Evening star., 1938-03-30


but it is no less absurd than the
views held on the other side OF the
issue by the President of the United
States himself. Mr. Roosevelt told
the correspondents at Warm Springs
that the vote on the reorganization
bill showed that the Senate cannot
be purchased by organized kilograms
based on direct Misrepresentation
Unhappily for the AZ United States
Senators who voted against the re-
organization bill, including such stall
wart New Dealers as Senator Robert
Wagner of New York. the Senate
would allow the inference to be drawn
that members of the Senate SO lar
forgot their public duty as to submit
to improper influence.
The word "purchased' is one that
will linger long.
Sign Of Emotional Reaction.
It is not often that President OF
the United States has publicly &C
cused House of Congress of being
subject to purchase" by organized
telegrams or anything else 1t is
grave reflection on the Senate which
it is doubtful whether Mr.. Roosevelt
in a more deliberate mood would ever
have made. 1t is, however, character
istic of him to make hair-trigger
comments and to allow the press to
quote them. 1t is more sign OF his
emotional reactions than his con-
sidered thought on public questions.
AS matter of fact, the reorganiza-
ton bill itself is not as bad as it has
been painted Were any other Pres
ident in the White House except Mr..
Roosevelt, the bill might have had
more substantial margin in its favor.
But the thought that Mr.. Roosevelt
will be in Office during the time the
reorganization is effected is enough to
cause dismay on Capitol Hill, where
distrust of the President is growing
rather than diminishing. The distruSt
takes the form of fear that he will
abuse executive power if granted to
him. incidentally, the removal of
Chairman Morgan Of T. v. A. by the
President without the slightest con-
Stitutional basis for such action has
done more than any one thing to
arouse apprehension about dictatorial
mood on the part of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Nation Watches Fight.
The reorganization bill controversy
somewhat as was the fight against the
bill to pack the Supreme Court.
Though the contest never should have
taken that slant, it so happens that
vote against the bill was considered a
vote against Mr.. Roosevelt and dicta-
torship, and a vote for the bill was
taken to mean a continuance of Mr..
Roosevelt's domination of the legisla-
tive branch of the Government.
1t will be noted that the stock mar
ket had another severe decline after
the reorganization bill passed the
Senate. indicating that, as Mr.. Roose-
velt's power grows, confidence on the
part of business and financial men
that they can operate their businesses
and create employment for the idle
begins to diminish.
Maybe Mr.. Roosevelt resents the fact
that the issue has been personalized
so much. He may resent also the
charges last week that the admins
tration was exerting pressure through
patronage and other governmental IA
vors to win votes in the Senate for
the bill. But so long as the President
gives out Federal judgeships to men,
bers Of the House of Representatives
and keeps one of their number in the
House even after the latter has been
confirmed as circuit court of ap-
peals Judge, the charges of improper
influence will be heard.
Dividends OF Fl Per Cent.
Unfortunately, none Of this creates
any jobs or puts men back to work at
their old jobs. The wiping out of
values and purchasing power goes on
every day. Thus, Moody's which Is
one OF the leading statistical organiza-
tions OF the country, has by"a recent
compilation shown that the common
stock dividends Of 900 different COM
panles declined for the three-month
period from December last through
February from $2.18 share to $l.60 q
share, or q decline Of 27 per cent,
whereas it took 20 months after the
1929 break for a similar decline in
dividends to develop. And when divi-
oenos are cut of, vital part Of the
Nations purchasing power goes down.
Mr.. Roosevelt was in "high humor"
1t Warm Springs about the reorgani-
zation bill vote, but he can hardly
laugh on the deflation now going on
and the plight of the millions whose
pay envelopes have been curtailed or
wiped out through the indifference of
his administration to the needs of
business.
(Conyrirht 1ooaN