| Show New York Whirligig POLITICS FINANCE By JAMES McMULLIN NEW V YORK YORK The The moro more New NewYork NewYork NewYork York critics lo look t tat at the administrations administration's adminis adminis- n now now- w farm program the less Jess they tiey ey Uko Ilko It Somo Some of its most striking Implications are not at ataU atall atall all aU obvious The president has always taken tho the position publicly that farm benefits should be gradually curtailed curtailed cur cur- tall tailed d as as farm l income como from norin normal nor nor- in mal inal l sources source's sources improved This latter latter lat Int- lat lat- ter condition is being fulfilled fulfilled- yet despite the administrations administration's professed concern about b balancing balancing balanc balanc- lancIng lanc- lanc ing the tho budget there thero is every Indication in indication In- In that checks to farmers will bo be sent out on a a. more lavish scale than ever before The Tho best estimates forecast st an outlay of in farm benefits for forthe forthe forthe the balance of 1936 Also it appears that Secretary Wallace Vallace is to be bo given authority Muss Mussolini lini wouldn't sneer at in mad mad- ad administering ministering the details He Ho will have the tho final say as asto as to when and where the tho money shall be bo spent You'll hear plenty about this monstrous campaign fund before November Ickes and Hopkins Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins wont won't be in it with Czar Henry New York sharps say theres there's much more that meets tho the eye eyo be behind behind be- be hind the tho Brit British h loan of at pounds to France Franc Four Fourpoints Fourpoints points are especially worth not not- ing 1 The Tho loan Joan was made in the form of a sterling credit to the French not government not to the Bank of France Franco This means that the sterling will n never ver leave Lon Lou don The French government will merely use it as collateral for a a. afresh afresh fresh loan Joan from the Bank of France The purpose of ot this complIcated complicated com corn system is two to laId fold to prevent a a. dislocation of ot the tho exchange exchange ex ex- change markets marke and to keep England's England's England's En En- glands gland's money safe in England That latter Jatter is a smart precaution 2 The French official statement statement state state- ment that England got no quid pro quo in the form of ot trade or tariff concessions is rated face- face saving bunk Britain is no altruist altru altru- 1st in such matters 3 Tho The French government has been forced to the desperate extremity ex ex- of borrowing to meet current current current cur cur- rent expenses France is next door to bankruptcy 4 Most Important there is Is' no chance whatever that France can repay the loan within the tho specified month 12 limit unless she devalues devalues deval deval- ues the franc meanwhile That's the real key to the whole trans trans- action Astute stute New Yorkers figure the hubbub over supreme court decisions deci deci- must either cither subside or or de develop develop develop de- de into a movement for amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment of ot tho the constitution constitution because because theres there's no other alternative Careful study by the ablest Jawers lawyers lawyers law Jaw ers in congress and arid out convinces them that the federal system cant can't be changed by act of con con- gress An act attacking the judicial judicial judi judi- cial power would be subject ct to nullification by that power just justas as would any other unconstitutional unconstitutional unconstitutional act No uNo use says a distinguished jurist Were bound by the tho chains of ot tho the constitution as Jefferson Jetterson put it The Tho people can A exalt congress and humble the supreme court but congress has no no power to do so New ew York aviation n circles are privately amused by the tho furious backstage rivalry between bet the Interstate in interstate In- In commerce commission and the post office department as at asto asto atto to who's boss of or the air lines Each Is extremely jealous of the tho others other's jurisdiction Transcontinental Transcontinental Western Air recently ap applied ap- ap plied to o the tho L C. C C. C for permission to operate an off line a line a route not covered by a mall mail contract contract- from Albuquerque to San Fran Fran- cisco Hearings on the application application tion were slated for tor this month but have been indefinitely postponed post post- an an old commission cus cus- tom torn Meanwhile American Air Lines complained to to tho the post office office- that the the tho Braniff lino line was compelling compel ting ling unfairly by running an un- un un unauthorized authorized of off Un line and by paying its pilots substandard wages Tho The post postoffice office used its own inspectors for a prompt investigation and has already ruled that the complaints w were re justified Braniff is ordered to abandon the tho ot off line lino and raise its pay scale on penalty of losing its mail contract Since th tho line lino m must st have the contract to to survive survive sur sur- vive it will undoubtedly obey With this de do facto evidence of its jurisdiction over the tho air lines tho the post office is one up on the I C C which C-which which is still just talking about the T TV W V A application Its It's reported th that t tho the I. I C. C C. C is plenty soro sore about post office meddling but but it can hardly afford to start a public rumpus about it New York learns that lawmakers lawmakers law Jaw makers are shivering at the prospect prospect pros pros- of ot putting n n. tax on consumers to pay farmers When and if It a tax bill comes forth it will of be course marked must Must a legislator risk his seat by voting for It it or must ho he look out for himself as tho the ides of November loom up The restiveness of town and city ta taxpayers payers is stirred by the increasing barrage of speeches condemning big spending and the high cost of living Anxious lawmakers from urban districts think they see a housewives housewives' re rebellion rebellion re- re bellion brewing brewing and and housewives s shave have votes The farm farmers farmers' rs' rs lobby Jobby is also right righton on the job The cash to finance the farm subsidy must be forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming or else Lawmakers stand with bated breath between tho the pitchfork and the tho rolling pin Even some of or New Now Yorks York's confirmed confirmed confirmed con con- firmed conservatives have trouble trouble trouble trou trou- ble keeping a straight face when Commander Fred G. G Clark of the tho Crusaders urges keeping mud of off issues and then describes two of ot the tho issues as attainment of honest success by honest business business busi busi- ness men should be penalized and government should levy taxes amounting to virtual confiscation of private enterprise They privately privately privately comment that they now Understand understand understand un un- the simile clear as mud Copyright McClure Newspaper Ne Syndicate |
