Show National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart In Washington In all nIl of ot the hustle and bustle of at getting things done In this crisis It Reversal of seems to me that Powers one of ot the Great Great- e est eat 8 t transformations of all time has taken place I refer to the reversal of powers that are exercised by con congress ress and the Chief ChIe Executive Actually In the period of at a little over two months or since Franklin D. D Roosevelt became became be- be I came President congress has hns abdicated abdi much ranch power In favor of the President and the President In turn has given to congress n a neto veto eto power which It never has had before be be- fore It will HI bo recalled that the ConstItution Constitution prescribes the limits of authority au nu- nu- nu thorIt of the legislative executive and judicial branches of our govern govern- ment Congress was supposed to be bethe bethe bethe the check on the executive powers Just as the President through the exercise of a n cro on legislation was to be the check on acts of the national legislature The courts or the Supreme court of ot the United States were given a whip hand over both bolli The circumstances of It all are so Important and the procedure so unique that a review of the period probably Is necessary to set out the picture Further there Is no doubt In the tho minds of ot many authorities and many students of government that the things which have happened happened hap hap- are going to affect the future of this nation vitally and In ways of which we do not dream From the perspective of ot the present It Is made to appear that they could not have happened except for tor the crisis through which the nation and the world worM has passed Yet It remains as fact that congress has turned over to President Roosevelt authorIty authority authority author author- ity which It may recall to Itself only with the greatest difficulty Chronologically events have transpired transpired trans trans- something In this tills order The President took office as the banking structure of ot the nation was crumbling He act- act Epochal ed without delay Events and then tuen asked I congress to F r F port his hand with the that hat was necessary Congress Ii fid I Ino no choice It voted the emergency banking bill th through ough In record time That legislation would have taken years otherwise to be enacted But congress was scared seared I Next came the tho authority for reorganIzation reorganization reorganization re re- re- re organization or the orthe the government It was put through quickly because everybody In congress wanted to save money and balance the budget bud bud- get Also most members of congress con con- gress saw a nice which they hey could travel and avoid meetIng meeting meeting meet meet- ing face to face with the question of at reducing the payment to veterans vet vet- erans They did not fancy cutting government salaries either So they thought It was One fine to let Franklin do It He Ie acted promptly and with neatness saving probably more than four hundred millions a year In what he believed to be unwarranted unwarranted unwarranted un un- un- un warranted payments to veterans and one-fourth one as s much more mor In other ways It was In this legislation as well as in the banking act that congress began to give away awn Its control The statement can fairly be made that the bulk of ot house and senate semite members members members mem mem- bers had hind no comprehension of what was done by the banking act but the same cannot be said of at the reorganization reorganization reorganization re re- re- re organization act That was simple legislation It said in plain language language language lan lan- guage that the President could make about any changes In the structure of the government which he deemed advisable He was to todo todo todo do It by executive order and If congress congress' had not acted affirmatively In a prescribed time the executive e order stood as law To those unacquainted with the procedure the reversal of practice may not be so apparent But after congress had delegated that authorIty authority author author- ity to the President It can stop his action only by a n. two thirds vote That Is difficult to obtain except In Inan Inan Inan an emergency S Assume for an Illustration that congress Is with some move made by the Veto Power President In conof conof conof con- con of Congress with reorganization reorganization reorganization and It passes a resolution setting aside that particular executive order Mere Iere passage of the resolution does not make It the law of t the land for there Is yet the signature o of the President to be obtained If It the President chose to veto the resolution resolution tion the congress then to make Its will effective must repass that resolution resolution res res- b by a majority of at two U two thirds It thus exercises veto power something something something some some- thing hitherto unknown Now as to the banking act the President was waa given ghen broad discretionary power to reconstruct the banking system True It was an emergency a crisis But that legIslation legislation legis legIs- lation went so far as to permit the Chief Executive to take over and operate the federal reserve ban banks Its By y that means It Is not beyond a stretch of Imagination that he actually actually ac ac- ac- ac can control the commercial banks of at the country The The up tie-up between tho the federal reserve resene banks and the privately owned commercial commercIal commercial commer commer- cial banks Is so close that control of ot the one opens hundreds of at avenues aye ave e by which the other may be bo reached Congress can withdraw that power power pow pow- er b by repealing the legislation It Is supreme in that field Yet In order to repeal the he law the must be signed signet by tho President S Along came the farm bill to which was added the Inflation amendment presented by Senator Thomas Thomaa of Ok Ok- lahoma lahonia No more dictatorial power power pow pow- er or ever was accorded the head hend of at any government except the absolute absolute lute monarchy than Is given glyen to the President of ot our country In the farm bill Itself there is power to control crop production a n power to restrict acreage If It the Chief Executive Executive tive tire wants to go that far tar In the Thomas Inflation amendment amendment amend amend- ment the authority Is given the Chief Executive e to change the value of your mone money and mine at what what- ever time he sees fit He lIe can make mako the gold dollar worth half what It was heretofore he can use silver to any extent he be deems necessary and he appears to have been given power power pow pow- er to arrange treaties on monetary standards without even consulting again with the congress It had always always always al al- al- al ways been supposed that the Constitution required the advice and consent consent consent con con- sent of the senate on treaties but the authority now apparently rests In the hands of ot the Chief Executive alone Between the banking legislation and the farm tarm bill with Its Inflation section congress voted the President President President dent the right to organize a new army of upwards of men The reforestation bill that became law called for the mobilization ofa ata of at ofa a citizens conservation corps a 8 legitimate time peace organization for tor the purpose of re establishing a source of timber supply Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt relt was given wide discretion asto asto as asto to how this corps would be recruited recruit recruit- I ed trained and used It Is a matter matter mat mat- ter clear out of the hands of ot con con- gress Others are yet to come Among them Is the railroad legislation that thatIs Is now shaping g up The President can become monarch of at the rail systems systems ss s's through the federal coordinator co ordina tor for which the legislation pro pro- vides rides a One hears a good deal of ot discussion discussion discussion discus discus- sion in Washington respecting the powers which the Powers in in Pre President sid en t has Better Hands been given Gene Generally Gen Gen- e orally raIl y speaking the conclusion Is that they are In better hands than If they remained with congress under the present cir cir- cir cir- The President has demonstrated demonstrated dem demo that he lie knows knovs what he wants and most mem members ers of congress congress congress con con- gress are afraid to deny requests which he makes Take the inflation amendment for example Mr Mt- Roosevelt e edly euly l saw a tRial tidal wave of Inflation sentiment In congress It was there So In order to maintain control he placed himself at the head bead of the Inflation parade It Is unthinkable that he will ever use all aB of the varIous various various va va- va- va rious powers given him In the Inflation tion amendment for he knows that the remedy would be worse than the disease they seek to cure In most In In- stances But by the simple expedIent expedient expedient of Inviting the to dump all aB of their remedies Into one basket and to give him discretionary discretion discretion- ary power to use them as he desires he be continued to command tho the forces I have heard It suggested frequently frequent frequent- ly that many of the do donot donot donot not realize yet how they let the thin thing get away from them And It did get away Having made the means available once there are not so many senators and representatives representatIves who will vote to make It mandatory now If they did the President could veto the bills and there seems little chance of enough votes voles to pass that sort of thing over the veto a of the Chief Executive S S Observers here used to think that Calvin Coolidge kept the politicians In congress up Keeps Them In the air by Guessing the manner In which he outguessed outguessed out out- guessed them The Judgment now Is la that Roosevelt has hns Improved on the Coolidge plan to the point where his plans take on elements of mys mrs tery The action In the case of the Inflation ghost Is typical It was wholly unexpected He keeps things to himself until his mind Is made UI up op Then without further ado a brief brIet message goes to congress and the thing Is done The method has proved pro Immensely practical as well as effective S Senator Robinson of Arkansas the Democratic leader lender In the senate continues to have haye his troubles In keeping Senator Huey Long of ot Louisiana on the party reservation Senator Long Iong the styled self-styled kingfish king king- fish Just wont won't stand hitched Consequently Consequently Consequently Con Con- clashes between Robinson Robin I son and the kingfish arc frequent frequentS c. c S 1933 Western Newspaper Union |