Evening star., 1943-04-03
Appeal to CONGRESS

1ppSUI ~ SOH9TSSS
The President, in vetoing the Bank
head bill, has made an earnest and
reasoned appeal for the support of
Congress in time of great national
emergency. 1t will not be easy for
Congress to respond favorably to this
appeal. and, if a narrow view of the
matter were to be taken, there would
be much to Justify a vote overriding
the veto. But this is not a time for
narrow views. 1t is as plain as any,
thing can be that enactment of this
bill into law would sound the signal
for an overwhelming assault on the
stabiliZation program, with eventual
II the Nation is to be spared this un-
necessary distress, the relief must
come through the exercise of a high
order of craftsmanship in Congress.
Congressional sentiment for over
riding the veto rests upon two main
grounds. First, there is the strong
feeling that the President flouted the
will of Congress and exceeded his
authority in issuing an executive
order directing that deductions for
Government payments to farmers
should be made in computing parity
prices. The Bankhead bill would
nullify this order) The second is
the belief that the labor policies of
the administration have diScrimi-
mated against the farmers, with ad-
verse effects on their relative earn
Ing power and their capacity to
operate their farms.
Mr.. Roosevelt sought to meet these
contentious in his veto message. He
argued that there was reason for
him to believe that Congress had in
tended to give him the power he ex-
erciSed, and he asked that in any
event Congress credit him with the
sincerity which he attributed to the
legislators who differ with his inter-
probation Of the Price Control Act.
He also endeavored to show that the
Income position of the farmers was
favorable-that farm income in
terms of purchasing power is higher
than it has ever been in our
history" Furthermore, he stressed
the point that higher farm prices of
themselves, cannot create new farm
machinery when steel is scarce. and
cannot create additional farm work
ers when manpoWer is short. These
points as to farm income and the
two great farm def1ciencies-labor
and machinery-were perSuaSively
stated. and the President further ad-
vised Congress that the Government
SIS determined to do everything in its
power" to see that the farmers have
the necessary labor and machinery.
1t may be supposed, however, that
many members Of Congress will not
be impressed with these statements
from the President. Some will con-
tlnue to resent what they regard as
a usurpation of power. Some will
NoA'o w S\o IlolO lOl JIle
farmer because they believe that
organized labor has received too
much. A few may want to raise
farm income high enough to permit
Of ruinous competition with industry
for high-priced workers. But it is
most earnestly to be hoped that most
OF the legislators will look beyond
these limited aims. whatever the
justification for them, to the larger
purpose Of keeping the cost of living
in the United States within the reach
Of those many millions of citizens
who could not hope to stay abreast
Of Skyrocketing price advances
The President, so far as it was
feasible for him to do so, made it
clear that industrial wages could not
be held within their present limits
If the cost of living is pushed up by
enactment of such measures as the
Bankhead bill. Every member of
Congress knows, for instance, that
the demands OF John L. Lewis will
become irresistible if farm prices are
boosted by legislative action. And if
Mr., Lewis gets his demands there will
be no stopping the other labor lead
ers, who are already chatting at the
restraints imposed by the little steel
formula. What we are faced with is
an uncomfortable and disastrous race
between prices and wages Passage
of the Bankhead bill over the Presi-
dents veto would be the starting gun
for this race. Before casting his vote
every responsible member of Con-
gress should ask himself whether he
wants to bring this calamity upon
his country.