Evening star., 1937-06-19
Time to Wake Tn.


cratic leader OF the upper house, has
taken up the cudgels for economy in
government expenditure Specifically,
he proposes to restrict the expenditure
af the 81, 500 900, 900 relief fund to
W. P. A. projects where the local gov
srnments are willing and able to put up
Is per cent Of the COST This restriction
might we'll have 4 salutary effect. AZ
Senator Robinson has said in the Senate
debate, I'VE can't 20 on forever" Par
Ecularly when the public debt has
reached the unprecedented amount OF
ts6 900 ,000. 900, more than a billion dol
Aars in excess Of what the President esti-
mated 1t would be.
The Arkansas Senator complained,
and with justice, that in these days no
one takes seriously the question OF debt
and deficits. After the World War, he
said, when this country faced 4 public
debt less by ten billions of dollars than it
h today, the American people and the
Congress took the situation seriously.
They went to work to reduce the debt
and they did reduce 1t by many billions
Of dollars. There seems no real hope for
the future until some one-and some one
IN the highest authority, whether 1t be
Congress or the President or the Ameri-
can taxpayers or all three-wakes up to
the untold trouble which is being laid
up for the people in the days to come.
The course OF the relief bill in the
House, and more recently in the Senate
Appropriations Committee and the Sem
ate itself, Is not calculated to inspire
any one with confidence that the legis-
Istors and the President have ceased to
take government expenditures lightly, II
not with levity. Groups in both houses
have demanded economy-groups OF
Democrats. They have pointed out that
the only place where 4 really big cut in
appropriations might be possible was
with the relief bill. They suggested that
the amount be cut from 81, 500, ,0O0, 900 to
81 900 ,000, 900, and added that this should
be enough for one year, but II 1t were not,
another appeal could be made to Con-
gress. The bill, however, passed the
House carrying the full 81 SOC, ,ooo, 900 ap-
preparation, and 1t is also going to pass
the Senate carrying that amount. What
will happen to the Robinson amendment
Is yet to be finally disclosed, for the Sen
ate has recessed until Monday.
1t was \ salutary thing for the Demo-
cratic leader OF the Senate to take the
stand he has taken on the relief appro-
pnation bill and demand ut least the
restriction that government millions
shall not be expended unless local con-
tTibutions are made-where 1t Is posi-
BILE for them to be made. 1t would be
more salutary II President Roosevelt
would make such \ demand, or would
make the kind OF statement which Sena-
bnr Robinson made TO the Senate yes-
terday.
Robinson called attention not only to
the fact that the public debt Is the
s'oAAS~S LA uhiS A1AobOiy VI tIlS CVunbEy, Out
also to the fact that private enterprise, in
. measure, IL more prosperous than it
WAS in 1e2o-those boom days which it
h now fashionable to denounce. Here
n An added reason for restriction upon
relief appropriations. It Is incredible
that, with business again At 4 high point
and industry revolving faster and faster
except where strikes interfere-that
FEDERAL relief expenditures should remain
- high. Ths administration, however.
apparently has no intention of taking 4
stand in the matter 1t Is preparing for
another year Ct q billion and half relief
expenditures and perhaps moreno mat
ter what actual conditions may be. 1t
has stood firmly against any census OF
unemployed and preferred to guess at
the number.