The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1939-02-23

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BY all the old political phil
osophies it is unWise to act con-
trary to public desires. Mean
ing, in other words, that the
wise public official follows pub
lie opionion in deciding on pup
lie questions.
However, in Washington this
week one of the StrangeSt ar
gumentS ever witnessed by
Capital observers is going on
in the official high places. The
argument is over the merit
of that philosophy. It is strange
because Washington is SuppoS-
eddy a center of political wis
dom.
It all started recently when
certain officials took up the
cudgel to do battle with Con-
gress and the public over
the question of amending the
National Labor Relations Act.
Advisors were quickly called in
by these officials and together
they began planning strategy to
convince Congress - and the
public-that the act should not
be amended. Their tack was
not to be an easy one, they
found, as they studied the var
ious national polls of public
opinion on the question. With
out exception, the polls showed
opionion overwhelming in favor
of the amendment or even out
right repeal.
The method to be used to
convince Congressman has ap-
parently been decided upon. 1t
is the simple evpedient of ig-
noring public opinion in official
circles and hoping that the leg
islative branch of government
will follow suit.
At least this was indicated
recently when members of the
National Labor Relations Board
appeared at secret hearings at
the Capitol, and testified, in
effect, that they we're unim-
pressed by the public desire;
that the Act is in the public
interest without being changed.
In the meantime, other Of
ficialS and board Sympathizers
are busy on the telephones tell
ing any Congressman who will
listen that public opinion isn't
as important as might be sup
posed.
P. S.-No strategy has been
perfected to convince the public.
But whether public opinion is
respected or not, the National
Emergency Council still has a
large staff of pulse -feelers" on
the job, to wit:
The MEG has just reported
to government officials an an
alysis of reaction to recent pro-
posals of continued effort to
spend the Nation back to pros
perity. Approximately 900 news;
paper editorials were digested
by the pulse-feeling staff af-
ter Governor EccleS, of the Fed
eral Reserve Board, took to the
radio to defend the spending
philosophy.
Only six editorials were found
lauding the stand of more
spending. All the others beat
the drum for a balance-the-
budget philosophy as that most
likely to stimulate recovery.
Project of the week: PWA Ad-
miniStrator Ickes announced
purcha of six specially
equipped tank trucks to trans
port live salmon from one spot
to another, as part of the pro-
gram for control of salmon in
the Columbia river at Grand
Coulee Dam. The trucks will
cost $1,000 each.
There is more significance
than most people would suppose
attached to the recent routine
announcement of the Bureau
Of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce that U. S. machinery eX-
ports increased materially last
year. The announcement re-
vealed a IL per cent increase in
exports to foreign countries.
Significance: Foreign dictat-
OrS who ridicule falsely Am
erican living standards, are in
reality envious of Americas alb
ility to produce better made
goods, and are importing more
American machinery in an eff
fort to improve their own liv-
ing standards.