Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-06-23
rhE
HOME 4!
T0uDn g
Mp0R7tRs
Inside Story
IN WASHINGTON


~ ~ ~ Ia
Inside Story
INSIDE STORY on the house slash
: of some Is per cent from the APP
preparation for European recovery
administration funds runs some
thing like this: The administration
has been told by the department OF
commerce and the committee on
economic advisors to the President
that the national income in 1850
will be definitely lower than now
some say 10 billion dollars lower
than 1919. But some Democratic
leaders declare that the budgets
for domestic appropriations have
been squeezed until there is little
water left in them, so it will be inn
possible to slash domestic expendi-
lures which, after all. amount to a
very Small percentage of the total
overall federal budget. The story is
that these leaders say that it will be
politically more advantageous to
pass the domestic appropriation
measures as is than to cut them in
the election year Of 1850.
But, on the other hand, q
realistic group in the house and
senate, ccgnizant of the inn
minent drop in national income,
declare that cut in federal ex-
penditures is absolutely essen
tial if a tax increase Is to be
avoided, and 1t should be
avoided. q.
So, although the administration
is not going to consent publicly, the
slashes in ECA funds will be per-
mitted to go through on the theory
that lower prices in the offing may
make up for some of the cuts and
that there will be less reverbera-
tons from the electorate than if
domestic appropriations were pared.
With Senate Majority Leader
Scott Lucas committed to keeping
congress in session until the ma
jor" points in President Humans
legislative program are dis
posed Of" the makings of full
scaled row are shaping up.
Already the administration has
shelved some of its must bills
in order to get to the Taft-Hartley
repeal measure, an admittedly red
hot subject. Congressional leaders
agreed it would be three weeks
before this issue came to a show
down. That would mean the labor
question might not be settled until
around July l. With majority of
legislators already on record as
favoring adjournment early in Aug
ust, Senator Lucas may find his
hands full in keeping the lawmakers
beyohd that time, despite the status
of the Presidents revised must"
program at that time.
An obvious indication Of the pow
der-keg potentials in congress is the
administrators willingness. to put
aside consideration of the North
Atlantic pact in the senate, so the
labor bill could have the right-of-
p way. In law-making assemblages
where the administration has the
whip-hand, delays such as that on
major questions are not necessary.
If the votes are there, then the
measures proposed can be passed.
Where there is uncertainty and one
side or the other must make the
best of bad deal, compromise is
the only way.
My old friend Hassil E. Schenck,
tall, raw-boned and virile, president
Of the Indiana Farm Bureau Fedora
ton and a member of the AFBF
executive committee has said a
truism. In luncheon speech here
recently he told his audience:
Normally as this country knew it
10, IS, and 20 years ago is not only
a present-day impossibility. but it
would be catastrophe and we
wouldn't want it If we could have it.
America has no alternative but to
go forward to new normal"
Hassil Schenck has been boss OF
the Indiana Farm Bureau almost
as far back as l can remember.
back to the days Of Bill Settle, who
was Indiana Farm Bureau presi-
dent and later became president Of
the national organization.