Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-04


extends not only to providing food and
shelter for the destitute, but to pro-
vide q job to every man and woman
willing and able to work. They insist
the talk Of q balanced budget is fall
lacious and that 1t never will become
necessary.
The administration has fallen down
In its campaign promise to reduce the
running expenses Of the Federal Gov
eminent IS per cent. The President
started at the outset to economic,
when Lewis Douglas was budget d.
rector. Government salaries were cut
IS per cent, and the veterans were
deprived Of about s400. 000, 900 Of their
benefits. But later, under pressure,
these economies we're rescinded. The
Government bureaus and emergency
agencies have continued to increase.
Both Richberg and his predecessor,
Frank Walker, as head Of the National
Emergency Council. attempted to trim
down the personnel, but failed to &C.
complish anything worth while. Even
the President appears helpless to curb
the growth Of the Federal bureaucracy,
which Is the life blood of political Or
carnations. And still the patronage
hunters cry for more jobs.
The increase in the cost of the Fed
eral Government has been at about
the same ratio rs the decline in the
country's earning power From
seventy mine billions in the flush year
Of 1929, the national income dropped
to around forty billions. and last
year came back to about fifty-one bill
lion dollars. The average per capita
earnings since 1898 have been in
creased from 1858 . year to $4l2.
However. it is pointed out that over
5000 900 heads Of families now are
on the relief rolls. These persons are
receiving an average of $40 each q
month in the form of . dole, and $35
q month when they perform some
work IN return for Government
bounty.
High Point in 1888.
The Federal Reserve Board re-
ported that last February industrial
production had reached 90 per cent
Of the ls23-2S level. The high point
OF 100 per cent was In July, 1898. at
the outset Of the administration, when
recovery was going full steam ahead.
The same deceptive squirt came in Mr..
Hoover's administration, In the late
Spring and early Summer of 1890.
Since July, 1893, recovery has been
by Jumps and starts. The low point
in commodity prices was so per cent
OF 1926 In March, 1888. Last Jan
uary the index figure was 70 per cent,
gain Of 10 per cent. The first
month Of the Roosevelt administra-
ton, building activity was Is per cent
Of the l923-25 average. It spurted to
81 per cent In December. 1888, and
now Is only 81 per cent.
Factory employment and wages still
have . long way to 20 to reach the
boom level Of 1929. In March. 1888.
employment was at 50 per cent of the
l923-25 level and wages at 81 per
cent. Both had reached 50 and CT
per cent, respectively, last May, but
DOW have fallen back to 10 and s.
per cent.
Those who have jobs are better OF
now than two years ago, but those
without jobs are apparently worse of,
judging from the continuing high
number Of unemployed and the In
crease Of persons on the relief rolls.
Employed persons may thank the New
Deal for the most part, for an in
crease of % per cent in their earn
ings. But that has not all been clear
gain. for the cost Of living also has
advanced.
The farmer has received more than
an equal share Of the benefits os
higher prices. The comeback of agri-
culture Is one Of the brightest spots
Of the New Deal, although partly &C
complished by the hardships of in.
dividual farmers caught by the
drought, and in substantial way by
the A. A. A. cash benefits paid for
reduced crop production, collected
ffom the consumers In the form of
processing taxes.
One Of the weak points In the New
Deal has been the continued loss of
export markets for American farm
products. Exports generally have
climbed since 1888, in price more
rapidly than In volume, according to
the Department Of Commerce.
The cotton situation exposes some
Of the fundamental weakness Of the
New Deal experiments, in regimenting
production and attempting to raise
prices. When the New Deal poultices
are applied to one spot, the rash often
breaks out at another. Too fire.
quenty one attempted cure has
brought more new troubles, some of
them more difficult to control than
the original difficulty. Two years Of
experimentation have caused even the
New Dealers to doubt the potency of
their own remedies, and many Of
them admit that economic cure-alls
are Is ineffective As snake oil and
Indian charms, except to meet par
ticular emergencies, or As nerve
medicine.
(copyright 1885. By North American
NeWSpaper Alliance Incl