The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-12

4L VIII De IcCdllcO tildt JeSSe damned this measure through Congress when he got word that Secretary Morgenthau and SEC Chairman Douglas were proposing a system of regional government credit banks to provide small business men with much needed capital.
 Ever since 1885 the REC had had the power to lend up to $300,000,00O to small business, but all that time had loaned out only around l00,000, ,000-this despite the recession.
 Since then. Jesse has galvanized into action, for two very good rea- sons. ONE was to keep the REC, and himself, in the forefront as potent agency; TWO, to keep a tight grip on the tap of govern ment spending.
 With his eye on the White House in 1940, Jesse has been quietly booming himself in big business and banking circles as an cconOmizer and "Jeffer- sonian" Democrat. But in this strategy he overlooked one thing.
 When the $500, 0,O0O, 900 loans- to-industry bill was enacted, it was widely touted as great boon to little businessmen. Both the President and Jesse acclaimed 1t as major feature of the Admin istration's recovery program. These assurances have been taken seri- ously, and now by the thousands from all parts of the country, ap- plications for slice of that effu- sively publicized melon have been flooding the REC.
 Tight-Fisted Jesse
 But Jesse is not dishing out. He is being just as tight-fisted with the $1,500, ,000, 900 as he was with the $300,000,000 fund. And just as Sccretive.
 Repeated efforts to find out how many loans he has granted are met with stony silence. Jesse won't even make public the num- Der of applications he has re- ceived. It can be stated positive ly, however, that they run into the many thousands. More than 5000 have been filed in New York alone.
 Best inside information is that no more than $15,000,0O0 so far has been earmarked.
 While succeeding in his pur. pose to hold down government spending, Jesse is getting himself very badly in Dutch on his presi- dential ambitions. Little business men, unable to get the govern ment credit so glibly promised them, are bombarding their con- gressmen with hot denuncia tions Of Jesse and demanding his scalp.
 It Is not unlikely that before the session closes the matter will be aired on Capitol Hill in a manner that will do Jesse's burning White House hopes no good.
 Fancy Living
 It costs the taxpayers of the country approximately $22,0OO, ,00O year to maintain the 535 sena- tors, congressman and territorial delegates in the manner in which they hope to continue to be &C., customed. This is at the hobby rate of $41,00O per solon. whether good, bad or indifferent.
 Included in this expense are salaries, mileage, stationery, capi- tol police, Investigations, report ing of debates, etc., and contin- gent expenses. 1t is in these contingent items that the boys get in their fancy-living licks.
 Here are few of the more exotic charges:
 Nine headache seltzers, 2 mouth washes, laxatives. 12 spirits ammonia, 12 witch -hazels -Sl3.95. 12 bottfcs aspirin $8.76. l dozen gold metal cus- pid0rs S17.00. 1 gross mems combs-$27.00. 50,0OO paper drinking cups-$1l2.O0. auto N~A 'sSS CohuCht-pf,VVUVV. auto for speaker-$4, ,0OO.OO. Fold ing speeches for mailing to vOt- ers-$44,000.00. Packing boxes given each member at the close of every session-$2,5O0.0O. Re- pair of fender on vice presi- dents car-$32.OO. I dozen bath brushes-$6.00. 15 gross soap
 of various kinds, including scented-S127.0O. 25 dozen bath towels-$175.0O.
 NOTE-No Congress can vote to increase its own salaries, but it can vote all 1t wants for fizz wa- ter, clerks and other incidentals. New England Crusader REP. ARTHUR D. HEALEY chairman of the non-partisan steering committee which is fight ing for the wage-hour bill, is a Boston ex-bellhop, ex-street car l