Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-13

when individual members are COM
muting between the National Capt.
tai and their home districts and
States, but now that the campaign
is over, the unfinished business be-
fore Congress warrants no further
delay.
Since the mandate before the
country is national unity an eX-
animation of the sources of discord
will reveal that there are at least
three major pieces of legislation be-
fore Congress on which there should
be action if America is to promote
efficiency, solvency and unity. Here
they are:
Logan-Walter Bill.
I. The Logan-Walter bill which
has passed the House of Representa-
tives by an overwhelming majority
is now before the Senate 1t deals
with the assurance of a square deal
to the citizen when he appears
before Government boards, COM
missions and bureaus. 1t is a brake
on arbitrarineSS and extremes in
administration. The New Dealers
hitherto have succeeded in block
ing action because they said they
wanted to see the report of the
Attorney Generals Commission on
Administrative Law Reforms. 1t
will be admitted that the bill, as
passed by the House, needs amend
ment and revision. What better
time than now for the Senate COM
mittee to get busy and recommend
q bill? Certainly the detectives of
the measure are sound. To adj
journ Congress now means waste
because the whole job of getting
the bill through the House COM
mittees and through the House must
then be done all over again. This
obstructive procedure would dis
courage the proponents of fair olav
in governmental administration
2. The Smith committee amend
ments to the Wagner Labor Act
have passed the House of Rep
resentatives by a substantial mar
gin. They are pending in the Sem
ate. 1t will be admitted that some
of these amendments go too far
from the viewpoint of some labor
organizations, but the American
Federation of Labor placed its stamp
of approval on certain of these
amendments. They can be revised
in the Senate to suit the A. F. of l..
viewpoint and the moderates in the
labor controversy. Surely to ad-
journ Congress now is to scrap all
of the legislation and do nothing
and thus keep alive the flames Of
discord at a time when national
labor policy requires the utmost
cooperation between management
and employees in order to promote
the national defense program.
Fiscal Situation Needs Study.
3. The whole fiscal situation needs
study and denomination. The an
nouncement of the administration
intention to increase the national
debt by ,000,000,000 can easily
promote disunity in our Nation and
bring on a loss of confidence in
Government bonds and the dollars
value unless it is accompanied by
program for a drastic reduction Of
non-armament expenditures. Con-
gress cannot afford to wait one week
before instituting a survey of the
problem by its appropriate COM
mitteeS.
To put an underpinning Of conf
dence under our fiscal management
at this time so as to prevent an
initiation panic is almost the major
task of the hour. To adjourn Con-
gress now is to leave this Job I'M
done and to promote apprehension
about the future Of our fiscal situa-
ton, which can be nipped in the
bud right now.
These three major pieces of bust
ness are but a few of many other
pending matters that relate di-
rectly or indirectly to the forging
of a united Nation. During the
crises of 1917 and 1918 Congress
remained in almost continuous ses-
sion. Days count now, and if at any
moment the international situation
should become suddenly worse, the
presence of Congress in Washing
ton-ready to take overnight any
necessary action-would serve as a
bulwark against fear on the part
of the people.
There are many more arguments
for a continuance of Congress in
session than for adjournment. I'm
less the President, on the other
hand, expresses a contrary wish
Congress will stay on the job, but
1t will be even more important, if it
does stay. that start be made at
nnce on the unfinished business be-