Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-11-25
THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
BY PAUL JOHN KvALE, M. C.


session committees whose duty it is
to whip the administration program
into legal shape have worked harder
than this writer has ever seen COM
mittees work, during his incumbency.
These committees have accomplished
a great deal, largely because they
have been able to confer directly
with members who have returned
from all sections of the country with
| first hand information regarding the
needs of all the American people,
For this reason believe the President
was justified in calling the extra ses-
sion
All is not harmony, however, be-
tween the President and his legisla-
tive bodies as the action of the House
Agricultural committee yesterday re-
vealed. On that occasion the COM
mittee openly defied the Presidents
ultimatum that any increased expen-
ditures for farm programs be accom-
/ panied by covering taxation, when
it struck from its own draft of the
proposed bill any provision for pro-
cessing taxes on wheat.
It will be recalled that the Pres
ident'S program called for legislation
to improve the condition of agricul-
ture; for Wage-hours bill; a govern
ment reorganization bill and a re-
gional planning bill better known as
the Little TWAS. At this writing
believe an agricultural bill of some
merit has an even chance of passing
at the special session. Regarding the
chances of action on the other three
points of the Presidents program
am forced to confess that l am not
over optimistic.
Meanwhile, on the floor of the
Senate an objection by Senator Nc
Nary of Oregon, minority leader,
tabled an unanimous consent request
by Senator Barley of the agricul-
tural committee for permission to
have his committee report out a
general farm bill during the week
end recess. This objection ended all
hope of bringing the measure before
the Senate for consideration Monday.
1t had been the hope of the Demo-
Gratis that the bill might be taken up
Monday and bring temporary end
to the filibuster against the anti
lynching bill which has kept that
body in an uproar since the extra
session convened.
The most disturbing developments
of the special session to date are a
very real and determined threat on
the part of organized labor to en-
deavor to block all farm legislation
until the House Rules Committee re-
ports out a wage-hours bill for con-
Sideration on the floor and the desire
of potent group of members in both
houses, to obtain tax legislation that
will modify the corporate undiStri-
buted profits tax in order to aid pri-
vate business. The Ways and Means
committee of the Senate has decided
to recommend a three-year eXemp-
ton from the undistributed profits
tax for corporations emerging from
bankruptcy or from reorganization,
and it also has agreed in principle to
a plan to relieve from the levy cor
porationS with moderate" as well
ent is prepared to predict without fear
of contradiction, that better than one
third of the Senate is at this time
exerting every effort for an outright
repeal of the undistributed profits
tax which would go far beyond the
program outlined by President RoOse-
welt in his message.
AS matter of fact, Congress ended
the first week of the special session
without making any definite moves
toward enacting any part of his four
point program, or giving definite
shape to its own plans for assistance
to private capital. The highly con-
troversial wage-hours bill is still tied
up in the House by the refusal of
the House itself to take the neces-
sary steps to discharge the COM
mittee from further consideration of
the measure. At this writing only
1875 of the required 218 names appear
on the discharge petition. These de-
velOpments prompt the conclusion
that the wage-hourS bill as now
drawn may not be brought forth to
the floor of the House at the special
session and that the other two parts
of the Presidents four-point program,
executive reorganization and regional
planning must be placed in the doubt