The Washington times., 1935-02-01

SAAS - SS~SN~S~S''
The first point to note is that
"we" as a nation are supposed to
be doing the planning" Actually,
however, a board is appointed by
the President. It submits it's ideas.
The President accepts them, and
transmits them to Congress with
q, request for $4,000, 000, 900 (bil.
lions, not millions). Congress
passes the appropriation in a few
minutes.
He states that this will affect
"the future Of every American
family everywhere. But he ad.
mits "the physical imposSibility Of
surveying, weighing and testing
each and every project" which is
involved in this huge expenditure.
ask, is this a plan? Are you
and I and our neighborS participat-
ing in it?
All it is, is a vague general
scheme Of doing things to for
eStS, rivers, etc. And it is pro-
posed by a few idealistic indi-
vidualS. without any national
participation. 1t is planning
for the nation, not by the ma
ton.
The second point is most i'm
portant. What is the basis of the
plan? The President tells us
it is what we want to be-" It is
based on wish thinking"
We want abundant nfe," so we
"plan" to spend four billion dol
lars-without being able to "sur-
Ney, weigh, or test" the projects.
To paraphraSe the old saying,
"if wishes were horsepower, beg
gars might enjoy free electricity"
"Then there Is q very sig
nificant third point. This
alleged "plan" is fatally mixed
mp with current emergency. 1t
is supposed to be q long run
scheme to deal with "evils that
will attend our children"-it Is
to affect the future Of every
American family" But at the
same time 1t is to be rushed
through because Of q current
= emergency" and an immediate
crisis Of unemployment"
Now these two purposes simply
cannot be mixed. We can do
things to give immediate relief
to needy persons, on a temporary
basis and with little regard for
cost. But we cannot wisely plan
for the distant future Of the
nation In that way. Both long
run "plan" and immediate relief
measures are hurt by trying to
combine them.
This notion that sweeping ere
forms" can be mixed with imme-
diate business recovery, has al
ready done us great harm.
Now comes the menacing plea
that we must not survey, weigh,
and test" this $4,000, 000, 900 spend
ing scheme for future generations,
nor provide permanent adminiStra-
tive machinery - because tn a t
~would retard the immediate EN-.
ployment objective"
:. The President has learned some
thing. At least he now says that
It is an error to think that we have
conquered nature, that there are
"immutable laws" Of nature, and
that man must learn to work in
harmony with them.
But he still labors under the de.
fusion that "the laws Of natural
economics Cd have broken down"
+(T suppose he means the law OF
supply and demand.) Above all, he
still has the idea that we can make
mass adjustments to nature. He
talks Of q national economics"
This means RECOMMENDATION.
It is a pleasant idealistic
dream picture he paints, that Of
the whole people of the nation
sitting down like a prudent"
individual and taking stock Of
our resources in order to plan
our future. But it can't work
that way in . democracy. Even
If It could, remember that q
prudent person would certainly
itemize expenditures, and count
the costs.
Haven't We had enough in.
spiration? Isn't It time to count
costs, and to deal In a practical
way with the current emergency
and the immediate problem Of
recovery?
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