The Washington times., 1938-11-08
News Behind
The News
Blu Paul MGLLOn-

(world Copyright 1898, by King
Features syndicate, Inc. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in full or in
part strictly prohibited)
THE hand has always been
l. quicker than the eye in
Washington, but here lately the
lip has been faster than both.
It's the election. The talking
build.up has virtually monopo-
lized Government developments
for weeks. Lower-class housing,
the "horrifying" Whitney re-
port, Columbia Gas indictments,
Ford -Chrysler consent DEGREES
these and much more have been
timed or contrived with today'S
voting in mind.
Tomorrow, Government will
return to normal.
The Whitney report was the
most carefully timed. 1t was to
have blown Republican Guber-
material Candidate Dewey out Of
his holier-than-thou Democrats
attitude, but it failed to go off.
The report was divided into
three sections to promote public
interest, and the Presidents per-
Sonal publicity adviser raised a
hot fuss when the second section
came out too late one morning
to make the home editions Of
the press.
Aimed at DeWey
THE shot at Dewey Cum
l. named) was a section criti-
cizing the Stock Exchange and
the Morgan crowd for not hav-
ing turned Whitney in sooner.
The only way Dewey could be
connected was that, in his re-
port, he said he would leave
this particular matter to the Sc
curities Exchange Commission.
1t was somewhat damp car
fridge as SEC agreed no one could
have been prosecuted for any
thing. But the Interpretation
was planted by some officials in
the press, and Mr.. Roosevelt
seemed to hint at the same idea
in his Friday night remarks
about prosecuting the rich as
well as the pauper criminal.
In the end, however, the shot
never really got out of the gun
Gas far as is known here), be-
cause none of Dewey's oppo-
nents apparently wanted to be
identified with pulling this par
ticular trigger.
Cheap Housing Uns0lUed
TALK about $5-and-$1O.a-room
L housing is not likely to de-
velop results anytime soon. 1t is
one of the unsuccessful ideas
upon which the Administration
has been working for sometime.
The problem is real. Morde-
cal Ezekiel agriculture Depart
ment economist) will have a
book out in January, no matter
which way the election goes.
It will be called "Jobs for All"
and the housing chapter will say
80 per cent of the FHA building
is for houses retailing at $4,000.
Only one-fourth of the non
farm families have the $4,000
or more annual income neces-
sary to buy these. Three-fourthS
of the nation, therefore, Is gov
ernmentally unhouSed. except
those for whom Nathan StrauS
has cleared Slum,
The Lambert plar (Which the
President has been diScussing)
was able to furnish cheaper
homes in Princeton, N. j.,
mainly because the borough do
mated the land tax free and will
receive the houses in return at
the end of % years. If this
were done on a large scale the
towns would get no taxes for %
years to pay for police, fire and
school services for the communi-
ties thus created. Also the bonds
issued to Lambert by the Hous-
ing Authority were exempt from
income, State, Federal and local
taxes, because the Housing
Authority was State-chartered.
But if private authorities try
the same thing, an amendment
to existing law would be re-
Quired, and the President has
announced he is opposed to such
tax exemptions.
No solution is near.
No Election Connection
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
u Stoutly maintains the Co
lumbia Gas indictment and the
Ford -ChrySler consent decree set
tlement, both announced within
five days of election, had no
connection with it. No doubt
exists that these were valid
legal actions. and probably
would have been taken anyway,
but the announcements were
propitiously handled.
Indictments of go or 10 dairy
officials in a Chicago antitrust
case, however, have been de-
layed by the same department
so as to have no influence in
the campaign there. These will
be coming down shortly.
NOTE-Justice Department
~ claims it got more out of
Ford and Chrysler in altering
finance charges than if it had
gone to court. General Motors
apparently thinks SO. too. 1t is
going to take its chances in
court.
Political Cue Music
MANY another official phono-