The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-04-18

lawmakers lack major issues about
which to debate. Congress- super
|fcial lethargy can be laid to two
causes: First, this is a general cleo
tion year, and the members of both
parties naturally are largely occupied
with partisan political problems; Sec
|ond, the war in Europe continues to
hold the headlines and the public eye,
lat the expense of domestic affairs.
Most ominous issue facing the Con-
|gress is what to use for money, and
what to do about the national debt.
AS was expected, the solons have
|gone far beyond the proposed budget
in expenditures. Signal example of
spending is found in agricultural ap-
preparations. The House passed a
farm bill calling for some 100000
and the Senate upped appripria-
|tions to nearly the $1,000,000,000
mark. The result is that the national
debt is now only about 2,500,000, 900
short of it's statutory limit of $45,-
1000, 100000. The Treasury cannot
legally sign checks when spending
passes that limit. There are three
possible solutions: Congress must hold
it's appropriations down, raise the
debt limit, or increase taxes. And all
three solutions are distasteful for Con-
gressmen whose thoughts this year
are primarily occupied with where and
how to get votes for themselves and
their party.
After considerable argument, the
House approved the resolution to ex-
tend the reciprocal trade law-under
which the President is empowered to
make trade agreements with other
nations-and the resolution went be-
fore the Senate. 1t was fought there,
primarily by Senators from the lum-
ber and farming states, but passed.
Passage of the Hatch "clean poll
tics' bill by the Senate, by very wide
margin, came as something of a sur
prise. The bill makes it illegal for
government workers, with certain
high-ranking exceptions, to take an
active part in political campaigns.
The measure is now before the House,
where it faces strong opposition. How
ever, it seems almost certain to become
law-the Legislators are more or less
on the spot in this case, as the bill
has been given the support of news
papers and spokesmen representing
both parties.
So far, both branches of Congress
have avoided wrestling with the prob
lens presented by the National Labor
Relations Board and the Securities
Exchange Commission. But it is al
most sure that both these bodies will
be the center of belligerent contro-
versy this year. The NLRB has fallen
into disfavor with men influential in
the Democratic party as well as the
Republican. And there is a growing
belief among congressional conserv-
atives that the SEC, as now admins
tered, is going considerably farther
than was intended in controlling in
|dustry. $50"
Transportation legislation holds a
prominent place on the calendar. Last
session both House and Senate passed
Omnibus bills revising the old Trans
portation Act, and the differences be-
tween the two were of minor signifi-
cance. A joint committee has been
ironing these differences out, and a
final bill is ready. Purpose of the bill
lis to equalize competition between all
common carriers. The chances favor
its passing, after some warm debate.
How much to spend for relief, and
how to spend it, is another con-
gressional headache. Expectation is
that both direct and indirect relief ex-
penditures, while large, will be some
what smaller than in the near past.
Summing up, visitors to congress
ional galleries should be bored during
the next few months-there is plenty
for the lawmakers to argue about. If
it weren't for the war abroad, this
Congress would receive many banner
heads in the newspapers.
X X X
Herbert l.. Matthews of the New
York Times recently wrote that he had
learned of an 11-point program under
which Hitler would make peace. The
points include: General and immedi-
ate disarmament; return to the four
power pact, under which Germany,
England, France and Italy would di-
vide Europe into four spheres of in
fluence;;" freedom of trade for all, in
cluding close economic cooperation
with the U. S.; restitution of pre-war
German colonies; reconstruction of an
independent Poland with about 10000
600 inhabitants; reconstruction of a
small Czech state dominated by Ger
many; Danubian customs union to
equalize the interests of all states in
the great Danube basin.
That program has a moderate