The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-05-17
lNulI'i'i92'9q|S 5liqe(1k
National Topics Interpreted "a G41l
by William Bruckart TTTTHTTTTX
PressB Bull d.
National Press Building Washington. D. c.

there are around 100000 home own
ers in the nation, and that even at the
lowest point of the depression there
were more people working for salaries
and wages than there were unem-
ployed. Mr.. Farley's guess apparently
Is that so many, of these workers have
had their incomes reduced that they
will support candidate who prom
ises to improve their condition. In
their numbers lies the difference be-
tween victory and defeat.
In addition to these factors, there is
to be considered the probability of de-
fections caused by such demagogic
leadership as the Longs and the
Coughlins. Saner thinking people
know, of course, that the programs
which Senator Long and Father Cough
lin have been preaching far and wide
are as impossible of fulfillment as
was the EPIC program advanced by
Upton Sinclair in his California cam
paign. But it may not be overlooked
that these men can and will pull to-
gether several million voters.
These conditions obviously will be
altered somewhat before the political
conventions next year. There will be
realignments and shifting and new
threats and new promises. But it
seems to me that the 1896 campaigns
are going to be battles in which the
fur will fly and the shortcomings of
men will be exposed for public analysis
to a greater extent than ever has hap
pened before.
No discussion of the controversy be-
tween business and President Roose-
welt would be COM
NKA the plete without consid-
Hot Spot Grafton of the NRA.
1t is the hottest spot
in congress right now. The situation
is of such character as to be COM
parable to a carbuncle on your neck.
Those who have had carbuncles will
fully understand.
A few days ago. Mr.. Roosevelt called
the most obstreperous of opposition
senator's to the White House for a
conference on the question of what
to do about extending the national in
duStrial recovery act. 1t is due to
expire by limitation of law on June Is.
He cleverly invited Miss Perkins, the
secretary of labor, and Donald Rich
berg. the guiding hand of the Recovery
administration, 10 sit in on that meet
ing. 1t was only natural that two
such avid New Dealers as Miss Per-
kins and Mr.. Richberg should hold out
for continuation of NRA for a two
year period. And it was only natural
for senators who do not believe whole
heartedly in all of the NRA principles
to insist on a makeshift, or temporary
continuation. The President put them
into a cockpit to fight it out. The
resulting disagreement was perfectly
logical but the President had put him
self in a position to trade with con-
gress.
Since the NRA opponents in con-
gress did not yield, they naturally went
back to the Capitol and framed their
own program. They propose to have
NRA continued, with some of its I'M
satisfactory features eliminated, to
April of next year. They probably will
be able to muster enough support to
pass some such legislation. If they
do, the President will accept it. Actual
ly, he has no choice. He cannot allow
.the policy represented by NRA to
crash completely. 1t would mean a
political defeat which the President,
strong as he is, probably could not
withstand.
The point of this NRA situation lies
somewhat deeper than mere politics,
however, because, as / said earlier,
business views are being reflected to
a considerable extent in congress.
Surely, they are now being reflected
more than at any time since Mr.. Roose-
Welt was inaugurated. This is note
worthy in view of the possible political
alignment on economic issues in 1886.
These senators and representatives
who have supported the New Deal for
purposes of expediency seem to be ap-
preaching the parting of the ways.
They soon will be forced to choose
openly whether they want to go brain
trust or whether they prefer to temper
the old conservative thought with the
proper liberalism of progress based on
established business practices and the
requirements of human needs.
1t is a wiser and sadder Blue Eagle
that is proposed in the senate resolu-
ton continuing NRA.
Wiser That resolution is
Blue EAGLE equipped with scis-
sors to trim the tail
feathers of the famed eagle so that 1t
cannot operate against businesses
whose traffic is wholly within a state
intrastate-nor will it permit price
fixing.
The senate finance committee which
drafted this resolution reported it to
the senate by the overwhelming vote
of sixteen to threes That shows better
than any words of mine how thorough
ly determined that senate group was to
override the Richberg-Perkins views on
administration policy. Succinctly. the
continuing resolution provides for
changes in the current law as follows: :
/. No price fixing shall be permitted
or sanctioned under any code except in
codes covering mineral or natural re-
sources industries that now embody
the price fixing principle.
2. No trade engaged wholly in in
trastate commerce shall be placed un-
der code.
3. The President will have 80 days
in which to review present codes Of
fair practice in order to revise and
adiust zach so that it will conform to