The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-06-20

ly, whether the American people de-
sire that their government shall con-
troll individual businesses or whether
those businesses and the practices of
the citizenry shall be permitted to
continue as was the desire of the col
onists when they fought off the armies
of King George.
But there will be some sixteen
months of time that must elapse be-
fore the American
problems people can express
to SoIue their opinion and
their wishes at the
polls. In that interim, pressing prob
lens resulting from the New Deal
program must be solved.
At the moment, what to do with
MIRA as well as how to do it stands
foremost. Behind it lies troublesome
questions centering in the farm poll
cies of the Agricultural Adjustment ad
ministration. Permeating the very
structure of the New Deal is the broad
er question of whether it Is desirable
to continue so many O. the alphabetical
agencies as permanent units of the
government since each of them was
created in response to plan necessi-
tated by desires for economic recovery.
NRA will be continued in a skeleton
form. Its powers and its functions will
be very limited. Some vitriolic oppon-
ents of NRA are declaring that its
skeleton organization is being main
tanned solely as face-saying PROPOSE
ton. They argue that Mr.. Roosevelt
could not admit complete defeat of
this outstanding plank in his recovery
platform.
The truth seems to be that Mr..
Roosevelt, while unwilling to admit de-
feat in this direction, is waiting until
he can determine what the wishes of
the country are and how far the ma
jority of the population will go with
him In rebuilding the structure on
lines within the limitations prescribed
by the Supreme court. Thus far. GER
tainly he has had considerable evid-
ence of benefits accruing from the
NRA experiment No other view can be
taken of announcements by many in
duStrial leaders to the effect that they
intend to continue hours of labor and
wage levels to which they had sub
scribed under the codes Of fair prac-
tice-all Of which were thrown out
the window by the Supreme court as
illegal.
To the extent that important indus
trial lines are continuing to observe
the code conditions on a voluntary
basis it is believed Mr.. Roosevelt can
take credit for having moved general
business to plane against which even
the social theorists can offer little
complaint. The President has termed
those who have been guilty of unfair
and unjust treatment of labor and the
consuming public "chiselers." There
is chiseling going on now. Probably,
there will be more of it. If it be-
comes too widespread, it seems rea-
sonably certain that there will be a
strong reaction among thinking peo-
pie. This reaction will strengthen
whatever moves the President makes
to revise the constitutional limitations
about which he has complained.
In connection with the characterize
ton of chiselers that has been so
abundantly Haunted about, much dis
cussion Is heard in Washington indi-
eating there are two sides to that story.
1t is a matter of common knowledge
that the codes Of fair practice en-
abled certain lines of commerce and
industry to gain extraordinary profits.
Those lines adhered rigidly to the
codes because of the returns they re-
ceived. 1t seems, therefore, that they
are not entitled to as much credit as
the members of other lines of trade
who obeyed the codes when such ODE
dience meant actual losses in bust
ness way. The question Is asked
therefore, can it be expected that those
who suffered under the codes will con-
tinue to observe those code provisions
which were slowly but surely forcing
them to the verge of bankruptcy. 1t
seems to me, therefore, that before a
business firm or an Individual is la
beled as a chiseler, one ought to look
into the history of the case and see
what the background of that firm or
individual has been.
There was an incident of historic
Importance in the Capitol building the
other day. The Su-
Htsf0rIc preme court of the
Incident United States met as
usual in its chambers
under the dome of the Capitol on June
8. AS far as outward appearances go
it was simply another session in which
the nine dignified and learned justices
met to publicly render the conclusions
of law they had reached. But 1t was
more than that. 1t was the last time
the court was to convene in that
chamber, and today it is dim in the
sallow light of shaded windows for
the first time since 1860.
When the court convenes next Oc-
tober after it's usual summer recess.
the justices will climb marble steps
into gigantic new million-dollar
structure-the permanent home of the
court for the future. 1t is building
ornate in its simplicity. The court
chambers and the private Offices of
the justices represent architectural
masterpieces. Equipment of the most
modern type has been installed. Con-
venience is everywhere. Yet one of
the older members of the court whom
it has been my privilege to know re-
marked with just a touch of pathos in