Imperial Valley press., 1937-01-06
News Behind the News
Work Relief Appropriations cas-
And Nays in Congress E. And Ptenty
of Room BetUeen -.

WAsHINGToN-In the impending struggle
over the amount of appropriations Tor 1eoefal
work-relief it is worth noting tnat extremists
on both sides are committed to certain theories
and principles which they do not care-or care
to express in public.
No one need espouse either extreme view.
There's plenty of room between.
Each fringe is represented in Congress- which
must decide whether WPA Is to continue Oh
present schedules from February to June, inclu-
sive at a cost of S750.000000 or be radically
curtailed to a cost of perhaps only S3OOOO0Ooo,
as suggested by Such conservatives as Senator
King of Utah.
The first extreme theory also held by cer-
tain important administration officials. includes
a belief that the masses" will insist on getting
larger share of the national income and that
they'll get it.
Such issues as tariff gold standard and
Notwithstanding no longer count With millions
of "underprivieged" voters, who are IN posi-
ton to raise the devil and impress their duties
on politicians.
The New Deal has given millions of desti-
tute urban unemployed and poverty stricken
farmers or farm tenants higher standard OF
living than they ever had before, according to
this point of view and it would be just too bad
to retreat from that standard.
Furthermore such retreat is politically i'm
possible anyway. Benefits are likely TO increase
rather than decrease-widows' pensions will
become common, and union labor will support
WPA workers and other federal beneficiaries in
their fight to avoid a return to starvation levels
of local home relief.
The extreme right wingers see the picture
in much the same outlines But whereas the
most liberal New Dealers think it's all a very
fine thing this right wing group feels it is per-
fectly terrible and also great menace.
New vested interests have been established,
according to their point of view, and millions OF
treasury-raiders thinking as one man Will be
abetted by most politicians, so their growing
strength must be combated.
Various members of Congress holding to this
school of thought will 60 on to tell you privately
that most WPA workers and farm tenants are
shiftlesS, lazy, and overpaid; that states and
towns are able TO take of them as well as
they deserve; and that they deserve no better
standards of living than their own neighbors,
who know them best. willing to provide.
Furthermore that there are plenty OF jobs
to be had if those relief will only accept the
wages that are offered but that WPA has in
effect set floor to wages which intsrferes with
the operations of the labor market
Allied to this school of thought as it applies
to farm tenants is Chairman James P. Buchanan
of the House Appropriations Committee He
demands discrimination of the Resettlement Ad-
roipistration's rural rehabilitation loan program,
on the ground that ii places federal premium
on "shiftlessneSs"
The Resettlement Administration people want
to expand the rehabilitation loan policy TO help
take care of 250OOO farm families, mostly drouth
victims. il has lust taken over from WPA rolls.
1t will be asking Buchanan for from s3O,-
100000 to S50OOO000 for such work in the re-
mainder of the fiscal year claiming that loans
are cheaper than direct doles, in that they enable
farmers to get on their feet and have been
repaid on an average of rs per cent to date