Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-01-27

that for them to start development
of program of their own makes
them subject to White House criti-
cism if the Legislation fails to meet
New Deal specifications. So they
simply waitl
In the meantime, the depression
has sunk deeper and deeper. 1
frankly believe that in some locali-
ties it is right now as bad as any,
thing we saw in 1882. Business men
are frightened to death and will not
expand their businesses because of
the danger that they will lose every
thing they have, and individuals are
frightened and will not spend more
money than is absolutely necessary.
In other words, there is again a
lack of confidence that is appalling.
It seems to center on Mr.. Roose-
welt as it centered on Mr.. Hoover
in 1890 and 1881.
I can judge the whole situation
only by attempting to compose the
observations that I gather from
countless conversations. If this con-
sensus be accurate, then it would
appear that current fears result
from an inability of anyone to know
what Mr.. Roosevelt will do next.
That is to say, the expressions
stressed statements that his poll
cies slack continuity" that he
changes overnight" that he sat
tacks business with one hand and
kicks it in the pants with one foot
and asks it to take the load off of
the government at the same time;"
that he takes advice "of lot of
nincompoops on finances who can't
even balance their own household
budgets" that he won't let pri.
vate initiative Go anything without
having flock of government spies
on our trails" and so on. I could
supply fifty more from my notes,
but they would be of the same ten
or. And mind you! a large per-
centage of these came from repre-
sentatives and senator's in congress,
Democrats and Republicans alike.
Another phase of the general stu
alton:
There has been a tremendous
drive against monopoly. This was
lead largely by
DrIOe on Assistant Attorney
Monopoly General Jackson,
but Mr.. Ickes and
lesser lights have helped carry the
ball. The attacks have been gen.
eral. There has been no distinc-
ton between good business and bad
business. The result has been that
every man who has some money
tied up in business is wondering
whether he is going to have to de-
fend himself in some way, how
ever careful he has been about
complying with the federal laws.
The fact was called to my atten-
ton also that many of the bust
nesses charged with monopoly are
doing just what the government
forced them to do. The unlamented
MIRA can be recalled without eff
fort. Under the NRA, every unit
or every line of business was told
what to do and how to do it. Codes
of business practice were laid down
for them, bearing the approval Of
the President. Since MIRA was rele-
gated to the ashcan, we find dozen
suits being prosecuted against bust
nesses for continuing to do the
things they were forced to do when
MIRA was the law of the land. .
Then, I would like to ask what is
wrong that real trusts are not being
broken up. The Department of JUS
tice has some able lawyers who
have been assisting Attorney Gen.
eral Cummings since the inception
of the New Deal. 1t appears to a
layman like me that five years ought
to be ample time in which to make
some Roadway against trusts and