Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-02-21

Washington.-The boys on Cap
itol Hill, have made up their minds
to get through and go home by
May l. Whether hat means any
thing or not remains to be seen.
1t is not likely, however, that the
President will throw any new lig-
islative proposals in at the last
minute. He is just as anxious to
have Congress go home as the boys
are to get back and look after
their political fences.
Congress has quite a few things
to do, however, before it quits.
The boys have to put through
some kind of a farm aid bill, devise
some now tax schemes which won't
have too serious political repercus-
sions and, just before they leave;
they will have to make another
big relief appropriation.
One thing that they probably
will not bother about is fixing up
a permanent neutrality law. The
reaction against the ideas Of Sen
ator Nye and his committee has
convinced NOSE of the members
of both houses that any attempt to
prescribe in advance just what the
United States may or may not do
in case of another general war
would be as futile as most at
tempts to peer into the undisclos-
ed future. Also it might get US
into the very trouge which it would
attempt to avert.
Another thing that is apparent
ly off the cards is old age pen
sions a la Townsend. This looked
like a live issue in December, but
the attitude now is to let it lie
until after election. With the old
age assistance plan in the Social
Security Act, it is figured that
the states will have no trouble in
taking care of the really needy old
folks, and that is as far as this
Congress or the Administration is
inclined to go.
Congress and the Administration
have been hearing so much criti-
cism, during the last few weeks,
on the subject of free spending, that
there is now a considerable degree
of harmony between the legislative
and executive branches Of the gov
eminent in the matter of appro-
p%riations. One effect of the reac-
ton against spending was the an
nouncement the other day by the
President that he is not going tol
use the last billion or so which,
had been voted for the Works.
Progress Administration. He will
have to come back to Congress for
a further relief appropriation for
the period beginning July l, and
this may run to 2 billions.
The farm aid bill as passed byi
the Senate combines in one meas
ure several diverse elements. It'll
provides for control of soil eros
ion, of which everybody is in ia
vor. 1t also provides for the re-
plenishing Of worn out soil by the
planting of grasses and legumes.
Everybody is for that. 1t provides
bounty payments to farmers for
doing these things.
1t seems to be a settled policy,
which both major parties will un-
doubtedly indorse at their June
conventions, that farming should
be regarded as a preferred occu-
patton, entitled to a large measure
of government aid. Therefore, there
is no serious objection to paying
farm bounties for the purpose just
mentioned.
Where the fight will come will!
be over the provision of the bill
which undertakes to continue con-
troll by the Department of Agricul-
ture over crop production. Excep-
ton is taken to this by members
of both parties on the ground that
it is an attempt to evade the Su-
preme Courts ruling that the con-
troll of agriculture is not within
CONTINUED on page Four)