| Show r- r National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart National Press Preas Building Washington D. D C. C Washington What What ot of the future r 1 Where are we going now that one j 1 of the keystones What to Be Of ot the New Deal H Done Now 1 the tho h e National i Recovery admin admin- haa been largely out- out Jawed The national capital never has hns witnessed such contusion confusion even In Inthe r the midst of ot the World war as has prevailed here since the Supreme i j court coart of ot the Uie United States had Its final na sn say as ns to the constitutionality of ot the Uie and Lemke Frazier farm tarm mortgage moratorium law The lack of ot constitutional authority for the Lemke law was recognized I. I by many but until tIle the highest court courtIn I In the Uie land had spoken concerning concerning- RA r-RA views were divided and the l Blue Ulue Eagle continued to fly albeit In a n lower circle New Dealers generally were confident con con- conI I to the last They appeared to expect t some unseen force torce to guide the Supreme me court In upholding uphold uphold- In lag ing the fantastic program which they had devised and which the President made a part of ot his New Deal plans for tor economic recovery The adverse ruling made them sick c. c at the stomach Most of or them have S not yet vet recovered Hence confusion contusion S continues continues to reign You have heard much discussion discussionS S In the past two weeks as to how howS S the breath of ot life Ufe may again be breathed Into the Blue nIue Eagle As Asfar Astar tar far as I have bave been heen able to gather from authoritative quarters In Washington there Is n nothing left to todo todo S do but perform the funeral ceremonies ceremonies ceremonies cere cere- monies for tor the Ill fated bird and the called so-called national plan which It rep resented The reports of ot Presidential conferences of ot meetings of ot statesmen and executives of ot the administration administration administration ad ad- ministration of ot this plan and that S plan and statements and expressions of ot opinion respecting the future future fu fu- U. U ture courSe course mean absolutely noth noth- In lag ing When the Supreme court said S that the congress had unlawfully delegated to the President power to I draft codes of ot fair Calr practice and enforce enforce en- en force Coree them upon private business It took away the heart and nerve nerveS S I centers of the structure I On top of ot this body blow the theS S principle Is looked upon In Inmany Inmany inS many ninny quarters and by men who S know and understand the problems of or- government as ns being thoroughly discredited In the public mind It ItIs ItIs ItIs Is not too much to say that when 5 a national law lav does not hold the 5 confidence of or the bulk of ot the people people peo peo- pie Its usefulness has ceased So It U was as with the prohibition amend amend- amendS S ment Equally I believe It can cnn be stated If It opinion of statesmen of or long iong training can be trusted no attempts attempts attempts at at- tempts to r revise the will get getto S to first Ease base Even en the Brain Trust movement mo to obtain amendment of ot S the Federal Constitution making such laws as proper cannot S win wide country support S SS S Enough Indications already have become visible to warrant a n statement statement state state- ment t that hat the More Hope summer months S for Future will see chiseling price cutting and other nefarious and Improper business business bustness busi bust ness practices going on and that these will be disastrous to countless countless countless count count- less business Interests The conS congress congress con con- S gress will strive In a hearted half fashion to offset the loss of ot strength and prestige suffered by the New Deal at the hands bands of ot the Supreme S court But tho effort plainly will willbe be only halt half So It Is made to appear that the country must submit for tor several months at least to a 8 bad condition After that It If S. S the opinions of experienced men are worth while there ought to be a substantial change for the better Careful surveys close examinations t f of ot the problems at hand and candid S thinking has brought to unbiased observers the conclusion that there Is more hope bope for tor the future now nov as ns regards the economic situation than there was Ins while tho the Blue Eagle continued con con- tinned to soar and ballyhoo artists continued to preach about Its powers powers pow pow- ers era to restore prosperity I believe this statement which Is the consensus consensus consensus con con- ought to be tempered with one suggestion There Is likely tobe to tobe tobe be a restoration atlon of or confidence genS generally generally gen gen- S if It the administration turns S. S aside from Brain Trust theories and 5 employs the practical Instead of ot the theoretical method of ot government S S S 5 To the agricultural community the decision Invalidating the Fra Frn Lemke Q mort mort- Just an gage moratorium Idle Dream law probably has greater Interest it should not be so The Frazier I Lemke Liemke law from tho the first was an S. S Idle dream and was predicated upon i shortsighted understandings of basIc basic basic ba ba- ba- ba sic economic laws Everywhere I have Inquired concerning the probable probable probable able end or result of ot the workings of ot that statute Informed persons S declared It meant eventual destruction destruction tion of or credit for tor agriculture Supporters of ot the Frazier Lemke I Idea den cannot innot lean as do supporters of the principle upon an accusation accusation ac ne that the tho law V was badI badly ad ad- ministered It was administered according ac ac- I cording to the Farm Credit admin admin- I In the spirit and letter of ot Its Intent Yet because It was fundamentally fun run unsound It never could succeed My Iy own guess Is that the Supreme court by Its ruling In this case has bas rendered render a great service ser to American a agriculture Simmered down the law which was proposed by Senator Frazier Fra ler and Representative Lemke both of or North Dakota was designed to give purely temporary aid to distressed owners of ot mortgage farm tarm lands hands The things which apparently neIther neither nei neI- ther titer of ot the co-authors co foresaw was the effect erect the temporary arrangement arrange arrange- C- C ment mont would have hare as to the future By this I mean that for example If It a farmer wants to buy a home borne and has hns only a small amount or of cash he must borrow money from someone else If It he the holder of ot that money were made to feel teel that at any time during t the le life of ot that mortgage congress could pass a law telling the lender he could not force payment of ot the debt few there would would be bo who would be willing to lend their money It Is not human nature to lend money unless there Is a reasonable ns assurance that It will be repaid Thus It seems to me the Fra Fra- Le Lemke zier-Lemke le law contained elements of ot danger danIer that were overlooked Inthe In Inthe inthe the stress of depressed conditions S I S Perhaps the worst blow dealt President Roosevelt personally was the Supreme court T The he Worst decision w which hie h Blow held heM t that h n a t the Presidential power pow pow- er em did not extend to removal of a n Federal Trade commission mem mem- member member ber except for tor the reasons prescrIbed prescribed proscribed pre pro scribed In the law Itself It will be remembered that Mr Roosevelt forcibly fore forc I bly ousted the late hate William WlIIlam E. E Humphrey from commission membership mem mem- because It was openly stated at nt the the- time the time Mr Humphrey was a conservative Republican and he therefore did not see eye to eye with the President and his hla New Deal plans s. s Mr Humphrey sued the government for tor the salary for tor his form After Acter his death his executors ex ex- e g carried on the litigation It I Is the principle Involved here that Is Important The Federal Trail commission was set up as asa asa asa a body one olle endowed with powers to regulate against ha- ha prop practices and to de- de t the propriety of ot general dealings affecting countrywIde countrywide countrywide country country- wide Iness or the Interests of ot the pr lc It t.-i t. t's S no stretch of ot the Imagination Imag Imag- i l m vu see how Presidential In- In t i with th the commission personnel personnel per per- result In changes of ot commission n policy One business practice I Ight ht be held heM proper by a commission whose majority was conservative con con- whIte while that same practice would t tu In- In Illegal by a commission laminated dominated by a liberal or radical membership It becomes obvious n I. I that if the President were ere permitted to disturb the personnel personnel personnel per per- of or the commission especially Judges there could be no continuity continuity conti conti- of ot policy and business Itself would hardly know from day to day when it was abiding by the lawor lawor law lawor or when It was not S S S Several months ago I recall I reported to you ou In these columns something In in n the AAA Comes nature of ot a pre pre- Next diction that the Supreme co court u r t would become better known kno to the general public before the current administration had ended than it had been known since It rendered the famed Dred Scott decision In Civil 11 war days It was a perfectly obvious circumstance Sooner or later the questions of ot a constitutional constitutional nature Involved in the New Deal procedure obviously were goIng goIng go- go Ing lag to be tested ested In court Now I feel eel warranted In reportIng reporting reporting report report- ing that the highest court again will be In the public eye The next momentous decision likely to come from rom the bench of ot the nine austere Justices will be a ruling affecting affecting af at- af- af the Agricultural Adjustment administration and therefore of ot vital vital vital vi vi- tal Importance to the American farmer There will be other cases Involving New Deal plans pIan of ot course but their Importance cannot possibly be as great as an any decision de do- affecting the AAA because it is an Integral part of ot the New Deal program for tor recovery There Is no possibility of ot a n rulIng ruling muing rul rul- ing on any AAA questions before next October No test cases have yet reached the tho Supreme court for tor or argument but there are halt half a n dozen wending their slow way through the minor courts Consideration Consider Consider- allon by the Supreme court eventually eventually even even- Is of ot course certain because they Involve e constitutional ques ques- lions Notwithstanding the fact tad that a Supreme court decision on the AAA Is Ia considered distant It Is 18 to be noted that after atter the was outlawed outlawed outlawed out out- there was considerable scurrying scurrying around among AAA officials Fresh consideration was given to many points of ot law over which L there Is doubt C W r |
