Evening star., 1938-04-12
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

ldSI Weehy are lIlIelL upon puIlulR
through a program that will start the
business pump working more effectively,
even if it means new program of Gov
ernment spending. In the light of the
ultimate failure of the last-and still
continuing-Government spending pro-
gram to bring stable recovery, members
Of Congress are fearful that this new
administration move will terrify busi-
ness rather than stimulate it.
The Senate has just passed the new
revenue bill. Although it provides for
greater taxation than any similar meas
ure of the Roosevelt administration or
any other in peacetime, every one knows
that the new bill falls billions of dollars
short of meeting the expenses of the
Government. What is to be the next
tax bill?
The anti-New Dealers among the
Democrats succeeded last week in de-
feating, with Republican aid, the Presi-
dents reorganization bill-a bill to con-
centrate still further in the Presidents
hands governmental power. That hap
pened in the House. In the Senate the
administration suffered a harsh defeat
over its tax theories. 1t did not even put
up the semblance Of a fight to have re-
tained in the revenue bill the Presidents
pet undiStributed profits tax The man
ner in which the Senate administration
leaders took this defeat is one of the
amazing happenings recently on Capitol
Hill. They knew, of course, they would
be unable to stem the tide in the Senate,
intent upon giving business some en-
cOuragement. So they did not make the
fight, hoping perhaps to get something
out OF the conference on the bill be-
tween the House and Senate. They
knew, also, that if the President felt
keenly enough about the matter he could
veto new revenue bill and leave the
present measure in effect-Which does
contain his theories of taxation.
1t is one thing to deny the President
the reorganization bill and quite an
prime the pump" And if he has the
billions of dollars, what difference does
it really make whether he has the re-
organization bill or not? The Demo-
cratic members of Congress who believe
that a new, big spending and lending
program will be injurious are fearful
tiAet WALL NC W lldlG lIlt TlGSl-
dents program. They know this is an
election year. They know that spending
public money is one of the easiest things
to get Congress to do, provided every
State and congressional district is to
have its share. The only hope of the
members who are against further Gov
ernment spending, which means greater
deficits and greater public debt, is that
the people who must pay these bills be-
come aroused-as they did over the Su-
preme Court bill and more recently
over the reorganization bill.
Realizing that the President has had,
and still has, very large following in
the country, some Democratic members
of the Senate and House, hesitate to
strike out at him again especially so
soon after the defeats administered on
the reorganization and tax bills. The
same thing was true after the historic
defeat of the Presidents court bill last
year. Men who had taken their political
lives in their hands and fought the court
packing proposal to DEATH hesitated to
oppose other New Deal measureS-even
II they did not believe in them. They
put through the Senate. for example, a
Wage-hour bill, they confirmed the nomi-
nation of Associate Justice Hugo L.
Black without having an inquiry into
charges he had been a member of the
ku klux Khan. That happened in the
Senate. In the House where members
had not been called upon to vote on
the court bill, enough Democrats were
found to defeat the wage-hour bill The
House, OF course, had nothing whatever
to do with the Black appointment.
The defeat of the reorganization bill
in the House has caused a general feel
ing that no more New Deal MEASURES
Will be passed at the present session of
Congress. The supporters of wage hour
legislation are trying desperately to whip
something into shape that will be accept
able But with the present Rules Com
mlttee OF the House in control headed
by Representative John OConnor of
New York, who led the fight which
ditched the reorganization bill there
seems little chance of that measure get
ting very far.
Members of Congress are anxious to
get away at as early date as possible.
The primaries, at which they will seek
denomination, are just beginning-the
Illinois primary is today. They would
like to 60 home and look to their DO
lltical fences.
What the President is likely to do
about these primaries has not fully de-
veloped. He may undertake to aid
opponents of sitting Democrats who
voted against him on the court, wages
and hours and reorganization bills.
Those three New Deal measures-all
rated as major bills on the Presidents
program, have been laid to rest The
only other major item on the program
advanced last year by the President
the crop control bill for the farmers
has been passed. There have, to be sure.
been other measures requested bv the
President, written into law by the pres
ent Congress, but these four are those
which have attained the greatest no
toriety. 1t has been suggested that the
President will go to the country over
the issue of the reorganization bill and
the wages and hours bill-and that men,
bers OF Congress who opposed him had
better watch out. If he plans to follow
such a course. the President has given
no public intimation of it.
The President already, however. has
mixed in certain senatorial primary
contests this year, giving his blessing to
Senators who supported him. He has
definitely failed, also, to speak kindly of
certain other Senators who opposed
him on the court bill and other meas
ures-as in the case of Senator George of
Georgia. The Chief Executive went all