Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06
New Deal Effort to
Save Gains FOreseen
By OVEN L. SCOTT.


planning few new surprises for the Ma
ton.
The experiment stage of the New Deal
definitely appears to be approaching an
end. Ahead is period of consolidation
during which Mr.. Roosevelt will devote
an important part of the remaining two
years of his second term to perfecting
and entrenching the experiments already
on the books.
AS result, the November 8 congress
sional elections, regardless of their out
come, are unlikely to affect in any vital
way the immediate course of govern
mental action.
Events suddenly suggest that the Presi-
dents veto power may be more important
henceforth than his power Of recommen-
dalton and persuasion.
Basis for these conclusions is found in
developments now taking place out in the
country and within the administration.
Those developments show sharp shift
away from the trend of the New Deal
years to date
All along the line the White House Is
on the defensive. The old-age pension
idea threatens to get out OF hand. Farm
control is under attack. There will be
fight needed to prevent emasculation of
the Wagner Labor Relations Act and an
other fight to keep executive control over
the Nations pursestrings. A defense has
to be set up against money tinkering ex-
periments. The White House promises to
be kept so busy protecting what it &C
CURED from Congress in recent years that
little energy will remain with which to
generate new ideas of startling character
Until now the New Deal has remained
on the offensive.
-Four years ago President Roosevelt was
driving ahead to create national system
Of old-age and unemployment insurance
Today the President is faced with the
problem Of checking runaway demands
for old-age pensions that could wreck
Federal finances and with the problem of
remodeling system of unemployment
insurance that failed rather dismally in
its first depression test.
Through all the New Deal years to date,
MIR. Roosevelt has kept Congress at the
task Of creating farm-control law. Now
the President is forced to sharpen a veto
ak In order to check sudden urge on the
part OF Congressman to give farmers a
blank check on the Federal Treasury.
The defensive problem in the case of
the Wagner Labor Relations Act is some
what different, This act provides air.
tight Government protection of labor in
its right to organize into unions and to
bargain collectively. Congress now is
under immense and growing pressure to
narrow these rights and projections
Here again the Presidents veto power
assumes great importance
Early in the New Deal President Roose-
welt went in for money experiments
But now that the United States has
$4,000, 100000 worth of gold and, now
that a billion dollars have been spent
buying unwanted silver. money rnanipu-
lation has lost its appeal at the White
House. Congress still is toying with trick
money ideas Instead of proposing new
experiments in this field, Mr. Roosevelt
, is ready to oppose experiments,
In other fields the President has reason
to be fairly we'll satisfied
The New Deal has its wage and hour
control law, for which no more than per-
fecting amendments are wanted There
no longer is any particular reason for
argument about the Supreme Court, with
approval expected for remaining untested
New Deal measures. The utility industry
is accepting the Utility Holding Com
pany Act. which it fought bitterly for
years. The Tennessee Valley Authority
is we'll entrenched, but extension of that
planning idea to all river basins of the
country no longer is urged by the Presi-
dent. The reciprocal trade program of
Cordell Hull is operating with little oppo-
sition from business. Relief and public
works are established Federal Govern
ment programs. Regulation of invest
ment markets by the S. E. C. produce
none of the alarms that appeared a few
years ago.
But there do remain number of prob
lens that call for positive presidential
action.
One is the Governments finances,
"iilSAi lClildil Al olSdl1dy. IL Qedl Will
this problem there is almost certain to be
a national defense surtax on both indi-
vidual and corporation income Also, an
attempt will be made to revive processing
taxes on some farm products. Neither of
these proposals. however, is likely to ex-
cite the general run of businessmen.
Another problem is in the field of social
security Mr.. Roosevelt is determined to
round out his security program with a
system Of health insurance. But in deal
ing with this situation an attempt is
being made to enlist the aid of the medi-
cal profession rather than to rouse its
unbending opposition.
There is third problem of govern
mental reorganization in order that the
Federal establishment may be able better
to administer the experiments of New
Deal years now that those experiments
appear to be here to stay. Efforts thus
far to solve this problem have brought
nothing but violent opposition in Con-
gress, and major battle may still i'm
pend.
The real fact of the matter is however,
that President Roosevelt and the whole
New Deal are getting tired of continual
fighting and. pickering. One time zealots
for reform now are found to have become
rather ordinary bureaucrats interested in
protecting their prerogatives and their