Evening star., 1936-01-14
An Unending Vista.

All OIlcIlIilllS Vlolo'
Congress has been in session eleven
days. In that time the program has been
extended and talk of an early adjourn
ment has given place to predictions OF
months of sizzling contest on Capitol
Hill. The decision of the Supreme
Court, throwing out completely the agrl-
cultural adjustment act, coming as it did
on the day that the President submitted
his budget message to Congress- eclipSed
that document at least for the time
being, There is reason, however, to
believe that the budget will before long
become a matter of controversy.
The invalidation of the A. A. A. has
Immediately projected upon the national
screen a demand for new farm legisla-
ton. The problem of the administration
is to devise a plan for continuing the
payment of benefit" checks to the
farmers to prevail upon them to curtail
crops and at the same time keep within
the bounds of the Constitution New
contracts of the Government with the
farmers for the curtailment OF crops
appear to be impossible under the decl-
sion of the court. The alternative seems
to be for the Government to go ahead
and pay the farmers anyway. after con-
vmcing itself that the farmers have been
doing the right thing. Whatever the
details of the administrations new farm
bill, it seems probable that it will lead
to debate in both House and Senate.
Other plans for farm relief will be
advanced. Already Representative Smell,
Republican leader of the House, has said
that the G. O. p. will have plan. and
Senator McNary of Oregon, Republican
leader of the Upper House, has intro
duced a three-way bill, embodying the
export debenture, the equalization fee
and the domestic allotment plans, all old
friends. The administration seems bent
at present on the adoption of domestic
allotment plan, in some form OF its own.
What if the Supreme Court holds other
New Deal acts to be unconstitutional, the
Tennessee Valley Authority act, for
example, thus challenging the admins
tration's plans for regulation and control
of the hydroelectric business? If the
administration is faced with along series
of defeats of that character and finds
that it is advisable to revamp these laws,
there would seem to be no end to the
present session of Congress-, notWith-
standing the coming national campaign,
short of statutory limitation. 1t is pos
sible, of course, that the President and
his supporters may decide that it is better
to let these measures die temporarily
and seek reelection from those dis
srlntled because of their invalidation.
The destruction of the A. A. A., how
ever, promised to cut off an important
flow of Government money-important
to the farmers and to the administra-
ton which Is seeking their support in
the national campaign. That is matter
which, naturally, demanded immediate
attention.
A supplemental flow of Government
money into the hands of prospective
voters Is about to be provided for by
law, the soldiers bonus. This money will
be passed out to the veterans in this
campaign year, not last year nor next
year. And presumably this money will
start flowing at a time which will be
most effective. For the machinery re-
quired to hand out the money or the
''baby bonds" proposed to be offered the
veterans may take months to set up.
Many Of the Republicans in Congress
may support the bonus legislation,
although some of them in the House
already have opposed it. However, the
Democrats, who outnumber the Repub-
licans three to one in Congress, will take
the credit fer handing over this huge
sum of money to the veterans
What is to become of the budget,
which estimated deficit at the close
Of the fiscal year 1887 of little more
than 81, ,0O0, 900 900? When the President
submitted this budget estimate to Con-
eress, he did not include in the estimates
of expenditures any new appropriations
for relief. It looks as though Govern
ment finances were to occupy the atten-
ton of the Congress for some time to
come, but there are to be no new taxes
in this campaign year-not if the Demo-
Gratis can avoid them.