Milford chronicle., 1953-02-20
EISENHOWER'S POLICIES BEGIN
TO TAKE SHAPE


After the Eisenhower victory, all the DO
htical commentators speculated at length on
what had caused it. With near-unaninitv.
it was decided that his attitude toward the
Korean war was the number l factor-that
the American people were 100 per cent fed
up with policy which promised neither vic
tory nor any kind Of an end to that sorry
conflict. One of President EisenhOWer's first
steps on taking Office was to start putting
into effect new and very different policy,
the most far-reaching and dramatic change
being his order withdrawing the 7th Fleet
from the job of isOlating FOrnosa from the
Chinese mainland, and thus opening the way
for Nationalist Chinese attacks on Red China.
Number factor, most Of the analysts
decided, was EisenhOweVs pledge to elimin-
ate government corruption and waste, to cut
costs, 20 balance the budget, and to bring
about tax reductions at the earliest possible
time. Most of the other successful Republi-
can candidates used similar plank in their
campaigns. And now tangible steps in that
direction are being taken. President Eisen-
hover had been in Office but little more than
three weeks when he issued a sweeping order
to all federal bureaus and agencies to elimin-
ate unnecessary programs, to hire no new
workers except when absolutely essential,
and to start cutting the government payroll.
The aim, said Budget Director Dodge, is a
progressive reduction of personnel" Only
necessary construction projects are to be con-
tln1ed, and these projects must be managed
with the strictest standards Of economy. He
added, This requires that the necessity for
all work be questioned and action be taken to
eliminate unnecessary programs and hold the
remainder to minimum levels"
At the same time, the Senate Investi-
cations Subcommittee received testimony in
dieating that Ineligible people may be getting
up to $100,000,O0O year from the federal
state public assistance program. The Federal
Security Agency was severely criticized.
Mrs. Hobby, the new head of the federal agen-
cies involved in these and related activities,
was asked to suggest corrective measures.
These two occurrences are Indicative of
the way the fiscal wind is blowing in Wash
lngton now. AS cOlumnist Doris Fleeson put
it, President Eisenhower has embarked
upon courageous test of the cOuntry's fl
deity to the old-fashiOned principles of eco
noIny, thrift, economic freedom, and small
government"
Most people will agree that this, as gen
eral principle, is all to the good. But, as Miss
Fleeson also pointed out, the test will come
IN the attitude of Congress and the public
at large when economy begins to be felt To
quote her once more, "When government
personnel is reduced, the first places to feel
the pressure are the Senate and House office
buildings. When individual projects and pro-
grams are cut, the complaints burgeon quick
iy in the grass roots and arrive at the same
destination" And Congress, not the Execu-
i've, has the whip hand when it comes to
making the budget.
What it all amounts to is that economy
and efficiency in government cannot be sue
cessfully imposed from the top. They must
be supported In Congress and among the cleo
torate. If we are to have them, there must
be an end to the economy is Just for the
other fellow" philosophy. That is the prob
lem that the Eisenhower fiscal program must
deal with.
PACE SETTER
A much-discussed phenomena of recent
times has been the trend toward rural and
suburban living AS the Census Bureau
breakdowns show, there has been a steady
migration out Of the great, congested cen
ters of population and into the country.
All kinds of factors have played their part
in this-rapid transportation, which makes
committing swift and easy, first class schools,
the desire OF people to spend their leisure
hours in natural surroundings, and so on.
One factor which hasn't been given as much
notice as 1t may deserve is present-day rural
and suburban retailing.
The small-cOmmunity shopping center of
today is far cry from that of the past. It
contains all kinds Of stores-chains, indepen-
dents, often branches of big-city department
stores. Standards of display, sanitation and
service are Of the best. A wide and attractive
selection OF goods is offered. Competition.
which is just as potent in the country as in
the metropolis, sees to. it that prices are held
to their proper level.
This doesn't mean that our big cities are
whitening away. Quite obviously they are q
permanent part Of the landscape, and many