The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-01-13

Washington.-It is a little early in
the new year to become Respondent.
I suppose, after
"BiWs" Not the manner of a
Happy certain radio star.
i. - I ought to be hap
py about the whole thing. But I
am not. The outlook is too gloomy.
Developments Of the last few weeks
have combined to make me pes
sinist Of the first water. I hope I
am wrong; yet, present conditions
force the conclusion that this coun-
try faces a condition as serious as
that through which it passed in 1882
and 1888. There is no reason evil
dent to me why we should not face
the facts, discouraging as they ap-
pear. ..,. w..
So, let us consider some Of the
things that have happened lately,
and some that are happening these
days. Only in that way, believe,
can we get a correct understanding
Of this new depression which thou
sand government propagandists in
sist upon calling a recession"
Four months ago, industry began
to lay off men and women workers.
There was no market for the goods
they were manufacturing. The re-
duction in payrolls was necessary
to avoid bankruptcy. Nobody can
afford to pay workers If there is
no work to do. Dismissal Of work.
ers continued in an ever-growing
volume until on January l, the great
General Motors corporation laid off
something like 1000 men at one
time and placed its remaining 200,-
600 workers on four-day week.
That action, while it appears sensa.
tional, was illustrative Of what had
been going on during the four
months that I mentioned; it brought
public attention and political atten-
ton to a focus, but it was sensa-
tional only because of the numbers.
It made an impression that dis
missal of few or several hundred
here and there had failed to make.
During this same period, prices
were undergoing natural and nor
NAL reaction. Some were up; some
were down. Altogether, they were
and are in topsy-turvy condition.
Government business analysts
smelled the mouse. They were
watching all of the trends that were
evident during those four months.
Those officials in high places and
charged with responsibility for ma
tional welfare were informed of
what was in prospect. But govern
ment propaganda continued to show
bright and smiling faces in the pic
ture. It won't last, they were say
ing in the written and spoken words.
It is psychological condition, Pres
ident Roosevelt said-and thereby
made the same mistake that Presi-
dent Hoover made when he an
nounced that prosperity was just
around the corner in 1881. It is the
same old corner and it is the same
old prosperity, but apparently the
Roosevelt administration is going to
have just as much trouble finding
either the corner or the prosperity
as Mr.. Hoover did.
To get back to the sequence Of
events: the time came when the re-
sponsible officials
More Trust had to say some
Busting thing by way Of
admitting the ex-
istence of the depression .reces-
sion." Mr.. Roosevelt, it will be re-
called, went off on fishing trip
around December I. He took with
him the brilliant and able young
Robert Jackson. of the Department
of Justice. Now, Mr.. Jackson's par
ticular ability lies in the direction Of
breaking up trusts. monopolies. big
business combinations. Those of us
whose job it is to watch Washing
ton, thought we foresaw the next
move by the administration. We
have it now in full fower-a great
drive against all Of those sinful
big business interests who simply
must be the folks responsible for the
Of course, it should be
at the same time that
there must be 'goat" when poll
tics gets balled up, and big bust
ness again is the goat" of the adj
In consequence of the crash in
business, the collapse of the theories
Of the long-haired crew that seeks
to remould America under the guise
Of New Deal plans, and the general
out of Democrats on the
New Deal leadership. the country is
now to be treated to another trust
busting drive comparable to that
by the late Theodore
Roosevelt when he was President.
Yes. big BUSINESS can always be at
lacked, cajoled, threatened. It is
a proper stunt, nearly always re-
sorted to by politicians and others
who find themselves locked within