Evening star., 1953-08-04
Eisenhower 10 Join
Governors Today in
Panel on Resources
BY the As,oeiosed Pres,

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Eisenhower and cabinet mem
bers joinSd A Governors today
in a roundtable discussion-and
perhaps some questioning - on
the stewardship of the Nations
natural resources.
Gen. Eisenhower was strictly
a listener last night as Secretary
Of the Treasury Humphrey spoke
at dinner Of the National Gov
ernors' Conference and
/. Defended what he called
the administrations honest
dollar policy" He said higher
interest rates benefit every one,
not just a few bankers.
2. Declared: 1--WE are going to
do the best we can to get by"
on the present $275 billion debt
limit until January, adding: "If
we can't we'll have to call a
special session" of Congress.
The House passed but the Sen
ate decided to hold back the ad-
ministration bill to raise the debt
limit to $500 billion before Con-
gress adjourned last night.
President Receives Ovation.
Gen. Eisenhower received a
noisy ovation from the predom-
inantly Republican Governors
when he walked briskly into the
formal social gathering after his
arrival by plane earlier in the
evening. In white dinner jacket
and black tie, he had a smile
and a handclasp for each of the
Governors introduced by Host
Gov. Arthur B. Langlie. To some
he waved.
The President was expected
to speak off the cuff today dur
ing the Governors panel on
natural resources, and then
lunch with the State executives.
He planned to visit his brother
Edgar, lawyer in nearby Ia
coma, in the afternoon. His take
off for Washington is scheduled
for 1875 pm. Washington time.
This is his first trip to the West
Coast since the election.
Republican Governors and
Secretary of Interior Mckay
were primed for any roundtable
attack on the administration S
power development policies.
Assailed by Williams.
Gov. G. Mennen williams,
Michigan Democrat, has aSsailed
Mr.. McKay's withdrawal of the
Hells Canyon Dam proposed by
his Democratic predecessors. He
charged it opened the way for
private exploitation" of dam
sites on the Snake River in
Idaho.
In statements here, Western
Governors-all Republicans for
the first time in years-have
made it plain they see nothing
wrong with letting private in
dustry develop power resources.
It was Gov. Williams, too, who
declared the administrations in
crease in interest rates amounted
to a "hard-to-get money" pol
ICY.
Mr.. Humphrey, however. en-
phasized anew that the admin
istratiOn does not have, and never
has had, a hard money policy.
The Treasury chief said that
when a higher interest rate is
paid, it does not go to just a
few bankers, "but it goes to
benefit directly and to encour-
age the savings or millions and
millions of others"
Mr.. Humphrey departed from
his prepared text to discuss the
decision by Senate leaders to
wait and see what develops on
the Federal debt by January.
He said the Government might
be able to get by without rails
ing the limit if it is lucky"
OF the cabinet officers here, Mr..
Humphrey was the first to ac-
knowledge there is some merit
in the Governors plea for a
back-to-the-States movement.
He said that during the last
20 years particularly the Federal
Government has entered many
fields which are the primary re-
spons;bility of States and local
governments.
This, he went on, has resulted
in duplication and waste and
blurred the responsibility of
local Recommendations ex-
actIy what the governors have
been saying in conference after
conference.
He said the administration
hopes that the new commission
on inter-governmental relations
will come up with recommended
tionS for STRENGTHENING out the