Detroit evening times., 1945-09-12
PAUL "
NIALLON
Behind
The News

WASHINGTON, Sept. IL
w Wonders never cease. The
left-leaning New Dealers pro-
gram for postwar. submitted by
President Truman, hit the con-
servatives as just about right.
The stock market went giee--
fully up.
The phenomena is not diff
cult TO understand and explain,
if you study the program and
add il up.
Fundamentally the new PreSi-
dent promised TO provide all
those rights Mr.. Roosevelt used
10 talk about by encouraging
private business 10 provide full
employment at decent wages.
DUT. conversely, he asked for
I'D an increased appropriation
for everything, except war
more free without taxes un-
employment compensation for
civilians and soldiers more
public works. housing, farm
price Stabliization. research sci
ence. veterans, health. social Sc
Curity. foreign relief, FEPC,
even more salaries for congress
men.
For $4,000 words he con-
tinued enumerating necessities
for increased government APP
preparation of wartime tax rates
and that his spending budget
for this fiscal year-involving
less than two months of war
activity - would run Soc, ,000,-
100000, which would continue
about two-thirds of the war
expenditures rate until. next
july |
If full employment is TO be
furnished through greatly ex-
panded and encouraged private
production, why does the gov
ernment avoid the point OF
greatest encouragement 10 pri-
vate initiative ttaX reduction)
and plan spending all that
money-siX times as much as
Mr.. Roosevelt ever spent?
THE contradiction does not
Il stop there. Mr.. Trumans
own director of economic stabi-
lization. William Davis, am
nounced, Just before the mes
sage a great prosperity is
ahead for the next few years,
which would lift living stand
ards for the people 80 per cent
without increasing prices
He figured on doing it ap-
parently by increasing wages
only in places where these
would not force price increases.
The low wage industries are
those like canning and farm
help. and if the minimum wage
can be jumped in those without
increasing the price of food, I
would like TO see ii done, be-
fore believing.
But Mr.. Trumans treasury
secretary, the newdealing Mr..
NinSon. says that the perma-
nent budget beginning next
july CMr. Truman did not
mention this would be at least
S25 900, 100000 a year or nearly
three times as much as Mr..
Roosevelt ever spent in peace
time.
Here again is vital contra
diCtion. If we are entering a
greatly higher sphere Of pros
perity, making all those autos.
radios and washing machines
we need (and the stock market
confirms Mr.. Davis why have
permanent budget of $25,-
100000, 900?
Why spend three times more
than Mr.. Roosevelt in q coming
prosperous period. Would it
not be simple prudence 10 hold
back all these proposed gov
ernment expenditures, until the
pentup war demand wears off
in a few wears and an economic
justification for them exists?
Does not government spend
ing now compete with private
enterprise and add 10 imitation
hazards. which the government
economists all consider so dire?
Is there not a natural, fun
damental, uncomfortable con-
tradiCtion in this program
which needs resolving?
pCT contradictions do not end
- there. either.
The major manpower recon-
version task is 10 induct the re-
turning low salaried soldier and
the high Salaried war worker
back into their old Jobs.
Neither wants very much 10
20. The veteran has discharge
pay and allowances enabling
him TO lay off for rest. at
least. and then seek better
iob or unemployment compen-
Sation while the war worker
naturally does not in full
unanimltieS want 10 do his old
work on the farm or IN con-
sumner services.
Will an increase in the gov
ernment allowances aid this
transition or further accelerate
natural individual inclinations?
4 This, and continued high
taxes on private initiative would
seem 10 me 10 work 10 dis
courage the basic Truman
policy
n My point about the program
therefore is that the specific
recommendations 60 contrary 10