The Sauk Centre herald., 1940-02-29
CAPITOL
@-Ne2US
BY Con Gresham Knutson
SOME BOY!


That boy Jimmie Roosevelt is a
fast worker who overlooks no op-
portunity to turn an honest pen
ny. 1t has just been disclosed that
the insurance firm of Roosevelt
and Sargent, Inc, of which James
is a member, and the Presidents
wife a director, has taken over the
insurance account of the American
President Steamship line, formerly
known as the Dollar Steamship
Line. 1t SO happens that the gov
ernment owns 80 per cent of the
common stock in this company be-
cause the RFC granted million
500 thousand dollar loan to the
company back in 1888, at which
time the Maritime Commission Of
fered to give the company an an
nual operating subsidy of million
dollars for five-year period. For
merly the lines insurance account
had been held by San Francisco
firm but William G. McAdoo (the
$4,000 year president of the line
who was appointed by President
Roosevelt), decided that this fat
insurance account should go to
Jimmie's firm.
The Roosevelts are a thrifty lot,
with the possible exception Of a
younger SON who married a du
Pont. They have all done well the
past seven years in financial way.
I can well understand Mr.. Roose-
velt's dilemma when it comes to
deciding on third term.
WOULD ENFRANCHISE
WASHINGTON
Residents of Washington do not
have a vote. The affairs of the
city are conducted by a commits
sion Of three members. All laws
and ordinances pertaining to the
municipality are passed by Con-
gress and the Federal government
contributes a lump sum of five mill
lion dollars year to the operation
Of the city. Every other Monday
Congress sits as a Board of Alder
men.
Personally, I should like to see
the city government turned over
to the people Of Washington. Con-
gress can i'll afford the time re-
quired to legislate for the Nations
Capital. will welcome an oppor-
tunity to vote to enfranchise all
Washingtonians who are American
citizens and turn the city govern
ment affairs over to them. The
present arrangement is un-Ameri-
can.
RECIPROCAL TRADE ACT
EXTENDED
The House, on Friday, by a vote
Of PIG to 1913 voted to extend the
Hull Reciprocal Trade program for
another three years. Twenty DEM
ocrats, nearly all of them represent
ing agricultural districts, joined
with the Republicans in voting
against the extension while five Re-
publicans Joined the Democrats by
voting affirmatively. Of these five
Alexander represents Minneapolis;
Barton a New York City district;
Cluett is the big shirt and collar
manufacturer of Troy, New York;
Hartley comes from New Jersey;
and Welch represents the City Of
San Francisco. I merely mention
this to give the lineup in the
House.
The measure now goes to the
Senate where it is claimed that
the proponents have enough votes
to put it over.
Many of my readers will recall
that our country was flooded with
imports of all kinds Immediately
following the Armistice. These i'm
ports were dumped on the market
at whatever price could be obtain
ed, the aim being to establish dol
lar credits.
The situation became so serious
that 1t was necessary to pass the
so-called emergency tariff act
which was vetoed by President
Wilson. When Harding came in in
1921 he called a special session of
Congress for the purpose of re-
enacting the measure. That put a
stop to competitive imports until
several Of the European countries,