Imperial Valley press., 1937-08-01
A DANGEROUS PROGRAM
IN THE WRONG HANDS

Whlle congress is considering the wages
and hours bill, it is an excellent oppor-
tunlty to view a governmental danger
from which this country has ESCAPED,
for the time being at least. but which
may present itself again before 1910.
The things which make up this threat
are so complex that there is no room
mere Tor full explanations anyone who
desires to read the proposed laws men,
toned will find full details available
The first was the supreme court bill,
now fortunately dead, which would have
given the administration a free hand in
the enactment of laws absolutely con-
trary to past and present conception of
constitutional limits. The dangers of
the now defunct bill have been so freely
aired that there is no more need for
repetition here.
The second was the bill providing for
reorganization of the executive branch
of government. Fortunately it, too, has
had its teeth pulled by congress. In
original form it gave the administration
absolute authority over many important
governmental agencies and bureaus. with
the right to abolish, curtail or enlarge
them, as desire and political expediency
might dictate. Final authority would
be removed from such boards as those
governing banking, interstate communi-
cation and trade, electric power, social
security, civil service, radio and the eX-
change, and placed solely in the hands
of the President In addition, six-man
anonymous group of intellectual inti-
mates" would be appointed by the Presi-
dent as his advisors on all matters of
policy. Thus there would be no further
need for the Presidents cabinet, as we
know it now.
Tying up with the administrative re-
organization is the new agricultural bill,
centering control of food production in
the federal government Any board ap-
pointed to administer this law, it be-
comes apparent, would become rubber
stamp for the administration, should
the executive reorganization measure
pass.
Then there is the proposal to divide
the United States into seven regions
even going so far as to establish "capi-
tai for each-with administrators of the
seven regions reporting directly to and
responsible solely to the President. The
regions, of course, would be for nation
al planning" purposes. Therein lies an
other joker. The national planning board
would, naturally, write and recommend
legislation to congress. In other words,
congress would no longer originate legis-
lation it would become merely a group
of men dedicated to approving that
which was offered. When you consider
that the national planning board would
be under the thumb of whoever happen
ed to be President, you can see that the
laws of the land would be dictated by
the President, approved by a court ap-
pointed by him, and administered by
him.
And now before congress is the wages
and hours bill. There would be no OBJ
lection to it if it did nothing but fix
minimum wages and maximum hours,
but it goes farther than that. 1t calls
for creation of labor standards board
of five men, each paid $4,000 year,
answerable to the President. Congress
only fixes the objective under this bill
the board holds the power Of life and
death over industry, both interstate and
intrastate. The board can fix one stand
ard for one part of the nation or one
part of any given industry, and another
standard elsewhere. The boards rulings
would have the full force of law. Viola
tions would be punishable by fine or
Imprisonment.
Under the present administration, pos
sibly, the full force of the legislative
program outlined here would not be felt.
Imagine, however, the power that would
be at hand if a corrupt administration
went into office.