Milford chronicle., 1938-12-09

arabic from Local Welfare.
If you want to spoil a pleasant
day for a politician, just whisper the
word pension" to him. It's an odds.
on bet that he will be visited with 8
terrific headaches For the old-agt
assistance problem is rapidly reach
ing the stature of our Number / do
nestle issue. AS an AP writer, John
HightOwer puts 1t, voices too fee
BILE to carry across the family par
lor may echo in stentorian tones
throughout the halls of Congress
this winter" The next Congress may
do little or nothing about it. But
unless a miracle occurs, some not
far distant Congress is going to be
forced to tackle the problem and get
down to cases.
The issue is not a political one, in
any partisan sense. The idea that
came into the mind of DIR. Townsend
when he looked out Of his window a
few years ago and saw a pathetic
old woman searching in a garbage
can for food, has reached gigantic
mas COlAiC " UE-
devil and worry Republicans as well
as Democrats. II is especially en-
barrassing to the Democrats now,
because they are in power. A shift
in party power would put 1t up to
the Republicans.
The pension leaders are definite
ly dissatisfied with the Administra-
tion's enacted social security legis-
lation. They feel that II offers the
INDECENT old bone, instead of a de-
cent meal. They are convinced that
the government should and could
substantially increase the amount OF
pensions. They think that the Fed
eraI government should take the
lead, and that then the states will
follow and agree to do their part OF
the job.
From the standpoint of our law
makers, the whole thing is a night
mare. They feel that the country
could not stand increases in bene-
fits to anywhere near current de-
mands. They can produce we'll
known economists by the bushel to
testify that such ideas for financing
pensions as DR.. TOwnsend's 'veloc-
ity dollar" are unavoidable and fan
tastic. But this does them no good
when they are confronted with the
fact that the pensiOn-advOcates rep
resent and command millions Of
votes. And that is why there has
been so much political pussy-footing
on the subject of pensions by can
didates for Office. Almost all job
seekers . endorse, in the vaguest
terms they can get away with, the
principle of adequate and even Law
ish aid for the aged needy. Most of
them, once they've successfully con-
vinced the voters Of their worth, try
to get the whole topic as much out
OF the llmelight as possible.
This does not necessarily mean
such men are insincere. Some of
them strongly feel that benefits
must be increased, yet do nothing
about it-simply because they
haven't got the answers to the tre-
questions. principally f.
that arise. They want to
they can't see a clear
path ahead.
Still another weakness of the PEN (
sion movement is found in internal !
The Townsend Plan Or
for instance, is split into /
/ dozen factions. Some of the early I
leaders have deserted the Doctor,
md are leading opposed blocs Of
heir own. Furthermore, the fact |
hat there is competition in the field
such as the California thirty-dOl- /,
ars-every-Thursday proposal (which
vas beaten last election, though the
gubernatOrial and SEN
.torial candidates we're electe1)
makes a united front impossible.
President Roosevelt has definite
y turned thumbs down on the more
'xtreme proposals, calling them
short cuts to Utopia" and referring
O their sponsors as ''the lunatic
ringe." 1t is known that he has in
his Congressional lieuten-
nts to do anything they can to keep
he issue on the sidelines, as he be-
leves that il imperils the success of
lis own more moderate program
Iut it begins to look as If matters
re approaching something OF a cri-
is, where no one can long keep the
Ot from boiling over. And when .
hat happens, you'll see fireworks
nch as you'xe rarely seen before.
600
The resignation of Attorney-Gen-
raj Cummings did not come as a
urprise. It marks the start. in the :
pinion of a number of Washington
xperts, of what is likely to be a
lajor Cabinet shake-up. Some of =
he members want to return to pri- ,
ate life, largely for economic rea-
Dns. Others, it is said, have in
lrred presidential displeasure.
It has long been said that Jim
arley planned to leave the Cabinet,
nd was only restrained because G
lrty leaders pied with him to keep }
Is job long enough to handle the
ections. 1t is possible he will now 9
sign shortly. !
Newsweek also names Secretaries I
wanson. Perkins. Roper and Wood !
ng as being among those who may
ave Washington, Of their own vo :
ion or otherwise. (
In the meantime. 1t is the accept, :
opinion that Solicitor General :
lckson will take Mr.. Cummings :
ace. a
II Is taken for granted in most in a
rmed quarters that Harry Hop +
rs will be rendered a Cabinet post
fore long-and that there will be T.
white-hot battle in the Senate e