Detroit evening times., 1945-10-05
PAUL
NlALLON
a
Behind
The News

ported, probdoIy because no
one could find out what hap
pened 10 II.
1t was a blithe newdealing
spirit born in family of spend
ers, including Lord Keynes, Sir
William Beveridge and the So
Wet constitution, d laring
some underlined right of every
one 10 a job IA right he already
has) and requiring the govern
ment 10 spend as much as nec-
essary TO provide that right
tsee columns published Sept. "a
and 25).
The precise papa never pro-
claimed himself, although l
think | could prove it on the
Farmers Union, often called
the representative of the -CIO
among farmers.
The bill never lacked pro-
feSSed authors. having even now
the names OF 100 attached to il
in the House. These coufd
hardly be called daddies. They
are mere sponsors. covering the
doubtful parentage.
Also both the blithe spirit of
the thing as well as what little
substance there was TO il. were
powerfully promoted further by
Mr.. Wallace. who is selling the
100000 jobs notion in book
form. and the CIO leaders.
II could not be beaten, every
one said, and for a time most
people considered il dangerous
10 express any doubts about its
utterly heavenly, though unspe-
cific, purpose
Then, suddenly on Friday,
Sept. 2S, without warning the
spirit was apparently killed on
the open floor of a public Sen
ate session.
II expired without a funeral,
a coroner's certificate or ade-
quate recognition.
II N0lllNIltd uIlNti
stances so perplexing the chief
author of the bill. Senator Muir
ray denied il Cthis spending
spark) had existed, a remark
which so shocked the bills
leading opponent. Senator Taft,
he gasped that it was the
first time he had ever heard"
that one.
Thus, without obituary it
passed on somewhere. under
circumstance as perplexing as
precisely where il originated
or what it means.
Yet there were some unde-
niable circumstances in con-
hection with the demise, very,
very interesting ones, l will
tell you. TO wit:
The Republican Taft had
been trying for some weeks to
get an amendment killing the
spending spirit by making the
future pledge of spending de-
pendent upon other government
interests and policies (meaning
whether money was available
for one thing at the unfore-
Seeable time when all the
spending was 10 be done.
But this is Democratic
Senate. 1t would never allow a
- Republican, get away-with-
that.
On the day of its extinction.
however, Democratic Senator
Hatch arose with the same
proposition II thereupon de-
veloped the authors of the bill
had suddenly become willing TO
accept the amendment when it
came from Hatch.
After as unclear a debate as
you ever read. the amendment
was adopted overwhelmingly
and the bill was passed II to
10. some senator's saying 1t
was now a good bill and others
describing it. as did Senator
Barkley as a measure "guaran-
teeing every one out of work
the right to seek a Job if he
can find one" with the promise
that -eoyernmen.-Mill help
him IF convenient. (Barkley
incidentally voted for the meas
ure he thus described
My investigation, including
some evidence Of fngerprintS on
the amendment, indicates that
what happened was approXi-
mately this:
After few days Of debate.
the Senate concluded the whole
idea was a little silly. Here was
a declaration Of a future policy
without any legal meaning, OF
doubtful need or effect.
1t was only a political argu-
ment TO be adopted into law,
an unsettled argument.
1t probably could not get
through unemaSculated. SO why
not take over the dying thing,
make the necessary arrange
mentS under Democratic Spon-
SorShip and act as if nothing
had happened. Hmmmm. Why
not7
The right 10 work having
been killed in committee, and
the guarantee of unlimited
spending having been made SUBJ
ject 10 budget considerations,
the only thing left in the bill
was an order for Mr. Truman
TO propose a jobs budget
showing how much spending was
needed for how many jobs,
which may or may not mean
anything
Thus the unfathomable spirit
Of the keynesiSts, Beveridges
and New Dealers died AS un-