Show National Whirligig By Ray Tucker WASHINGTON WASHINGTON The The sensational increase in consumption of hard liquor within the past few months has caused concern among federal authorities authorities authorities au au- au- au and organized distillers With military alcohol now being made instead of beverages a protracted war might easily place the drink that cheers on a ration basis Whisky supplies now total approximately million gallons and there there- are gallons of real gin Ordinarily that would amount to about a five years' years supply But it is estimated that the American people will imbibe about the current fiscal year The withdrawals withdrawals with with- for July reached the unprecedented figure figure figure fig fig- ure of gallons as against in inthe inthe inthe the same month in 1941 an upping of more than 40 per cent Stamp sales which provide the most accurate criterion show a jump of 16 per cent in actual purchases The pickup oddly began immediately after Pearl Harbor A certain percentage of the distribution may maybe maybe maybe be due to hoarding In anticipation of heavier taxes carried in the pending revenue bill The levy will soon be boosted from 1 to a quart aquart which may bring a cut in sipping and result in scale large-scale bootlegging Republican Hopes National G GOP 0 P Chairman Joe Martin is not yet ready to assert that he will be the next speaker of the house But privately the popular Bay state legislator thinks that Sam Rayburn will have to hand the official limousine to him after January 1 It will be quite welcome for Joe now rides the he crowded buses and trolleys from his residence to Capitol hill It is not ge generally realized but a 5 per cent shift in the vote will mean the election of 50 minority members in addition to the number the Republicans have now A 10 per cent change will give them a a- again gain of seats They need only 52 to obtain nominal control of the lower chamber chamber cham cham- ber but for a working majority they ought to boost their total by about 60 Even if they win only 30 or 40 places the house will be definitely Roosevelt anti-Roosevelt except on the question of a vigorous vigorous vigor vigor- ous prosecution of the fight against the Japs and the Germans Presidential fear that the larger branch of congress will be politically hostile underlies F DRs DR's strategy of obtaining a revenue bill an measure and a national war service act for mobilizing man power before the Seventy- Seventy second congress dies But the G GO O 0 ers P-ers and conservative conservative conservative con con- Democrats are awake to this consideration consideration consid consid- n and they will probably refuse to enact anything except a law designed to keep down the cost of living Missed the Boat Republican members of the house now wish they had heeded whisperings of the Martin-Ditter Martin group when President Roosevelt forwarded his April message on a seven-point seven program designed to head off inflation Their failure to listen then means that F D R will probably receive credit for any drastic legislative action now Leader Martin and Assistant Ditter begged their boys to stand firm for a measure placing a lid on both farm prices and wages They had assurances that sufficient Democrats would join them to pass such a control At that time with strikes blocking the war effort in many key industries industries industries in in- people were crying for regulations that would step up production Threat of a fierce rise In living costs was not so serious or ox imminent It seemed the minority had everything to gain and nothing to lose Had F D R vetoed the proposal proposal proposal pro pro- he would have been placed in an embarrassing embarrassing embarrassing embar embar- rassing position Had he accepted it the men who forced it on him could have grabbed the glory The bill now wanted by the thead administration administration administration ad ad- ministration however has a hard road to travel House Banking and and Currency Chairman has several hidden plays in his pocket and he has the support of numerous senators hitherto friendly friend friend- ly t to the White House He will score several victories victories victories vic vic- tories for the farm bloc before the compromising and trading are finished d. d Copyright the McClure Syndicate |