The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1939-08-10
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS

Not since that dramatic day in
March, 1888, when President RooSe-
welt, having taken his oath Of office
issued the Bank Holiday proclama-
ton as the first act of his admins
tration, has the New Deal been in
so difficult a position as it is now
And never, politically speaking, has
the New Deal power and prestige
been at so low an ebb.
That, at least, is the opinion OF
practically all newspapermen and
publicists, including those who sup
port the Roosevelt Administration
as well as those who oppose it. The
President personally may still hold
a high place in the esteem of the
people. But some of the most i'm
portant of the reforms" and Eek
periments' which he fathered have
fallen on extremely evil days.
In the words of Time, the PreSi-
dent has recently taken "a series
of blows such as no President of the
u. S. ever suffered and survived."
First blow was the strong congress
ional fight against renewing his
power over money. The President
side-stepped this, and won the
round by a narrow margin. Then
came the neutrality battle, and the
definite refusal of the Senate to
give him the free hand in foreign
policy which he and Secretary Hull
thought necessary. Never did
President fight harder to gain what
he wished. But, as Vice-President
Garner is reported to have told his
chief, the votes simply couldn't be
Congress was not yet through with
its undeclared war on the White
House. The Administrators 81
OOO, 600 600 "self- liquidating" lending
and spending program was a mere
shadow of itself after it had run
the gamut of congressional resolu-
tons and amendments. The foreign
credit proposal was deleted. A clause
was inserted barring loans for pro-
projects competing with private
business. Proposed appropriations
were cut all along the line. Even
the words "Self Liquidating" were
by Committee demand,
from the bill't title.
Worst blow of all, perhaps, from
the political view, came with the
passage of the Hatch bill. Introduce
ed last session by Senator Hatch,
the measure had been buried in
Committee. This session Represent
ative Dempsey went to work and
forced it out into the open. Gist OF
the bill is to make it illegal for any
federal office-holders, with certain
exceptions such as the President,
his aides, cabinet members, ETC., to
use their job influence to raise
money or to influence votes. It is
obvious what this means to any fed
eral political machine. It means
that political control will largely de-
part from Washington, to become
conferred in state capitals and 9TH
er local subdivisions. It means that
comparatively few federal jobhold-
ers will be delegates to the next
Democratic nominating convention,
where close to half were at the
last convention. It means that the
Presidents direct power over the
Democratic party has been greatly
reduced.
And even this wasn't all. I'm
mensely important New Deal crea-
ton is the National Labor Relations
Board. And the House voted, by an
almost two-to-one majority, to in
vestigate it to discover whether 1t
has unduly favored workers over
employees, has exceeded its lawful
powers, and has favored Go over
A. F. Of L
This isn't all there is to congress
revolt against the New Deal, but il
touches the high spots OF immense
importance Is the fact that the op-
position comes principally from
within the party. The Democrat.
are literally torn asunder. Leader.
ship, especially in the Senate, has