Evening star., 1935-10-11
New Deal Trends.

The Chamber of Commerce Of the
United States, which through a special
. committee has been studying for months
the trends of New Deal legislation, is
asking organized American business
what it thinks about it all. Indeed, hav-
ing through it's committee developed
rather definite ideas of what the New
Deal is doing to the American people
through legislation, the chamber seems
now intent upon confirming its sus-
-picions. A ballot asking four questions
has been sent out to the 1900 members
=. OF the chamber, representing approx
imately 100000 business men in all parts
of the country.
wants to know from Its members is
whether it approves trends Of the New
Deal which it's committee has found. For
example, it asks whether the Federal
Jurisdiction should be extended into mat
ters of State and local concern. The
answer to that question by persons who
believe in local self government, who be-
leve that people is stronger and better
governed which attends to its own af-
fairs at home, is quite simple. However,
the New dealer, who has become con-
vinced that only through a powerfully
centralized government can economic
and social problems be met, will take
different view.
The chamber asks pertinent ques-
tion. 1t is: Should the Federal Govern
ment today spend Federal money with
out regard to the Federal income?
Here, too. persons Of old-fashioned ideas,
who believe that the way out Of an
economic hole is through economy, will
say no" On the other hand, the men
and women who believe that it is pos
'sible to spend way out of debt, for
either nation or individual, will insist
that the New Deal administration has
been quite right to increase the Federal
budget by billions Of dollars and to
create deficits of startling proportions.
A third question asked by the chamber
strikes near the heart of every business
man, large or small. Should there be
Government competition with private
business for regulatory or any other pur-
pose? Government competition with
private business is as destructive to pri-
vate business as swarm Of locusts is
to growing crops. 1t is impossible for
American citizens to compete with their
own Government. Nor should they be
compelled to attempt to do so. But the
New Dealers have demanded 'yardsticks"
and other governmental participation in
business and production.
The fourth question included in the
QUESTIONABLE Of the chamber deals with
the delegation of power. It asks whether
the Congress should grant authority
to the executive departments that was
not within, clearly defined limits. 1t
also asks whether executive officials
should have discretionary power-in
5 effect, legislative power-through blanket
: delegation of power by the Congress.
When an executive makes the law as
well as executes it, tyranny, benevolent
otherwise and usually otherwise,
: follows in its trail
=, New Dealers may deny the trends
attributed by the chambers committee
to the New Deal administration and ths
laws the New Deal Congress has passed.
When written down in black and white,
such trends appear antagonistic to
American ideals of government and
life. The true New Dealer insists that
the New Deal is but an amplihcation
of the ideas and ideals of the Nations
fathers, made necessary by the more
complex life of today.