The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-10-21
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL
CAPITAL
By Carter Field ~
By Carter Field =

Washington. power devel-
opment by the government and the
blessings of cheap electric current
were the theme song OF President
Roosevelt's speeches on his western
trip, and by curious coincidence II
is questions affecting federal powers
in this direction which are more Inn
portant, from the White House
standpoint, In the term OF the Su-
preme court just opened, than ev-
erything else put together. AS a
matter of fact, the high court has
ruled ON most of the questions az
fecting New Deal legislation.
So that perhaps Mr.. Roosevelt
was not ignoring the high court en-
largement issue as much as some
commentators seemed to suspect on
that western trip. He made flank
attack, and it is generally conced-
| ed by Washington lawyers that he
| improved his position considerably.
He has now put the court In
position something like this: either
the court must 60 all the way In
approving federal power policies,
or IT will strengthen the Presidents
contention that the court needs. re-
| juvenation.
Every correspondent writing from
the Presidents train stressed the
apparent fact that the folks out West
didn't give whoop about the Su-
preme court issue, but that they
were mighty strong for federal
spending in their own necks OF the
woods. And they agreed very gen
orally also that more water resource
developments ware wanted.
The President did not mention the
court fight, nor the senators who
beat him on it. but it just SO hap
pens that many of the water re-
source developments are in the
states of senators who fought him
on the court issue, Montana, Ore
gon, Wyoming and Idaho particu-
larly.
Expect Court Backing
Putting all the pieces together, ex-
perts here are predicting that the
high court will sustain the govern
ment in every phase OF its cleo
trio power program. For instance,
on the right of the federal govern
ment to subsidize local governments
which desire to 60 into competition
with, or supersede, privately owned
electric systems, either by outright
grants of money or by loaning the
money at very low rates of interest
For instance, on the right OF the gov
eminent to engage in the electric
business. In the famous IVA cas-,
the language used by the court hell
that it was all right for the govern
ment to sell power incidental.
produced" That is, OF course. pow
err produced by a project the mai
reason for which was not the pro
duction OF current, but for SOM
clearly constitutional reason, sucl
as navigation.
1t is true thaS In all the TVl
dams-there is another IVA cas-
coming up before the high court be
fore long-there is the possible cor
tention that electric power was nc
the only reason for construction. BIZ
sometimes this is a hairline de
cision, and the government has bee
uneasy about the attitude the couI
might take
This suspicion among expert
here that the court may take an e,
pedient course is based very large
ly on the general acceptance of tn
belief that at least two OF the S,
J preme court justices switched"
: the Wagner labor act decision. TIL
very generally held view in Wasl
ington is that at least two Justices
enough had they stood by the
q original position to have overturne
& the act-changed. The alleged re;
I son for the supposed change is tn;
the justices feared that if they di
Y not they would contribute impo
!. tantap-1U President Roosevelt's cas-
: against the court then pending
!. the senate.
- High Hopes
Always optimistic, the chaps WI
- have been predicting erroneous
: ever since 1888 that Presidel
n Roosevelt would turn to the rig
. in the near future" are at it agai
This time they base their hopes {
his promises in western speech,
- that he would balance the budget
If 1899, and would do it by checker
spending. The implication of courl
1. is that tax raises would not be ne
: essary.
- The process of reasoning whit
arrives at the result that the Pre-.
dent will turn to the right is
little intricate, but rather interes
ing. First, the optimistic conserv
tives point out that the Preside
cannot reduce spending appret
ably. They point out that in tho
very speeches in which he promis,
to balance the budget he made lavi
~lo,,4 L,1r.~ 49,