The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-06-02

d1Ckl l 3 WV
for obvious reasons) but Mr.. U.
S. Government is fast becom-
ing the biggest private real es-
tate proprietor in the world.
Right now he has approx
mately $4,000 private homes
and about 10000 farms on his
hands-acquired via the mort
gage route. A breakdown OF his
real estate holdings as of March
81 shows:
Home Owners Loan Corpora
ton has seized al ,543 houses
and properties valued at $751;
2OO,623 and is acquiring more
at the rate of about 5000 ev..
cry month; is renting many Of
them for a monthly income OF
81. 500. 900. The Farm Credit Ad-
ministration has 1850 farms
valued at S36.722.63O. The Fed
eral Housing Administration
with the best record was hold
inc on that date 1877 properties
valued at S519.29e. Derfaults in
the Hole operations are run
ling about 10 per cent and IN
the FCA about IS per cent:
Thus. in a country. "nere
more people own their oXn
homes than in any other ma
ton. Uncle Sam is now coming
to the fore as the worlds pig
eest landlord.
And that leads to another
item about government compe-
tition in the private field: Ap-
parently there is to be no let
up in competition with business,
as is indicated in a behind-the-
scene tussel over the spending
spree bill. An effort by the mill
GRITTY group in the House to in
sert a clause in the bill pro
hibiting the new spending in
fields where t would be in COM
netitiOn with industry was I'M
mediatelv scuttled bv the ma
iority forces. In the Senate the
Annrorriation Committee has
inserted a clause limiting COM
petition With privately owned
pubic utilities.
Incidentally. the majority for
q in the House decided 1t
would be better to have the new
spending audited b" the WPA
where most of it will be SDent)
instead Of nv the expert book
keepers in the Treasury.
Some of the side-line spec
tators in We ShinptOn are pre-
dieting that another effort is
to be made to reform the
courts-that the administrator
! is about ready to tear the lld
off the sealed packing case and
try to revive the corpse therein
They are basing their predic-
ton on the fact that the Sec
rotary of Agriculture has made
two recent statements the oc-
casion for a verbal broadside al
the court. This was followed BY
a broadcast speech by a mem
Der of the Labor Board crack
ing at the court.
The better Informed observ-
ers agree with the prediction
but believe the new attack /:
onlv to keep the issue alive ane
that the real fight won't come
until after the fall elections.
And in the matter of cleo
lions, the thinkers have though
up a new one for the citizenr.
to ponder. The suggestion i
now afloat on the political pont
that We change election day t.
"citizens' day" on which occas'
sion Citizen Jones would go t.
the elno- "our+o" and trans
act all his business with tn
government while voting. HI
would supply the government
with ''important' statistical dat;
on changes in business, crops
cattle conditions. whether h
rents or owns his home. ant
similar inf~orrootion. The think,
ers think Uncle Sam coul(
thereby eliminate a lot of doc
bell ringing by census taker
and other inuuisitors.
And lust to assure a big turn
out on election dav-or citizens
dav-the government would as
SesS a S. rOll tax to be returned
if the citizen voted.
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