The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-05-18


survey the job ahead of them. So
far very little of real Importance
has been accomplished.
The only issues before Con-
gress which have been finally
settled are the limited reorgani-
cation authority granted to the
President and the program OF ex-
pansion for national defense.
Most of the rest of what Con-
gress has done has been routine,
appropriations for the principal
departments and such small mat
tiers as can be disposed of with
out controversy.
But there are at least seven
major matters, involving Gov
eminent policy, remaining to be
considered, and doubt is growing
that Congress can possibly fin
ish its job in time to adjourn by
July first.
Not long ago there was talk
about adjourning in June. Now
there is talk about remaining in
session continuously until the is
sue of war or peace in Europe is
decided. The probability is that
the boys on Capitol Hill will quit
and 60 home some time around
early August, leaving some i'm
portant matters for the next ses-
sion.
The talk of continuous session
arises from the feeling that, in a
major international crisis, Con-
gress ought to be on the job,
mainly to keep the President
from taking any action which
would tend to involve this coun-
try in European dispute.
The whole question of neutra-
lily legislation is complicated by
the division of authority in inter-
national relations between the Elk
ecutive and the Legislative bran
ches of the Government.
The President can negotiate
treaties, but they are nc GOod un-
less the Senate approves them. In
case of war, the President is IN
sole command of the Army and
Navy but he cannot declare war;
Only Congress can do that. He
must call on Congress to appro-
pirate money to conduct a war.
There probably will be some re-
visions of the Wages and Hours
law, solely to clear up a few
points which are not quite clear
to anybody as the law now
stands.
There is less likelihood Of any
revision of the Labor Relations
Act than there seemed to be ear
lier in the session. The prospect
is for heated and lengthy discus
sion of the proposal to amend the
law so as to deprive the Labor
Board of some of its arbitrary
powers. Back of this proposal are
not only important organizations
of business men, but the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, which
is now in greater favor with Con-
gress than is the rival labor or
ganization, the c. I. 0.
There is certain to be violent
difference of opinion, to put it
mildly, over the proposed appro-
priations for the w. P. A. for
next year.
What will be done about farm
legislation is anybody's guess.
The only certainty is that there
is bound to be bitter opposition
to the program proposed by the
Senate Appropriations Commit
tee, which added nearly 400 mil
lion dollars to the amount ap-
proved by the House of Repre-
SentatlVeS.
Appriprt.tes S1,216,45S,572
The measure as it now stands
for consideration by the Senate
appropriates $1,2l6,458.572. Of
the increase approved by the
committee, 100000 is to be
used for parity payments" to
farmers. These are outright gifts
of public funds to farmers who
did not make as much money this
year as they made in the years
1909 to 1918 on the same farms.
Another new item in the bill
is $113,000,000 for the Secretary
of Agriculture to use in purchas-
ing surplus farm products, for
free distribution to persons on re-
lief. Those are in addition to
some $400,000,000 already ap-
proved by the House or payments
to farmers for soil conservation,
accomplished by reducing the
acreage in cash crops and plant
ing the lands to grass or trees.
These increases in the Agricul-
tural Appropriation bill would, if
enacted, wipe out all the savings
which have been made by the