The times-news., 1937-12-24
BY ARTHUR F. DEGREVE
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON. Dec. p. up.
President Rooscvclt'S warning to-
congress that it must cconomizc
Immediately or take the blame
for an unbalanced budget aroused
bitter resentment among some
legislators last night and brought
Il guarded offer of cooperation
from southern Democrats who
Sabotagcd the wagcs-hourS bill.
Writhing under White House
strategy which put them Ion the
spot" II hours after the special
session had adjourned without en-
acting any part Of Mr.. RooscvclCS
Scvcn-puint program, frCc-Spcnd-
ing congressman prepared to
strike back by forcing drastic rc-
ductionS in appropriations ,or
pet New Deal projects such aS
the Tennessee Valley authority.
The first hint Of rcpriSal came
i'm Il letter TO the president from
Representative Martin Dies. d.,
Texas, leader Of the successful
house fight against the wages
hours bill. Dies, after reading
Mr.. RooScvcltS letter to Chair
man Wilburn Cartwright, d.,
Okla, of the house roads commit
tee outlining the need of curtall-
ing highway spending. wrote that
he would organize IN economy
bloc, which he described as the
"tWyt caucus of savers when
congress meets again January 3.
The Texan praised the prcSi-
dents "dcfinitc and courageous
position on this subject" forecast
support for il from at least 100
house Democrats and agreed with
the chief executives observation
in the Cartwright letter that un-
less the heavy Democratic ma jor-
ity in congress forces cut in
government spending, there will
not be any Democratic party and
there would not be any solvent
government after few years"
But, dies emphasized, the pro-
posed reductions cannot be limit
ed TO those recommended by Sec
rctmy o. the Treasury Henry
Morgcnthau. Jr., in 4 recent New
York speech made with the knowl-
edge and approval of the prcsi
dcnl-aid to highways, relief, ag-
ricultWc and the civilian conScr-
vation corps.
Prom your letter, assume
that YOU will insist upon curtail-
mcnt Of other expenditures the
same rs in the case Of the road
appropriations" Dies wrote.
THAT such q consistent and uni
foIm progress of curtailmcnt will
meet with the approval of the
congress seems certain TO me in
view Of the fiscal situation that
will otherwise exist"
The highway appropriations.
which the president asked be re-
duccd from S300.000,000 to
$l00,000,000 annually, and the
other avenues to economy pro-
posed by Morgcnthau are just
juicy bits of patronage or pork"
upon which congressman build po-
litical machines which rcclcct them
year after year. The president
has shown that he is fully aware
Of the fact that the congressman
will not surrender this patronage
without Il tight, Il situation which
Dies brought to his attention by
saying:
"Thcrc will be great difficulty
i'm curtailing worthwhile improve
mcntS if there is Il feeling that
waStcrul expenditures in other
directions will be- permitted"
Doubt increased among some
senators, however, that the prcSi-
dent could successfully carry out
his plans to balance the l93S-39
budget in view Of the Increased
relief expenditures threatened by
th" business recession.
Senator Alva Adams. d., Colo,
a member of the senate appro-
priationS committee. said IF re-
lief expenditures go up, YOU can't
balance the budget He said that
ultimately the budget must be-
balanced but he declared that it.
should not be balanced ut the en-
pcnsC of necessary government
functions.
Senate Minority Leader Charles
y. McNaIy Of Oregon. saw little
prospect of a balanced budget in
the near future. He said it is
possible that congress will cut
perhaps $3O0,OO0,000 from rcgu-
lar appropriation bills but added
that this saving and more too will
Of ones best and holicst: an up
ward look of the soul TO God, and
downward reach of the hands to
those who are in need"