The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-01-06
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National Topics Interpreted "a G77I91ES
by William Bruckart TTT71TTTN
C.
tration to the doors of congress and
the White House in Washington.

session. The extra
congress session that met
Is Back November Is amid
great deal of
ballyhoo as to what it would &C
complish has gone into history. 1t
left a record of which no one can be
proud. But that's gone by and the
new session is starting with a fine
field waiting for cultivation-except
that 435 members of the house and
some 30-odd senators face primaries
and elections. That fact alone pro-
vides the answer to many things
you will see unfolded in the next
four or five or six months. The boys
will play politics aplenty.
But before we go into that, let
us examine the little game of poll
tics which President Roosevelt has
initiated. I think it cannot be gain
said that the President has tossed a
very hot potato into the lap of con-
gress. Some time ago, it will be
recalled, the President said with
emphasis that the budget must be
balanced this year-that spending
of government money must not ex-
coed the income as it has done now
consistently for seven years. There
was much applause of that pro-
nouncement at the capitol. It
seems, however, they are laughing
out of the other side of their mouth
now because suddenly the politi-
clans discovered that if the budget
were brought into balance, great
gobs of political pap, patronage and
projects would have to be eliminat-
ed.
There was reaction to the Presi-
dents statement. Mr.. Roosevelt
very promptly said, in effect, "Well,
boys, if we cut down spending we
have to start somewhere. How
about cutting off couple of hum
dred millions from the federal con-
tribution for road building" and
howl went up to the skies. GAIT
building roads, never! So the Presi-
dent tried again. Lately, he has
sent letter to Representative Cart
wright, Oklahoma Democrat, saying
that if Mr.. Cartwright did not want
his committee to act on the road
fund curtailment, congress and it's
Individual members would have to
take the responsibility when the
budget shows up out of balance.
Mr.. Roosevelt tossed the hot potato
to congress just that way.
I suppose there could be a slow
ing down in road building, but men,
bers of the house tell me there are
hundreds of other places where
spending could be reduced without
harming permanent national pol
icy. There will be much hauling
and filling but if congress really
wants to curb spending, let it give
a few minutes look at the things
discovered by Senator Harry Byrd,
the Virginia Democrat, and his in
vestigating committee. That COM
mittee brought forth information, I
am informed, as to how half a bill
lion dollars of New Deal expert
ments could be eliminated and our
United States would never miss
single one of them. Il do not mean
the patronage boys on the payrolls.
Of course, they would miss their
soft jobs.)
To get back to the hot potato,
however, the President has told con-
gress in effect to sort out the things
it would kill and pass the legislation
that would eliminate the spending
and bring a balanced budget. BY
so doing, he has lodged all of the
backwash from local politicians of
his own machine and has made the
representative and senators the
goats in front of their own people.
I must not fail to report to you
about the plight of the citizens of
Greenbelt, h a
Blight CUer model community
Greenbeit erected by the dis
tinguished re-
moulder of men, Prof. Rexford Guy
Tugwell, where cheap rents were to
prevail and economic royalists dare
not tread. For $14, 900, Profess
sor Tugweu built apartments for
1875 families, provided no family had
more than two babies. The govern
ment is going to get its money back
in 232 years.
But a great blight has fallen over
Greenbelt. The tenants did not
read the fine print of their leases.
Too late, they learned that the fine
print prohibited them from having
dogs, or any kind of pets. I under
stand there has been a bit of boot
Logging of pets but anyway there is
a prohibition against such things.
Now, however, a great movement
is under way in Greenbelt. Peti-
tons are in circulation demanding
that Landlord Uncle Sam change
the lease One never knows where
such things will lead. Greenbelt is
up in arms. A referendum is being
called for. The thing has broken
out in the politics of downtown
Washington, fully Is miles from the
scene. Goodness knows what will
happen. 1t may be as serious as
the sinking of the Panay since the
government must have renters for
232 years. On the other hand, my
twelve-year-old sons observation
about the whole thing was, "Hot
diggety dog!"
g Western Newspaper Union.
Old King Cole as Ruler