The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-01-16
BY STAFF WRITER

sions of the 77th Congress have
passed into history the last lin
gering doubt of the tenor of leg
islation and debate has been re-
solved. War will dominate the
picture for 1941-aid to Britain
our chances of participation
ways and means to finance oul
industrial effort. All other ques.
tons and proposals will hinge or
how they effect the war effort.
Although Congress held but
two meetings, feverish behind
the-scenes activity is taking place
Committees are meeting to enact
enabling legislation to carry out
President Roosevelt's Lend
lease" plan. Other groups are ga
thering to fight for modification
of the proposals. Democratic par
ty leaders are desperately striv-
ing for a united front behind the
President, while the Republicans,
realizing the impossiblllty OF
presenting a united group, have
declared that the old American
policy of politics stop at the
waters edge will hold true for
Republican members.
To Watch Spending
On some major isues, the coali-
ton of conservative Democrats
and Republicans which has united
to defeat many spending bills in
the past, will be revived. Preag-
ing this, Representative Wood
rum, Democrat of Virginia, is
proposing the creation of a joint
committee of the ranking mem
bers of the House Ways and
Means and Appropriations Com
mittees to prevent any monde
tense spending expenditures I'M
der the guise of defense needs.
This proposal is expected to
get early consideration in the
House where all revenue propo-
sails must originate. The proposed
committee would be bipartisan
and is assured of Republican sup
port by Representative Martin,
Republican House leader. The
avowed purpose of the committee
is to affect an early balancing of
the non-defense part of the bud
get and eventually to pay as
much of the defense expenditures
out of income as is conceivably
possible.
The proposed economies are ex-
pected to affect relief and public
works construction most. That
they will be given Presidential
support is regarded as doubtful,
but it is just as doubtful that
they will meet with White House
resistance. Secretary of Labor
Frances Perkins gave encourage
ment to the economy bloc by is
suing a statement that the de-
Tense program should break the
back of unemployment by the
end of 1941. The Secretary, in her
annual report, estimated that S.
100000 to 100000 new jobs
would be available in the next
eighteen months.
about half of these will be
needed on construction jobs" she
said, in shipyards or in factor
les engaged in making finished
products like airplanes and en-
gines, tanks and shells. Some e.
$4,000 man-years of labor will
be needed primarily to supply
the contractors with materials.
This labor will extend back into
the mines and forests. into factor
les making semi-finished prod
ucts, to the railroads and other
carriers engaged in moving these
goods, and to white-collar work
ers in administration offices"
Proposal for Housing
Yet with all the talk of strict
economies, a proposal for govern
ment construction of low cost
housing has been quietly dropped
in the lap of Congress. Nathan
Straus, United States Housing
Administrator, reported that $24,-
100000 would be spent on defense
housing projects in 1941; this
construction to take place in are
as where private contractors can
not take up the slack in housing
facilities.
The defense projects are meet
ing with opposition in many other
quarters aside from the economy
bloc. Typical of these is the OBJ
lection of American ship opera
tors to the transfer of American
ships to British registry. A short
age in American shipping is ra-
pidly developing and the opera
tors offered such strenuous OBJ
lection to the placing on the auc-
ton block of "a American YES
sells, that they were Withdrawn
from the bidding and plans have
100 ~