The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-07-13

Washington.-The end of the
Federal fiscal year 1889 came at
midnight, June 30th, with the fig
sures on the Treasury books show
ing that during the preceding II
months the Government had spent
nine billions and a few odd mil
lions of dollars, which was more
than three and a half billions
above the amount received from
all sources.
The excess of spending over the
income was borrowed money,
which ran the total of Uncle
Sans national debt up to well
above forty billion dollars, or
little more than $500 a head,
counting women, children, In
dians and everybody else.
The new fiscal year began, al
so, with a series of slaps in the
Presidential face administered by
a rebellious Congress. The Sc
nate and House of Representa-
tives took away from the Presl-
dent his power to devalue the
gold dollar still further, and to
use two billion dollars of gold as
an international Sterilization
fund. Those powers expired at
midnight on June 80, and Con-
gress refused to renew them.
The Congress also refused to
give the President the free hand
he had demanded in international
affairs, by the House Of Repre-
sentatives insisting upon the IN
clusion in the new neutrality law
a provision that arms and ammu-
milton may not be sold by Unit
ed States manufacturers to any
nation engaged in war, though
it did give the President his
cash and carry" plan for other
supplies to belligerent nations.
Now anybody can buy American
commodities, including airplanes,
if they will pay cash and take
them away in their own ships
but no rifles or bombs.
The neutrality issue is not en-
tirely settled, however, for the
Senate still has to act on it.
w. p. A. Changed
The set-up of w. P A. for the
new fiscal year has been radl-
cally changed, on the initiative OF
Congress and against the desires
Of the Administration. The total
amount appropriated for this
phase of relief for the coming
wear is a trifle more than a bill
lion and three-quarters. But the
appropriation h as numerous
strings attached to it.
From next September on, ev-
erv w. P. A. worker who has
been on the rolls for eighteen
months must be laid off. After
thirty-day lay-off he may apply
for direct relief again, and then
NAV be re-employed by w. p. A.
The reduction in the w. P. A. ap-
preparation is expected to result
in a permanent reduction OF the
number of workers from the pre-
sent two and a half million to
two million or fewer. The cost OF
administration of w. P. A. is fix
ed in the new laws at not more
than four percent of the total ex-
penditures, but with the smaller
appropriation, this will mean that
numerous white-collar admins
traitors will have to be laid off.
An important part Of the new
law requires the averaging of the
subsistence wages so that they
will be more nearly equal in diff
ferent parts of the country, max
ing allowance for the difference
in the cost of living. The present
average monthly wage of w p.
A. workers in the North is $50
a month; in the South it is $26.
Win Farm Subsidies
The new Farm Bill, with sub
sides for farmers far exceeding
anything in the past, was reluc-
family signed by President Roose-
welt, whose objection to it was
that Congress had not provided
additional tax revenue to cover
the cost.
On the whole, the temper of
Congress as the old fiscal year
came to a close and the new one
began was not one Of economy
but that of determination to cur
tail the powers of the President
and to take control Of Govern
ment policies back into the hands
of the Congress, where they ira
ditionally may prove to be re-
mains to be seen.
The new law forbids the Treas
ury to buy foreign silver at any
nrice and sets the price of do