The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-04-28

| IOrIn IN MS message 10 congress
and his ssfireside chat" over the ra-
dio the same night. There is no ma
terial difference Of opinion, howev-
er, on some related points. Much
satisfaction is expressed here over
the fact that the Administration
now clearly recognizes that the ma
ton is in serious depression; and
even the Presidents most bitter OPP
ponents are gratified at the temper
ate tone of his written message and
of his radio talk.
The new program advocated by
the President is threefold. It pro-
vides for the continuance of relief
measures, the expansion of bank
credits and means of providing new
work in which large variety OF
industries will share. Coupled with
the recent authorization to the Re-
construction Finance Corporation to
lend up to billion and half more
to bminess of all kinds, with few
er restrictive condition, than in the
past, it is the conviction in Admin
istration circles that the Presidents
new plan will do the trick, stem the
tide of depression and start the
country off again toward the
avowed billion dollars of annual
income.
Congress Is Cagey
The relief recommendation of
the President include another bill
lion and quarter for tn w. P. A.,
fifty million more for the G. c. c.,
seventy-ive millions for the Ma
tional Youth Administration and
! ITS millions additional for the Farm
Security Administration. The in.
| clnoation of Congress is to go along
with the President on this part OF
his program, and on that part of it
calling for great expenditures for
public works, provided Congress
can have say as to how and where
these expenditures are to be made.
Gratified as Congress is that the
President in this care did not at
/ tempt to issue a peremptory order
for the legislation he desires, the
boys on Capitol Hill are inclined to
be very cagey about giving Mr..
/ Roosevelt another blank check.
Much of the recent rebellion in
Congress against the Administra-
ton has been due to the discovery
that when they have voted lump
rum to be used at the Presidents
discretion they were putting wea-
pom into the hands of the Executive
/ which could be used effectively to
discipline the Legislative branch OF
government.
Nothing has been more bitterly
resented by the general run OF Con-
gressmen and Senators than the
spectacle of Governors and Mayors
lining I'D at the White House to beg
for allotments of public works
fund, instead of coming to the Cap
itol to ask for favors. The tradition
al prerogative of Congress has been
to control the "pork-barrer', and
the most valuable political asset OF
a Congressman has been his ability
to get a good-sized slice Of Federal
/ funds expended in his home dis
trict.
| Fight for Prestige
That is why they are scrutinlzing
very closely the Presidents propo-
sails that they appropriate another
45O millions for the Public Works
Administration, 81 millions for flood
control work, Is millions for public
buildings, Treasury loans OF 500
millions to the Housing Administra-
tion and a billion in public works
loans to states and their political
I subdivisions. They want to have the
saw as to what states and subdl-
viions. including Congressional dis
tricts. these huge sums are to be
spent in. rather than to hand over
lump sums which might, conceiv-
ably. be used to gain more credit
for the Executive and to discredlt
members of the Legislative branch
who have opposed any part OF the
Executives program.
Therefore there is strong chance
| that these new recovery approprl-
4 atoms will not be voted without be-
ing "ear-marked" for specific pur-
poses in specific localities, thus re-
asserting again the independence OF
Congress.
That is still the real issue. Con-
gress having found that strong
body of public opinion is back of it
in refusing any longer to take or
ders from the White House without
protest, is inclined to maintain and