Show J. J I 4 e National Topics Interpreted by William m Bruckart Rational p Building Building- Washington D D. D C. C Washington Washington Air Air pilots use an n expression that I want to appropriate ate In connection Low with a discussion Visibility of ol the country's economic situation and Its relation to the administration tion policies and plans The pilots refer reter to low visibility and low ceiling when they want to say lAY that they cannot see far tar In the tho distance It seems to me that the clarity or lack of at it It with respect to current e economic conditions warrants the low visibility visibility- use of ot tho the term If It any credence whatsoever Is la to tobe tobe tobe be placed In the statements and activities ac nc- of ot business leaders Government agencies by the dozen have been Issuing rapid fire reports In recent weeks showing how IndustrIal Industrial industrial Indus Indus- trial production Is IB Improved how bow the price level has shown signs pleasing to Industry 1 If not ot to the consumers and how the volume of ot bank clearings Is la progressing up up- ward Bank deposits were seven bIllion billion bil lion dollars higher at the end of at 1934 than at ot the end of ot 1933 1033 The Reconstruction Finance corporation Is having difficulty In keeping Its borrowers from paying back the loans and the S Securities and Exchange Exchange Ex Ex- Ex- Ex change commission recently was made very happy by application ata of at ofa ofa a great packing company to list forty five million dollars In new se se- The treasury has been pursuing what Is regarded as ns orthodox financial financial financial finan finan- cial policies and a good many other agencies appear to be veering away from the leftists leftists' course that so long dominated Roosevelt policies All AU of at these It seems ought to be reassurIng reassuring reassuring ing to business whether that business business business busi busi- ness be the great corporations or orthe orthe orthe the little tradesmen In the corner groceries But there has been a fly in the ointment and that seems to tobe tobe tot be t e the reason why masses of ot capItal capital cap cap- capital ital and a goodly percentage of ot the country's population shares uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty about the future economic con condition d I have sought answers to this puzzle puzzle pus pus- ale In many quarters and I have had many runny different explanations It Is made to appear however from the weight of ot opinion that I have gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered that the relief rolls are the cause of at this lack of at faith It has been recorded previously that approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately two twenty million persons persons persons per per- sons about sixth one-sixth of ot our population population population tion are living on relief This staggering staggering stag stag- gering total the highest ever known obviously represents a basic weakness weakness weakness weak weak- ness somewhere and the administration tion Is seeking to locate that weak welk- ness This total has been reached by bya a steady growth growth- It has not come suddenly The circumstance therefore therefore there there- fore tore has led many Individuals to the conviction that Mr Roosevelt's reform reform reform re re- re- re form measures are failures Perhaps It t Is a lack of at understanding understand understand- ing on the part of at business that prompts It to keep Its pen In Its Ita pocket and Its checkbook check closed under under under un un- un- un der these conditions It may be that business leaders have failed to read the possibilities represented by Increased In creased production and the other signs of ot an Improved economy Nevertheless Nevertheless Nev Nev- Nevertheless business apparently has found It difficult to see far or clearly clearly clearly clear clear- ly Into the future It seems to look upon the economic condition as havIng having hav have ing lag a low ceiling and low ity Washington correspondents were startled In the Presidents President's press conference conference con con- ference the tho other More more day when he let It Message Messages bo be known that he plans four tour additional addi addI- messages to congress this session session session ses ses- sion not Including his recent bitter denunciation of at the holding companies companies com com- panics when he asked that action be had on that bill It was not the num number cr of at messages that surprised the correspondents It was the fact that the President said with some frankness that he did not know what subjects would be treated In them To most of ot the observers It seemed wholly reasonable that the President President President dent should be unwilling to outline those messages but It was IncomprehensIble Incomprehensible incomprehensible that he should admit his Inability to say what subjects would be handled After Atter that Information came out of at the White House Douse there was waa a noticeable sinking In the optimism of ot a great many men who count for tor something In the country's country business structure Most of at them said frankly frank ly 11 that they did not know which way to turn Amon Among their numbers ra were more who believed belle sincerely that the President was giving up some Bome of ot his bis numerous New Deal experiments experiments ex ex- peri menta and was proceeding on ground which the conservative considers considers con con- siders alders to be solid The reaction to work of ot this kind always has been and always will wil be bad from the standpoint of at the political party In power Added to the circumstances I have ha Just mentioned one should reI remember re- re j I member how congress norm normally 17 Is unpopular with the business comI com com- I In many years eara past I have heard the plaint of ot business bustness representatives representatives representatives I In Washington asking or urging for tor adjournment Business men normally feel teel that the less work congress gets geta done and the sooner It leaves the halls bails of ot the Capitol the better conditions will be The same Is 15 true now only more so It may as well be admitted that the current session of ot congress Is la here for a considerable number of ot weeks This Is true for tor several rea rea- sons In the first Instance man many of ot the members feel teel that they want to tobe tobe tobe be legislators and not rubber stamps any longer There Is no longer the overwhelming fear tear amon among congressmen congress congress- men of ot the Presidents President's power They have shown this several times lately Including the nine forty day battle over the public works bilL Feeling their Independence again members of at the house and senate ha have Siave ve begun to press for tor action on legislation carrying out ont their own Ideas Much of ot this runs counter to administration Ideas on legislation Further clashes are Inevitable When there aro of ot plans In n congress you can expect to see a ti ont drawn session and since this Is s not an election year there Is s no need for the members to rush home jome to mend the political fences It Is not strange therefore that Business as a whole Is worried about congress The business leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers themselves Insist that It is not strange that they are worried about the he secrecy which surrounds the Presidents President's plans The two cIrcumstances circumstances circumstances circum cIrcum- stances taken together obviously serve as a brake on the wheels of ot industry because now as always In Inthe Inthe Inthe the past business will not risk the thelast thelast last vestige of ot Its capital resources unless It can be assured of ot stability While the Democrats the party varty In power are floundering the Republicans Republicans lie wholly U Useless dormant Seldom Opposition In my experience In Washington has the opposition party been as os useless as os the Republicans now seem to be They are making no effort at all to gather funds for use by Chairman Henry P. P Fletcher of ot the Republican can national committee In taking advantage of ot vulnerable spots In the Democratic armor In fact they have left lert Mr Fletcher rather high and dry and when he attempts to do anything one faction or another shoots harder at him than at its natural natural natural nat nat- ural rivals the Democrats I have heard expressions lately to the effect that Mr Fletcher has a golden opportunity at hand band He Is In the enviable position of ot being able every time he Is criticized by his bis own partisans to point out that the help they are ore giving him is worse than nil nn and ond that criticism under such a circumstance does not become them The thought Is that Mr Fletcher by taking the bull by bythe bythe bythe the horns becoming militant and mapping out a program with which his wide knowledge of politics equips him could become actually the dominant Republican force torce In Inthis Inthis inthis this country Thus far Mr Fletcher has sat Bat back In his bis easy chair and has hns taken all aU the darts Some observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers are asking how long that can continue and the Republican party remain alive Early In the Roosevelt administration tion the Republican policy was to avoid criticism of the Democratic leadership at all times They declared declared de de- dared and openly announced their views that If It they criticized Mr Roosevelt and his New Deal they would be criticized as obstruction obstruction- If It the New Deal failed the Democrats surely would place the bIn blame me on the Republican opposition But political writers here tell me that Mr Roosevelt's political honeymoon honeymoon honeymoon honey honey- moon has been over quite a while and that there Is In iii their opinion no need for the Republicans longer to stick sUck their heads In the sand after th tha manner of ot the ostrich and see nothing e As the administration gets Its hands on fresh tresh supplies of ot money a strong demand has hns Concrete set up for tor more moro Highways Highway concrete highways There seems to be almost a propaganda In favor of ot constructing concrete highways here there and everywhere IncludIng Including ing tug two or three or four transcontinental transcontinental high speed roadways The new public works bill bUl carries a considerable sum aum for tor highway construction construction con con- and It Is quite natural that dealers In road materials and equipment equip ment meat want to get hold of ot It My Inquiries among road building authoritIes authorities authorities au au- au- au lead me to believe however however however how how- ever that the use of ot these funds ought to be examined closely antany and ant any program that Is mapped ou out should be the result of at careful study Around the Department of ot Agriculture there la II s a chronic complaint complaint complaint com com- plaint that too many through highways highways highways high high- ways and not enough to mar L ket et roads have haTe been constructed If It that be correct the authorities tell tel me then the tho concrete road road building program will have to be revamped or else elsa there will be hundreds o ot of miles of ot concrete roadway constructed construct construct- ed at an expense so great that 1 itcan It Itcan can be called reckless waste c. c i l a ai |