Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1937-12-09

Washington.-Congress has been
doing a deal Of talking about help
NJ ing business to get
Much Idtk, on its feet, but it
No Action has not yet &C
complished much.
The house ways and means COM
mittee, 1t is true, is making some
neadway and number of senator's,
including the powerful Senator Har-
rison OF Mississippi, are asserting
the necessity for a reversal of fed
eral policy. But, again, there is
much more talk than action, and in
the meantime the country's bust
ness Is sliding lower and lower.
The difficulty in the present stu
alton and the thing that probably
has been more responsible for the
business slump than anything else
is that business heretofore has been
unable TO tell what the federal gov
eminent is going to do. 1t has be-
come evident already that with a
somewhat changed atmosphere in
congress, there are many business
men who are more hopeful than
a month ago. Business men, big
and little, are quick to note that
there are senators and representa-
tives who think the time has ar
rived for business to receive some
consideration. And it ought to be
added that unless business does
get some consideration, this current
depression is going to be as bad as
the last one. The federal govern
ment must give attention to the ag-
ricultural problem and it must fit
that job into some consideration of
the other half of American life,
namely, the commerce and indus
try outside of agricultural life.
1t will be recalled that during the
first two years of President Roose-
velt's administration there was a
flock of laws passed that were of
great value to the country. Many
Of them were of a temporary char
acter and were enacted on that
basis. That would have been fine
if the administration had stopped
there. But it did not. The roam
ing herd Of so-called thinkers who
were scattered far and wide in fed
eral jobs had to have their innings.
At least they thought they had to
have turn at bat. ALI of their pet
theories had to be tried out. The
result: many laws that were purely
experimental, dangerous, damaging
and burden to business.
With many millions of others, I
expected at that time to see these
queer looking laws shaken down,
corrected, or repealed where it was
found necessary. That has not hap
pened. Again, the result: the coun-
try's business from the smallest
general store at a cross roads or a
garage or gasoline station to the
greatest corporation, like General
Motors or Pennsylvania railroad,
has had to suffer under the heavy
heel of the national government.
The reason that congress is show
ing signs Of a movement that will
revise the tax structure is because
these smaller businesses out
through the country have now got
their fill Of government red tape,
complex reports, visits of investi-
gators, new tax forms and levies,
or what have you. Those people
are making themselves heard here
in Washington.
So II congress takes some action
looking to fair deal for business,
just as it is quite determined to do
something for agriculture, enter
tain no doubt about the response
1t will get from the business inter-
ests. AS far as business has made
itself felt, it is apparently asking
only to be treated equitably with
labor, Every one knows that the