The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-06-02
AN OLD AMERICAN CUSTOM
]. E. Jones

good deal is written and said about
the economy blocs in Congress. The
record of the blocs covers a good
many Government appropriation
bills, including the SO million dol
lars cut from the Presidents relief
bill What a victory?
The other side to this story ap-
pears in the. action of the Senate
voting 81 to IA the $1,200 900, 900
agricultural appropriation bill,
thereby raising it above the vote
of the House, which had appropriat-
ed $S35,118,613. That sum was z
million dollars under President
Roosevelt's estimates. Anothef--what
victory! Now the two branches OF
Congress will try to reach IN agree
ment through conference commit
tee.
The last chapter finds the Presi-
dent and Congress trying to agree
upon some sort of "tax reform" The
President insists that the total
amount of taxes estimated in the
budget must be voted in taxes, no
matter what kind of reforms
there may be. Reforms" are spas
modic, since the records show the
Administration recommendations
may be raised, or be lowered-as in
Dictated above. The total amount of
taxes at this session of Congress
is certain to be way under.
1t is an old American custom to
pay public bills from the sums levi
ed and collected by taxation that will
be sufficient to bring in enough
money to pay what will go out.
The only change is found in stream
lined annual deficits.
Under the New Deal the Treasury
puts 81. o. u" slips in its cash
drawer-usually in ADVANCE of the
meeting of Congress, reading: DE
felt, this year billion dollars"
It's bad practice that has gradu-
ally raised the national debt to the
highest point in American history.
The Farmer And The Truck
Truck gardening bids fair to be
supplanted by truck farming"
Just about fourth of the trucks
plying the highways are carrying
farmers products and agricultural
commodities, if spot surveys from
IA widely separated states are re-
liable indication of the national tot
AL" reports the publication Auto
mobile Facts"
A recent Farm Credit Adm!nistra-
ton bulletin summed up farm views
of the motor truck as "a modern
mechanism which enables them (the
farmers) to meet unfavOrable eco
nomic conditions by bringing trans
portation costs more nearly in line
with their returns"
The FCA study showed break
down of the reasons why some 5000
farmers in 9 states depend on truck
transport: more prompt delivery
43 per cent; more convenient" 81
per cent; Cheaper" "a per cent;
LESS handling" 20 per cent: PRO
duce reaches market in better con-
dition," 10 per cent.
Business Prospects
A good many items enter into the
officials reports about prospects of
business for the coming months. I'm
employment continues on SO big a
Il ho+ he rrn Yno1
perity. Reports of sales from big
and little business show very little
change from what they were at the
turn of the year. Apparently the
large and small private investors
are hiding their money and are
afraid to buy securities. The capital
structure is rather stagnant. On the
whole it seems fair to report from
Washington that things are "just
moving along"
The new Secretary of Commerce
attempts to cheerful notes for the
purpose of spreading optimism. But
Harry Hopkins in his new position
is not very convincing.
Argentine Beef
A Washington housewife upon
reading the first blast from the
White House about Argentine beef
laid down her newspaper and went
into a chain store to investigate. She
found big stocks of canned beef on
the shelves. 1t was canned in
Chicago and labeled from ':Argen-
tine" and Brazil"
If you make your own investiga-
ton perhaps you will find the same
result.
American meat of lower grades is
used for hot dogs. Argentine claims
that it uses its best cuts for canned
meats. Either way-and its only
short-time incident.