Evening star., 1937-04-22
The Relief Item.

A tug of war is coming in Congress
between those who believe that Federal
relief appropriations must be reduced
and those who maintain that Federal
relief, like the brook, must go on for
ever-on large scale. The President
in his message to Congress on Tuesday
recommended an appropriation of ST.
5OO0O0,OOO for work relief for the fiscal
year 1888. In his original budget esti-
mate last January, the President said
II the appropriations for relief could
be held to 1887 $4,000, the budget for
1888 could be held in balance. Since
that time 1t has been discovered that
the revenue from taxes would be hum
dreds Of millions Of dollars less than had
been estimated. 1t is this failure of the
tax laws to bring in the expected revenue
that has caused the immediate upset
Of the apple cart.
There has been distinct feeling how
ever, among many people that until the
Federal Government really sinks its teeth
In the problem Of reduction Of relief
expenditures there will be little chance
OF balancing the budget. They would
have welcomed a recommendation by
the President, therefore, that the relief
item be less than sl,5Oo,OOOOOO Even
reduction to 81 400 100000 would have
encouraged them.
President Roosevelt undoubtedly be-
lieves that he is correct in estimating a
billion and half dollars for relief. He
has been firmly convinced that the Fed
eral Government must see to it that
without work and without means of sup
porting themselves, and there is nothing
to indicate that he has changed this
opinion. The chances are, however,
that If billion and a half or two
billion dollars be appropriated for relief,
1t will be expended. The distributors
will see to that.
The proposal is now advanced by
Senator Byrnes of South Carolina and
other members Of Congress that the
relief appropriation be reduced to a
billion dollars-on the theory that 1t Is
better to try to get along on such an
amount and later, II necessary, augment
the appropriation when Congress meets
again next January. Certainly billion
dollars will carry the country through
half the next fiscal year, which begins
July l, II it can get along on a billion
and half for the whole year. It seems
the part Of wisdom to try to make the
billion-dollar appropriation do for the
entire year, and to discourage the dis
tributors.
1t has never been possible to bring
about public investigation OF the dis
tribution of Federal relief. Demand after
demand was made for such an investi-
CATION last year. A national political
campaign was under way. The Senatorial
committee which was authorized to
make such an lnvestigation-the Sena-
torial Campaign Investigating Commit
tee-sat on the lid. Now that the CAM
paign Is out Of the way, there seems
not even practical reason why such
an inquiry should not be carried out.
Certainly congressional committees with
the responsibility Of recommending ap-
preparations for relief should have all
the data they can have, should know
all they can know Of how these tre-
mendous relief funds have been ex-
pended.
The wave Of economy sentiment
which has struck Congress is due in
large part to real fear that the credit
of the country may be injured if there
is not halt in huge expenditures OF
Government funds and also to a real
fear that If there is no such halt, the
alternative will be the imposition of
higher and higher taxes 1t has been a
popular thing to spend money. It always
is. 1t is not so popular when it comes
to paying.