The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-05-19
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL
CAPITAL
By Carter Field i"

important effect that the Progress
sive conference in Madison, Wis,
will have on President Roosevelt
star is that it will start lot OF
admirers of the La Toilette brothers
wondering if Roosevelt is really
sound in his New Dealism and IN
his economics.
One indication of what may hap
pen to Roosevelt, due to the La
Toilette detection, has already hap
pened. Had it not been for the five
La Toilette Progressives in the
house who so Unexpectedly voted
against the reorganization bill that
measure would have become law.
So thattvsbe Progressives have al
.ready prevented the President from
having a good deal more power
power which might have been ex-
tremely effective, from time to time,
during the next two years.
But the disturbing phase of the
La Toilette movement to the New
Deal lies in the fact that on SO
many counts the La Follettes agree,
not with the extremists who want
to go a lot further than Roosevelt,
but with the conservatives who think
some of his economic theories and
practices unsound.
This is notably true SO far as the
doctrine of scarcity is concerned.
For a long time. for example, Sen.
William E. Borah has been almost
a lone voice crying in the wilder
ness in attacking the idea of cur
failing production when so many
people are in need of more-more
food, more shelter, more clothing,
more everything.
During the six years of the
Roosevelt administration, said
Gov. Philip F. La Toilette, I'VE have
transferred red ink from the books
of private enterprise to the book
keeping of our local, state and
federal governments.
1--WE have tried to give the farm
ers high prices by restricting agri-
cultural production. We have tried
to give industry nigh prices by re-
stricting the production of the fac
tory and the shop. We have tried
to give labor high wages by restrict
ing the output of the worker.
Hits at Roosevelt
''On top of all this, we have even
kept millions of able-bodied men
and women from productive tasks
by relief and various forms of made
work. A little simple arithmetic
gives the answer: Less from agri-
culture, less from industry and bust
ness, and less from labor can only
equal less for all, instead of more
for all.
The sentences just quoted might
reasonably have been expected in
the monthly letter of the National
City bank. They would have sur
prised no one in particular if they
had been uttered by ALI M. Landon.
Or printed in an editorial in the
New York Times or the Baltimore
Sun.
All of which is not taken to mean
that the La Follettes may be found
backing regular Republican in the
next election. Nor that they would
support the kind Of Democratic
candidate who might be approved
editorially in the pre-convention
campaign by the New York Times
or the Baltimore Sun.
But they do hit Mr.. Roosevelt in
a very vulnerable spot, a spot made
sore by much pounding from ele-
ments as far removed from the La
Follettes as the Liberty leaguel
1T makes it much more difficult
for Roosevelt to assume his favorite
strategic position--in the middle be-
tween two extremes-where he can
say to both sides: Look what those
other fellows would do if it were not
for me-"
Baked Potato Story"
The baked potato story" is still
bothering Sen. Vic Donahey OF Ohio.
Since the Ohio senator was named
chairman of the congressional COM
rnittee which WILL investigate the
Tennessee Valley Authority, the sto-
ny has been brought up again.
Briefly, the story goes like this.
Vic Donahey was state auditor Of
Ohio while James M. Cox was gov
ernor, and incidentally while Cox
was candidate for President on
the Democratic ticket in 1920. Dom
ahey attracted a lot of attention to
his auditing. On one occasion he
forced state judge to itemize a
bill for a dinner, and then disal-
lowed 35-cent charge for potatoes.
mot while the farmers of Ohio are
getting only SIS cents bushel." he
told the newspaper men. Which
was promptly printed all over Ohio.
The story was printed recently
by this writer, with an addition to
which Senator Donahey takes excep.
ton. The addition incorrectly stat
ed that later on, with no publicity.
this item was allowed. II want
you to know" the senator writes
"that | did not pass the controver-
sial voucher for payment, and It