The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-09-01
Along the Potomac
to Washington
Dy }. Glenn Beall

Despite tne optomstic predictions
Of some economists, Congressman are
worried about the growing unemploy-
ment among factory wor kers,
throughout the nation.
| noticed the reports that unem-
ployment benefits now are running
three times as high this summer as
they did last summer in Maryland.
The same situation is in effect in
Connecticut and in several New
England states, as well as in some
Southern and Mid-western States.
1t would seem that in spite of a
huge public works program, construc-
ton at an all-time peak in many
lines, and unprecedented purchasing
power on the part of the people. some
unemployment is more or less inev-
table in our civilization.
Sooner or later, the demand is
made from certain quarters that the
government "do something" about
unemployment, when slack periods
appear for this or that industry in
our economy. Rather than always to
have the government do something"
which usually is wasteful and cost
ly-l would rather have a tax sys-
TEN that would allow private indus
try to save some funds against the
Likelihood of such periods so that in
dustries could do something" for
themselves.
One of the biggest single things
the government needs to do is to in
itiate a thoroughgoing reform of the
tax structure so that our economy
can strengthen itself in the weak
spots that sooner OF later arise in an
economy. 1t is rather hopeless to look
for reform along this line in this ses-
sion of Congress, and probably in
the next session, too, considering the
political lineup.
But if we are to retain our tradi-
tional free, private economy and not
let it give way to society based en-
tirely on government spending and
government investment, inevitably
we are going to have to reform the
tax laws so as to make it possible for
private industr. to retain funds for
expansion - intensive eX p q n on
through sales promotion and replace
ment Of obsolete machinery and ex-
tensive expansion through opening up
new markets for new goods and ser
vices.
The action of the Senate in refus-
ing to vote permission to the House
of Representatives to take an eX-
tended recess rightly was termed a
'lack of comfy" by Speaker of the
House, Sam Raybun Minority Lead
er Joseph W. Martin, Jr., (R.-Mass.)
also had some hard words to say
about the Senators who voted to
make the House go through the mo-
tons of taking three-day recesses for
the next month or two.
In point of fact, the House of
Representative has finished its work
for this session and there is little use
of gainsaying this truth. OF the bills
left ON which the administration
wants action, it is stating the obvious
to say that no action could be OBJ
tanned this year, whether the House
met every day or not.
Although the House of Representa-
tives, for all practical purposes, will
not be in session to transact bust
ness for the next month, the Senate
is badly begged down in its work and
must continue to meet and transact
business regularly. 1t is not true, as
certain Fair Dealers have proclaimed
that the Republicans in the Senate
are trying to flibuster certain meas
ures to death and are therefore keep
ing the Senate in session. The pro-
longation of the agony, as many who
reads the Congressional record
-