Evening star., 1935-09-05
THE POLITICAL
MILL
By G.. Could Lincoln.

And now it looks as though President
Roosevelt is turning back to an old
issue-economy in governmental ex-
penditure. The Republicans say it is
the forgotten" issue of the New Deal.
They back up their charge with the fig
ures of the appropriations made by the
Congress session just closed-a total of
more than SIC, 0,250, 900 900. Not all the
statements the President can make can
wipe out the huge debts that he has
rolled up for the American people to
pay in the last two and a half years,
these critics of the administration say.
The fact that he has placed the inde-
pendent agencies set up by the New Deal
dministration-the A. A. A., the T. v.
A., the N. r. A. and all the rest of them
under the budget may or may not mean
that there will be economy. The Presi-
dent said yesterday at Hyde Park that
the peak Of the depression" has passed.
For that reason, these emergency agen-
cies are to be cut in their personnel.
They could stand lot of cutting and
there would still be room for economy,
according to the Republicans.
~
The Republicans and other critics Of
President Roosevelt have recently been
harping on the subject OF governmental
expenditures and the public debt. Fur
ther, there have been many indicstions
that the people are getting extremely
leary OF billiOn-dollar appropriations
they are feeling more and more the pinch
of taxation. They have seen the cost
Of living mount rapidly also. and par
ticularly the cost OF food More taxes
and high prices for food are likely to
be two of the major subjects which the
Republicans will hammer upon in the
next campaign. The action Of the Presi-
dent now in declaring for economy in
Government expenditure, for reduced
personnel on Government pay rolls. may
not have been actuated by the fear of
unpopularity on account of these large
appropriations and expenditures.
But the charge will be made. 1t will
be noticed also that the New Deal ad-
ministration has begun to pull its horns
in so far as the curtailment of basic
farm crops Is concerned. 1t was only
a few weeks ago that the A. A. A. and
Secretary Wallace announced that the
wheat farmers would be permitted to
plant some 5000 900 more acres in wheat.
And yesterday word came from the
A. A. A. officials that there is to be a
change in the corn-hog program, cur
failing those crops. if the farmers desire
it. There Is to be a referendum, ac-
cording to present plans, among the
farmers on the subject of the corn-hog
program and its suggested modification.
In other words. it looks as though
the days OF plain sailing for the Roose-
welt administration are over. A period
of pulling and hauling, Of jockeying for
a good start in the next campaign, is on.
There Is the danger always that II
the President goes through with his in
siStence on cutting the Government pay
rolls he will make lot of people sore.
1t is popular to give jobs. To take them
away is something else, OF course, If
the President merely makes the ges-
ture-and just as many persons are kept
on the Government pay roll as in the
past and preSent-he gains little, and
merely gives his critics further am
munition. Since he came into office it
is estimated that the Government has
added 10000 persons to its pay roll. ex-
elusive Of the c. c. c. camps and thou
sands Of part-time workers. Nor does
1t in any way include the large army of
relief workers-perSonS on RELIEF who
have been given made-work jobs. The
Republicans are promising to check up
quite frequently on the actual number
Of Government employees.
In the days Of former President Her
bert Hoover the most frequent jest Of
the Democrats was the number of COM
missions" which the President appointed.
In retrospect, Mr.. Hoover looks piker
alongside the New Deal President. The
Roosevelt agencies are not called COM
missions" however. they are admins
trations" and authorities" 1t really
does not. however. matter what they
are called. They are just new agencies
of Government.
The Republicans called attention this
week to the fact that practically all OF
these new Government employees are ap-
pointed not through the civil service,
but through political pull. The merit
system which had been growing grad
ually in this country, was thrown into
the discard. There were no competitive
examinations, such as the Civil Service
Commission gives. The offices Of MEM
bers of Congress, of the Democratic
National Committee and Of every DEM
| ocratic State chairman have been fllled
| for months and years with applicants
! for jobs.
There is this much to be said. how
ever. in support of this Federal employ
ment. The jobs provided by President
Roosevelt have given employment and
| livelihood to thousands Of men and
women who were unable to find work
elsewhere. What these persons would
have done without these jobs no one can
now say. What they will do If the jobs
are pulled from under them in the name
Of economy it is impossible to say with
| certainty. There has been a pickup
| In business in many parts OF the coun-
| try, 1t is true. Business may not be
ready to pay the same wages that Uncle
| Sam pays, but II it can take care Of
thousands of these Government workers,
then the depression will really be on its
way out of the picture.
|
The consistency of the President Is
called into question by his critics. He
talks Of cutting the personnel and ex-
penditures Of the emergency" agencies,
| and at the same time is urging con-
| gressional committees to 60 ahead with
new and permanent N. r. A. law.
And while, he talks of cutting the per-
sonnel Of these emergency agencies,
Prof. Rexford G. Tugwell, UnderSecre-
| tary of Agriculture and Brain Truster
No. l, is going forward with his reset
tlement administration" which has a