
ways.
The new public works bill carries
considerable sum for highway con-
struction and it is quite natural that
dealers in road materials and equip
ment want to get hold of it. My In
quiries among bodybuilding authorities
lead me to believe, however, that the
use of these funds ought to be exam
ined closely and any program that Is
mapped out should be the result OF
careful study. Around the Department
of Agriculture there is chronic com
plant that too many through highways
and not enough farm-to-market roads
have been constructed. If that be cor
rect. the authorities tell me, then the
concrete bodybuilding program will
have to be revamped or else there will
be hundreds of miles of concrete road
way constructed at an expense so
great that it can be called reckless
waste.
Some years ago the bureau of pub
lie roads made a statistical study
which indicated that a concrete road
way, as distinguished from other hard
surfaca highways was uniuStified I'M