Evening star., 1939-05-03

~ AS"'s' keep LQe Gov
ernment going. There has rarely
been session to which the epithet
"do-nothing" could be more fifty ap-
piled.
At times in the past 1t has been
said-usually without warrant-that
Congress was ''upsetting business" by
staying in session. That can't be
said of the present Congress. Busi-
ness is in the doldrums, but it Is
not there by virtue of any legisla-
tive action since the first of the
year.
Passes Up Opportunity.
The fact Of the matter Is that
Congress is passing up a genuine
opportunity to do something for
business - and for the country -
through tax revision. What has be-
come Of the "appeasement" program
on which congressional leaders and
Secretary Morgenthau and Secre-
tary Hopkins some. weeks ago were
said to be at work? Even If the
administration has cooled of, what
is to prevent Congress from taking
the initiative and handing up tax
bill to the President? Why should
not Congress, in the exercise of q
constitutional function, take Secre-
tary Hopkins at his word and try to
give effect to the glowing prospectus
of his Des Moines speech?
There are so many points on which
the liberal and the conservative
schools of thought are in agreement
that it ought not to take long to
frame a tax program that would
command majority in both houses.
Tax revision is not the only item
on the agenda of urgent business.
At the very top is the matter Of
neutrality legislation. Congress will
default in a plain duty If it thrusts
the neutrality issue forward, as Sem
ator Bankhead would have 1t do,
into the next session. The danger
Of the sudden outbreak of war in
Europe is such that the issue ought
to be faced and settled now, with
out delay. Otherwise the United
States may find itself choosing sides
in the middle of conflict.
The solution that commends itself
to this writer is the passage of the
Pittman bill, permitting the sale of
munitions to belligerents on the
cash-and-carry basis, but the point
is that Congress should take some
definite action toward ending the
| present confusion.
Other Important Issues.
Issues that likewise clamor for at
tention are those centering about
proposed amendments to the Wag-
ner Labor Relations Act and the So
cial Security Act. There is also,
among other unfinished business.
the matter Of the Presidents rec
ommendation Of simple statute to
stop the issuance of tax-exempt pub
lie bonds.
The House found time the other
day to pass a bill increasing the
benefits Of war veterans. 1t is safe
| bet that the Senate will pass it,
too. There has been no talk among
the legislators about laying this
measure aside until next year.
There is work for Congress to do
for the whole public as well as for
the war veterans. Its members are
paid the sizable salary Of $4,000
each. So long as there is urgent
business demanding study and &C
ton, there is no excuse for Congress
to run out on the job, whether in
June, July, August or September.
That is true in any case, and en-
tirely apart from Senator Johnson's
contention that Congress ought to
stay in Washington indefinitely in
order to keep the Nation out of war.
If Congress does run out, II it
does take itself of the hands" Of
the President, let none Of its men,
bers who are party to that action
cry out ever again against "execu-
tive domination" Of the Govern
ment