Evening star., 1939-04-28
Federal 'Economy'
Is Urged by Taft
Before Publishers i
$2,5oo,ooo, 900 Reduction
In Expense Can Be
Effected, He Says
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April Ex-senator
Robert A. Taft of Ohio last nigh.
proposed Government policy and
program of economy" which, he as
serted, "can reduce Federal expense
by at least 100000, ,OOO."
In a broad expression of his views
before dinner of the Bureau o.
Advertising of the American News
paper Publishers Association, the
Senator generally Endorsed son e
achievements of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration, but added that "the
whole theory of recovery through
Government spending is as COM
pletely discredited, both by logic ana
experience, as any economic theory
can be-"
There is no disposition on the
part of either Republican or Demo-
crat," he said, Ito abandon the prin-
clple of assistance to lower income
groups when our economic system
fails to provide them with a decent
and respectable living.
But with deficit of 81, 900, 900 0O)
"a year,, the Nation today is getting
something for nothing. and no one
has ever succeeded in doing that fot
long"
Advocates Economy.
To meet these (budget) dangers
ana still retain the essential advan-
tages OF present policies" Senator
Taft suggeSted:
That relief, old-age pensions. I'M
employment insurance, subsidized
housing be continued, but admin
lstered lin spirit of economy" He
SAID much can be accomplished bv
a change in the spirit in which these
laws are administered" adding
amendment of the Labor Act would
not pe necessary today If the act
mad been administered In an i'm
partial manner
That laws attempting to regulate
directly wages and prices, in cases
IN which there is no oppression.
should be repealed. We should pro-
tect businessmen against MONOPOLY
and unfair competition: we should
protect unorganized labor against
sWeatshop wages by minimum-wage
laws, but We should completely
abandon efforts to fix prices and
wages in other cases.
That the price-f1xing and pro-
duction control features of the farm
plan and the Guffey Coal Act" be
repealed.
One Relief Agency.
That all Federal relief agencies
should be concentrated under the
direction of the Social Security
Board and that I'VE should turn
back the administration of relief
and other local activities to the
States, and as far as the States can
handle the expense, we should hand
back the expense to the States"
That 1.-The payroll tax burden OF
the Social Security Act be reduced
and that there Should be no fur
ther extension of Federal ACTIVITY
until the Federal budget is COM
pletely balanced"
Finally that the country must
undertake a general reduction OF
the expense Of all present Fedora
activities"
Discussing the fiscal situation
Senator Taft said that the Presiden,
has always assumed responsibility
for co-ordinating an entire program
and presenting a balanced budget
and Congress has been the body
favoring expansion"
Now that we have an Executive
who does not assume that respon.
sibility. it might be possible to sci
up small committee in Congress:
to consider the whole fiscal polio,
OF the Government and restrain
extravaganza. But there is no as.
surance today that such a committee
could command the support of 9
majority Of Congress ="
McCarrens Makes Pledge.
Meanwhile, John S. McCarrens
69-year-old vice president and gen.
eral manager of the Cleveland Plain
Dealer, assumed the presidency OF
the association with pledge to fol-
low his predecessors in defending
the rights of free people"
las trustees of the liberties of q
great people" he said after his elec-
ton. I'VE know that we shall have
to justify our faith by our works
We ask nothing better and we shall
not fall
Even more important than the
job of protecting the ordinary
progress" of his own property these
days, McCarrens said, was the great
new obligation on the publisher to
stand as a monument Of protection
tn tho tr1,th in a confused uyorld