The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-02-20
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National Topics Interpreted AB I4IaA4aAa9kH3
by William Bruckart WIlalallM
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discomfort with the principles that law
sought to apply. 1t cannot be that
Mr.. Roosevelt was not aware of this
growing dissatisfaction and that his
political advisers smelled a rat be
cause good many plans for modifca-
ton had been under discussion pri,
vately among AAA advisers long be.
fore a Supreme court decision was In
prospect. Practical men working with
Secretary Wallace and Administrator
Davis were steadily trying to accom-
plish changes in administration of the
AAA law, and the three others as well.
to make 1t workable. They were con-
fronted, however, with superabun-
dance of brain trusters who could make
a beautiful case In print for their
views and during that time the brain
while the practical administrators were
left out In the cold.
1t is thus that we see development
under the New Deal whereby most of
the responsible people are attempting
to dodge the responsibility that be-
longs to them. Some of them are at
tempting to clean their own skirts, or
make their skirts appear clean, by
damning the Supreme court; others
are blaming our system" for failure
nft hn 20 In oftn a
plication and still other groups point
the finger of scOrn at those charged
with administration of the agricultural
policy, blaming them for the failure.
Things like this have developed before
in Washington and have died down in
due time but believe that seldom, If
ever, has occurred situation in which
the responsibility was so general and
the blame so generally denied by those
responsible.
Washington observers are watching
the Presidents latest maneuvers on
government finance
Must Cut with considerable in
Borrowing terest. The Presi-
dent, you know, al
ready has told agencies of the govern
ment that are equipped with borrowing
power that they must reduce this
borrowing. He has, in effect, with
drawn from them authorization that
would have permitted the borrowing of
about $1,000,000,O00 during the next
year.
During the last few weeks, the
Chief Executive has been concerned
also with reduction In governmental
spending and at the same time with
plans to raise additional money. He
has presented a tax bill to congress,
an obstinate congress. Representa-
tives and senators do not like to cam
paign after passing new tax bill so
they frankly do not like the idea of
new taxes at this time.
1t is too early to forecast the full
importance of the Presidents latest
moves. There are those who insist
that Mr.. Roosevelt is making a sincere
effort to cut down government spend
ing and to convince the nation that he
is seeking to reduce the waste that is
ume Of disbursements of money as has
taken place in the last three years
There are others who take the posi-
ton that the President is simply build
ing up picture which can be shown
to the voters when election time comes.
They say that Mr.. Roosevelt wants to
be in a position to point to an accom-
plished reduction in federal expendi-
lures and to assure the voters that he
had permitted only such expenditures
as were necessary to bring the country
out of the depression.
An unbiased conclusion is that lit
tie of each claim is true. If expendi.
lures actually are reduced, obviously
the action will be welcomed by the tax
payers. On the other hand. the bally-
hoo that went out from the White
House and executive departments con-
corning the withdrawal of borrowing
power was rather unjustified. 1t was
unjustified for the reason that the
move was simply bookkeeping propo-
sition and, further, there was even
a hint that such agencies as the Re-
construction Finance corporation and
Home Owners Loan corporation had no
plans for borrowing extensively dur
ing the forthcoming summer and fall
But 1t made good reading. 1t is only
the actual curtailment of spending the
money. however, that means anything
from the standpoint of the taxpayers
If one looks into the future in con-
nection with the Presidential program
of curtailing borrowing and cutting ex-
penditures, it is rather difficult to es-
cape the thought that continuation
of policies such as have been spon.
sored by the New Deal in the last three
years will force renewal of these ex-
penditures in due course. In other
words, the administration course re-
specting these expenditures is going to
depend upon the results of the Novem-
Der election: If Mr.. Roosevelt is re-
turned to the White House and he con-
tinueS with substantial Democratic
majority In congress, there Is no rea-
son to believe that present spending
policies will be entirely abandoned.
Such gigantic framework of govern
ment agencies has been built up that,
in my opinion, it will be utterly i'm
possible to stop all, or even substan-
tial part, of the drain from the treas
ury that has been going on.
@western Newspaper Union.
First Public High School