The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-06-30

| July WlltbCl1 dllS4 a
NO congress backward look of
Like IL a few weeks gives
one the impression
that probably there never was a
congress like it. Certainly, / can
say without equivocation that have
seen nothing like it in the 20 years
that I have served as Washington
observer.
The Seventy-ffth has been almost
constantly in session since January,
1887. There were two regular ses-
sions-long ones-and there was
that so-called extraordinary session
of last November Is which succeed
ed completely in one task only, the
matter of the travelling expenses
which are voted the members when
they come to Washington. They got
that money in a hurry even though
the 20 days of actual meetings
proved insufficient for any other leg
islative act.
But for serious review of the
Seventy-ffth, let us set down these
facts: it spent more money than
any other congress in peacetime his
tory. That is, it voted more ap-
preparations. It spent more time
talking than nearly any other con-
gress that I recall and there were
fewer laws passed, believe, than
the record of any other congress
| shows. (For the latter condition, I
suppose we might be thankful for
there is now and always has been
too many laws on our statute
books.) ...
There has never been a congress,
peacetime or otherwise, which in
dulged in so many political aero
bate stunts. The start of the first
session was completely under Presi-
dent Roosevelt's domination. There
came the fight over enlargement of
the Supreme court and the senate
went into full cry against the Presi-
dent. There was another stage when
the house and senate both were US
ing the rawhide on the executive
branch. Then, the other day be-
fore adjournment they voted a gil
gantic pot of gold for presidential
spending and followed that by over
riding a veto.
Consider this action if you want to
find something that really repre-
sents perfection in backward somer-
saults: late last year, congress re-
jected the wage and hour bill and
fought off the so-called anti-lynch-
ing bill with fervor that was good
to see. It rejected the Presidents
plan for reorganization of the gov
eminent and did it quite vigorously.
But it found a new spring board
and jumped off into passage of a
wage and hour bill for the nation
which the President wanted very
much as a sop to labor. 1t had in
the meantime passed tax bill so
contrary to the Presidents wishes
and so Objectionable to his theories
of taxation that he refused to sign
it. True, it became a law, but it
was the first time Mr.. Roosevelt
had allowed an act of congress to
go across his desk without either
his signature or his veto.
These things might be considered
to have represented a vast amount
of independence except that, as the
time approached for adjournment,
the members took Mr.. Roosevelt's
proposal for appropriation of anoth-
er $4,000, 100000 for lending and
spending and gave him a free hand
in spending it. They had been do
ing that before, but the significant
thing was that the members, faced
with wide open opportunity, re-
fused to free themselves from pres
idential domination. It will be re-
membered how four amendments
were offered to the spending-lend-
ing bill, each designed to prevent
use of the relief funds in politics
and those amendments were defeat
ed in the senate. They took those
votes in the very midst of TRADES
about mixing relief and politics and
attempts of the administration to
lick unfriendly Democratic senators
and representatives in the party pri-
maries. Indeed, it seems to me
that they actually voted the Presi-
dent powers with which to force
New Deal opponents into line on his
programs.
AS a result of all of the flow of
money authorized in the Seventy
fifth congress, it
Enormous seems fair guess
Deficit to say that the ma
tional debt by the
end of June, next year, will APP
proximate $47, 0O0,O O0,O 900. That will
represent an increase in the nation
al debt of q billions in six years.
It is an increase in the debt that
exceeds the World war debt itself.
The deficit for the year which has
just ended was disastrously large
for year in which there had been
earlier announcements by Mr..
Roosevelt and others that the budget
would be balanced. In view of the
appropriations made in the last ses-
sion, I think that a 5000, O00, 900
deficit il the fiscal year that ends
June 30, 1899, is fair prediction.
Nor is the end in sight. Have
you noted how little talk there was
in the waning days of the last ses-
sion of congress about any plan to
balance the budget? Folks, congress
never gave it thought! It was
intent upon getting money voted be-
cause business conditions were bad
and there were too many votes that