Evening star., 1936-10-15
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY C. GOULD LINCOLN.

AlaAlOWo IllC pdCtlC 4Ol Vic
considerably, particularly in view of the
fact that the South appears to be as
usual-solidly Democratic. 1t virtually
makes the battlefield the East and the
Middle West country. In only States of
the great area lying to the West of
Kansas does Landon appear to have a
look-in at present They are Colorado
and wyoming. In the other camp appear
to be Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada,
Washington, Oregon and California.
Farther to the South, Arizona seems
bent on turning in for Roosevelt, while
in New Mexico the Republicans are
putting up more of battle.
In this great Western country-country
that lies beyond the drought area, for the
most part-cOnditionS have been improv-
ing right along. Not only have these
States had millions upon millions OF
dollars OF Federal money expended with
in their limits. which of itself has helped
to make business, but the industries and
agriculture-which is an industry here
have been going ahead. Cattle and sheep
and mining are the principal products of
several OF the States. And cattle and
sheep and mining are doing well, and so
are the sugar beets In Colorado and the
big potatoes in Iadho.
The great majority OF those employed
in these industries are inclined to give
Roosevelt and his policies, both agri-
cultural and mining. credit for the i'm
provement in conditions, and so it goes.
These people are not all satisfied, but
they are more comfortable than they
were. The Democratic campaign from
the President down is couched ON the
y1rnnncitin,, ftot i,,
vastly better than they were in 1882.
The effort is made to attribute this i'm
provement to the New Deal and the
Roosevelt administration. 1t is a natural
for this campaign. 1t is effective. Even
though there are some who insist that
conditions would have improved if
Roosevelt had not been President and
had not undertaken all the alphabetical
experiments of government, the majority
are saying: He did something for U.S."
This undoubtedly is helping Roosevelt.
The main trouble for the Roosevelt
party out here is with the business men
as 1t is perhaps in other parts of the
country. They are making more money
than they did couple of years ago, it
is true. in most instances But these
men are thinking ahead. What worries
them and turns them against the New
Deal is a fear for the future. They
don't know, they say, how to plan. They
are already feeling the heavy hand OF
taxation. They say that the Government
spending. continued on its present mag
nificent scale. is making it increasingly
apparent that within year or two the
Government will be seeking more money,
through increased taxation. 1t cannot
go on borrowing forever. Nor do they
take much stock in the suggestion OF the
President that increased business is going
to be SO great that the present rate OF
taxation will be sufficient to meet the
needs Of the Government for money.
The profits which they are making now
do not seem at all secure. They may
be easily wiped out. Contractors on big
jobs are uncertain, when it comes to
figuring costs and profit.
The men on wages are not inclined to
look so far ahead. They are better of
and they thank Roosevelt for 1t. The
farmers are more conservative and hard
headed. But even they are feeling better
and inclined to continue with the pres
ent administration. rather than take a
chance with still newer deal. This in
contrast to four years ago, when they,
along with the rest of the country, were
willing to gamble on Roosevelt-on any
thing to get a change from their intol-
cradle conditions which followed the de-
preston and crash of 1929.
t&*
Some of the farmers do not like the
quota system, whether in the form of
the old A. A. A. or the newer soil con-
Servation program. II quotas are to be
established for one year, how on earth
are they to be changed in the next year?
1t looks like program that would keep
men in status quo-unleSs through polit-
ical favoritiSm they can have the quotas
changed in their interest. Such favor
will have to come from Washington or
from the political boss in their own
State A quota system for business and
industry, il it came, would have the same
static effect. 1t would keep all the big
boys big and the small boys small again,
unless political favors were handed out.
Homesteaders in Colorado and in other
Western States are feeling the leveling
hand of Washington and do not like it.
A considerable number of them have
filed in additional lands, only to be told
they cannot make living on these lands.
or on the lands which they have been
using.
The Republican State Committee In
Colorado has not been slow to utilize this
policy of the administration in an attack
on the New Deal 1t has estimated that in
the West there are 1000 families that have
been told to get off grazing lands upon
which they had filed under homestead
policy that dates back to 1862, when Lin
coin was President. The homeSteaderS are
being ousted, it is charged, because Off
cials in Washington have decided that
they cannot make living on the land
| Further, these officials have declined to
| permit homeSteaders who have been
prospering to add to their holdings
| They have been told that "we have
| decided you cannot make living on
| $40 acres of grazing land on which you
| have filed. Accordingly we will give you
| 160 acres of it, The Republican COM
| mittee has dug into the records and has
| made public a long list of cases of this
| kind. giving the names of the home
| SteaderS in each instance. These Gov
ernment operations, the Republicans
| hold, are clear indication of the manner
in which it is planned to regiment" the
| farmers of the country. They will have
| to take their cue from Washington
| whether they want to or not. With
some of the farmers the argument is
effective.
The campaign in the last week has