Show Between en You and Me Troubles Bred by Deficit Relief Business H Hungers for Jor Friendly Frendly Gesture By R Raymond ymond Cl Clapper Many of ot President Roosevelt's political troubles would evaporate if it he should succeed next winter in pulling g government expenses down within hailing distance of ot income Much of ot the current complaint against him is traceable directly or indirectly to this excess excess excess' ex ex- cess cess' of at spending For or every dollar collected in taxes the government is spending 2 2 At the moment expenses are running more th than n double re re- re There is little sign of at any narrowing of the spread between income and outgo That is what causes concern It colors the average average av av- av- av crago mans man's judgment of many other things that Mr Roosevelt docs doc It tends to put the public I in a thumbs-down thumbs attitude Everyone knows this excess of spending can cannot not go on forever Sentiment Is jelling in the conviction conviction conviction con con- that thUi is a good time to begin drawing In m the belt sharply because so many lines of oC business are returning toward normal The New York Times general Index is close to 90 00 per cent of norma normal Power consumption Is per percent percent percent cent of at normal and other factors factors' are three-fourths three up the hill hlll Such conditions the average man I says to himself donot do not require the heavy emergency expenditures of at ofa ofa a year o or two ago A striking paradox of Mr Roosevelt's position at the moment mo mo- ment is that although he has reached the point where further urther strong business recovery would greatly ease this central fiscal problem he is seemingly more antagonistic toward business than ever The play in recent weeks has been strongly to the left wingers at the expense of f the business community Mr Roosevelt's two main problems problems problems lems are arc the deficit and relief I If It he solves them everything else will be easy Most of of- his other troubles will automatically roll away Expanded business activity offers offers of of- fers the best bet now Instead of striking a n. menacing pose which enables his political opponents to say that he is retarding rather than facilitating recovery Mr Roosevelt could adopt a friendly attitude place less emphasis on the doctors doctor's prescription from Washington and more on on enc encouraging encouraging ur- ur aging natural recuperative r forces and if this guess is worth anything anything anything any any- thing at all there would be a quick easing eMing of the tension which keeps the administration and the business life of the country pulling pulling pull pull- ing lug at cross purposes And theres there's gold in them hills for the treasury Last year revenues increased Inc 22 per cent largely due to In increased business activity Another jump of similar proportions would would- would would-If If If Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt volt at the same time cut his relief cost down to say not more than bring the budget close to balance not counting of course money paid toward retiring retiring ing lug the publics debt The answer to increased revenues reve flues now is not increased taxes but increased business With that and a sha sharp p tightening up of re re- re lief expenses which are are- on a far too tOI loose and extravagant basis for the normal near-normal times which seem to be approaching the ho fiscal fiscal fiscal fis fis- fis- fis cal side of the administrations administration's difficulties would bo be in the way to real solution Then much of the talk talle about broken promises promises' would become hollow That hat business is ready for such sucha a R. forward leap is evident t on every hand There never was so much Idle capital available dirt cheap nor such a reservoir pf unfilled wants This years year's phenomenal phenomenal phenomenal phe phe- burst of travel the crowded vacation resorts everywhere everywhere every every- where whore is indicative of or ability and readiness on the part of the public to buy not only necessities but luxuries What seems most needed now is h that apprehensions of f business businessmen men fear of further downs crack thIs this has nothing to do with Secretary Hulls Hull's prompt action in in- in forcing abandonment of the Ethiopian oil Il concession of concession of penalty penalty pen pen- alty ally taxation of oC still more curbIng curbing curbing curb curb- ing be quieted Perhaps some of these fears are without real foundation Many of them arise from a feeling that Washington is inclined to be hostile that there is a lack of sympathy that the business s community is to be tolerated as a necessary evil to be eyed suspiciously Business men exaggerate such antagonism as exists While many of their suspicions sus BUS pi ions may be unjustified there is little effort in Washington to reassure them to win their confidence confidence dence or to indicate any underlyIng underlying underlying under under- lying sympathy Once this situation were cleared and and so much of it is Is tempera tempera- temperamental temperamental mental on both sides and so readIly readily readily read read- ily amenable amen ble to a touch tou-ch of mutual mutual mutual mu mu- friendliness that it is a tragic loss for such tension to continue the the chances arc are all aU in favor of our going over the tho top quite soon The relief problem em is not so easy Recovery to date marked as it has been has scarcely dented the unemployment rolls Further recovery no doubt would cut into them considerably however however however how how- ever for on the next spurt probably probably probably ably the luxury and goods will show the most marked marled advance These arc are consumer Industries in industries industries In- In and are are proportionately heavy users of labor so further business recovery would likely mean better state and local revenues revenues revenues reve reve- and an opportunity to shift a a. greater proportion of the burden burden burden bur bur- den back off of the federal gov gov- And if with it all there was a tightening of ot the federal relief organization which is still run on a loose extravagant extravagant extravagant gant basis considerably colored by the spending pump-priming pump theory well theory well the Republicans are just hoping that Mr Roosevelt wont won't ruin them by letting these two things thIngs' happen The government is ding everything everything everything every every- thing possible to protect AmerIcan American American Amer Amer- ican citizens from the horrors of another war But we still have our automobiles Copyright 1935 by The Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington Post |