The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-02-18
SEEN and HEAR
around the
NATIONAL CAPITAL
& Carter Field
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

There were some sectional twists
also, as particularly in the South,
where the politicians made much
of the fact that this was the first
time the folks in that region had
gotten anything from the North
since the Civil war.
So, despite Secretary Henry A.
Wallace's statement few days ago
that he was temporarily abandon
ing his production control policy,
and his statement over the radio
that it would be wise for us to pro-
duce as abundantly as we can this
year there is drive forming for
a new AAA. Nor is there much en-
thusiasm among the farmers, if one
can Judge by letters pouring in on
members of the house and senate.
for the ever normal granary plan so
dear to the hearts of President
Roosevelt and Secretary Wallace.
The ever normal granary idea fits
in perfectly with many OF Mr..
Roosevelt's other economic the
cries. He would like to straighten
out the curves in manufacturing and
trade of all sorts. He would like
to have all years fair years, with
none good in the sense of bonan-
"a. and none bad" His tax the
cries are part of this theory.
Normal Granary Idea
Many of the letter-writers doubt
that enough wheat or corn or what
not will be bought in by the gov
eminent for this reserve stock to
hold prices at what seems to the
farmers to be a fair level. Some
are even franker. They insist that
when crop is short and would nor
mally produce high prices, the
farmers ought to get the benefit OF
that situation. How else, they de-
mand, can they ever have what is
really a good year
The bald truth is that they want
the government to protect them
against the low prices inevitable
with overproduction, but they do
not want the government to protect
the consumers against the years OF
underproduction.
Which is human enough, and no
one can blame them for trying to
have such plan worked out But
it is not the Presidents idea, and 1t
is not Mr.. Waliace's.
Compulsory Arbitration
| Congress is not expected to pass
any drastic legislation with respect
to the automobile strike. Most OF
its members would not vote, for ex-
ample, to legalize a sit-down strike,
and a huge majority could be rolled
I'D against compulsory arbitration.
There is much to be said in favor
of compulsory arbitration, theoreti-
cally. Practically it finds few
friends. In theory 1t is in the in
terest of the public-in the interest
of all the people as against the very
small minority comprised by the
two sides in most strikes. Assum-
ing that body of judicial charac-
ter with intelligence, fairness and
with no leaning either to the side
OF labor or capital could be found
it would seem an ideal solution.
But try to find some labor leader
who is advocating it! II there is
one thing that the Committee for
Industrial Organization and the
American Federation of Labor
agree about, it is that they do moi
want compulsory arbitration. There
may be exceptions, which seem Il
prove that this is not so, but they
only seem to do so--they are no
actually exceptions at all. The
classic instance, of course, was tn.
Adamson act OF 1916. This was tn,
so-called eight-hour law, affecting
the four railroad brotherhoods.
This was decision imposed b,
congress, on the surface, but actu
ally it was nothing of the sort. I
was the demands of the brother
hoods incorporated in law, which
was passed by congress, signed b.
the President, and approved inei
FIVE to four decision by the Su
! preme court.
The labor officials theory is tina
it is all right to have the govern
: ment intervene on labor's side, tina
: it is even all right 10 have the gov
+ eminent force the employers in an
given controversy to arbitrate-bu
it is distinctly not all right to hav
] any government agency determin
] what the conditions of settlement
: are to be. That would impinge to
$ much on the value of the function
e of the labor leaders themselves.
e might even lead to government 81
$ pervision of the amount of unto
t dues exacted, or government regl
G lation as to how those dues coul
: be spentl
! Not that anyone at the momer
$ expects any such move by tn
government, but the gentlemen ;
r the head of the various labor organ
G izations have never been accuse
S of being stupid about the possibil
a ties of any given line Of govern
S mental action, once started. The
il are rather keenly alert to anythir
, ...t.saL x.,;rht latar IN r,rnvo an ar