Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-01-30
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY CONG. JOHN PAUL KvALE

The bonus" after all these years,
now appears to be a dead issue. BY
an overwhelming vote the House over
rode the veto message and sent the
bill to the Senate, where it will be
taken up Monday. And no intelligent
observer dares to predict anything ex-
cept humping approval of the
House action. That will make it law
in spite Of the veto. when both Houses
OF Congress vote to put 1t across in
the face of veto by two-thirds
vote or more.
Behind the scenes was evident the
usual iockeying. The President, in
the year of national elections, neces-
sarily was conscious Of the veteran
vote. His advisors were hopeful that
felt impelled to veto the measure.
which would be devoid Of the animus
and the bitterness that characterized
his last one on the same subject. 1t
would still. permit him to be consist
ent and would let him point out to
his party big-wigs and purse-holders
that he had done his duty as best he
could. The President did just that
by referring to his last message with
out repeating any of his emphatic
statements that it included. But it
served insufficiently, for the veto
message only changed three votes.
and it goes to the Senate with a safe
margin of votes. And advance polls
indicate that it is scheduled to be-
come law when it comes up there
Monday.
The bill that is destined to become
law proposes payment in bonds, and
not In the currency expansion method
that the writer and others have been
advocating up to this time. To that
extent the expansiOnists have been
sold down the river" Yet the care
full students of finance and economics
point out that after bank deposits and
general purchasing levels have been
registered, the bond plan Of payment
may we'll have an effect on expansion
of currency and credit almost equal
to the other plan Nevertheless, ad-
herents to the Senator Owen and Pat
man plans are still disappointed. but
to a man supported the bill that au-
thorizes payment by means of eX-
change of three per cent bonds in fifty
dollar denominations that are CASH
able June fifteenth at par.
The bonus fight-and the writer
uses the WORD. in spite of his con-
tinued distaste for the word bonus"
did serve to add impetus to the
of names affixed to the Frazier-Lem
Ike refnancing petition. In a day or
two. at the present rate. enough
names will be forthcoming so that
this much-discussed measure will
have a test vote in the House before
| the middle of February.
Then the House faces the task of
| substituting measure for the AAA,
declared unconstitutional and prev
iously reviewed here. In the def
cheney appropriation bill which the
House passed this week, it set aside
moneys to fulfill contracts already
entered into. as former letters sug-
gested to readers Of this column.
There is, however, greater conflict
of opinion as to the form and nature
of an agricultural program for the
future. The overwhelming sentiment,
both in Congress and among admin
istration officials, in that same kind
of a program must be speedily en-
acted, and both the Senate and House
Committees on Agriculture have been
giving the matter their entire atten-
| ton. At present. it appears that the
| amend the Soil Erosion Act, enacted
during the last session, by including
therein a program of land cOnserva-
ton. and giving broad powers to the
Secretary of Agriculture to make pay
ments and grant aid to farmers who
voluntarily change the use Of their
land in accordance with regulations
to be made by the Secretary of Agri-
culture. Using soil erosion and land
conservation. in which field it is be-
lieved the federal government can
properly enter, the intent OF the pro-
posal is to take lands out of normal
production, and in that way exercise
remote control over the type Of
crop to be planted and the acreage to
be put into production.
There is a great deal of difference
of opinion as to the constitutionality
| of this proposal AS there are no tax
ing provisions in the proposal, it is
difficult to conceive how any inGdvid-
ual could contest it's validity in the
courts because of the inability of any
one to prove damages This obstacle.
however, will not prevent various po-
litical groups from making charges
and counter charges as to the legality
of the act Whether or not the bill
is within the constitutional power Of
Congress to legislate, it is generally
admitted that it is at least right on
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