Show cz cT-cz F e I I Ie e a 1 P l 4 It Washington It appe appears rs that another another another an an- other session of congress will go by without the con- con Spending gress gross and the adWill ad- ad Wilt Will Go On ministration doing doine anything serious In the way of cutting down government government government govern govern- ment expenses There Is nothing that can cnn be done now toward c carrying carrying carry carry carry- rry- rry ing out the expressions made by President in Roosevelt his message I last January when he told con congress ress that he wanted to cut federal expenses expenses expenses ex ex- and take Important steps toward to toward toward to- to ward balancing the federal budget The reason renson that federal spending Is due de to go on for another year at the extraordinary rate of the last four or five years is because a majority In congress under the lash of the White House refused to require states and local governments to bear a n percentage of the relief relic costs In other words federal spending will go on because congress and the President have lacked the courage to start taking the federal government government government govern govern- ment out of ot the relief work and gradually restore it to the care of those folks In the various communities ties who know where relief relle is need need- ed There had been a very determined movement in congress to compel the states to share In the gigantic relief burden It took on various forms and had various sponsors But I Ithe the end and aim of all of them was to divide the cost in equitable fash tash- ion II The proposal that had the best chance of getting through was one offered by Senator Robinson of Arkansas the Democratic leader inthe in inthe the senate He offered an amendment amendment amend amend- ment to the relief relie bill which would have required the states to contribute contribute contribute con con- tribute one fourth of the amount expended expended expended ex ex- in each state with the federal federal federal fed fed- eral Treasury supplying the remain remain- der When that amount was offered it was something in the nature of a compromise between proposals that the states should bear 40 per cent and that they should bear none of the cost With the White House operating operating op op- through the Presidents President's lobbyist lobbyist lobbyist lob lob- Charles West and Senator Barkley of ot Kentucky the administration administration adminis administration was able to force defeat of the Robinson amendment Now Senator Barkley is assistant assistant assistant assist assist- ant Democratic leader of ot the senate senate senate sen sen- ate and so we had the spectacle of ot i ione one of Mr Roosevelt's spokesmen being on one side and a second one on the other side The one who was spurred on by the President was victorious I am not sure that the Robinson proposal would have resulted in an appreciable reduction in the federal outlay for relief relic Of course it would have ha cut the total somewhat but not by the full one fourth that appeared appeared ap ap- on its face It was valuable as a piece of legislation however because it would have required the states again to assume some of the burden which only a few years ago they carried in its entirety It was wasa a principle for which Senator Robinson Robinson Robinson Rob Rob- inson fought and it was a principle upon which he was defeated because because because be be- cause Harry Hopkins relief administrator administrator administrator admin admin- objected and still objects to returning any part of the relief obligation to the local authorities I suspect that Senator Robinsons Robinson's activities on the relief relict proposition will not help his relations with the White House but I think it ought to be said that Senator Robinson demonstrated again gain his capacity as asa asa a n statesman He demonstrated as aswell aswell well that he recognizes the dangers dangers dan dan- gers confronting the United States Treasury which at the end of the current fiscal year year June June 30 had 30 had hadan an outstanding debt in excess of ot From among some of the senators I gained the impression that there is considerable worry about the gov gov- spending and they wanted to see the Robinson amendment pre prevail vall vail because they recognized it as asa asa asa a move that would eventually bring federal government spending within control Also senators of that school o of thought maintained that if it states were called upon to bear some o of at the burden of relief it would bring h home me forcefully the fact that all of this spending must sometime be made up out of taxes People do not like to pay taxes and they cannot be blamed for tor their attitude Unless they realize however that borrowed money is being spent and they and their children and childrens children's childrens children's chil chil- drens dren's children are to be taxed to pay payoff off the loans they will not be bein bein in favor of reducing national state or local expenses The debate in the senate on the proposition to send some of ot the re- re lid lief burden back to I City Mayors the states showed Are Active rather plainly that most of the sena senators sena- sena tors are aro disgusted with talk that hunger and distress will haunt the land if it states are required again to take over some of ot this charity work The impression I gained from rom this debate was that a powerful lobby lobby lob lob- by of mayors from some of ot the l larger larg larg- rg- rg er cities was turning on all of ot the steam it could muster Mayor LaGuardia LaGuardia LaGuardia La- La I Guardia of New York was the boldest boldest boldest bold bold- est of ot these as he has been bold constantly in forcing the federal federa government to pay the relief rollin rollin roll rolls in New York city and save his own New York city budget j i r Another phase of the debate debate debat should be noticed It was the re reluctance rc-j rc of ot congress to reassume its right to direct and control th thoi spending of federal funds Th The mentioned above-mentioned Mr Hopkins wan wanto wants to be free and unfettered in hi his spending and those policies were ver the ones he recommended to Mr Roosevelt Consequently with administration administration ad ad- ministration pressure on many sen senators senators sen- sen the Hopkins idea prevailed and so for another year congress must sit back and watch the Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins organization spend money virtually virtually virtually vir vir- any way it desires jI j jI I think there ought to be a lesson les- les lesson lesson les les- son in this whole situation upon which the country can look back rather regretfully The experience experienc gained gamed by making lump sum appropriations ap I ap certainly shows how a abad abad aJ bad habit can cm be contracted and and how difficult it is to cure that habit Seldom in history until this depression depres sion would congress ever vote lump sum appropriations for executive departments to spend as they will Having contracted the habit however how howe ever It Is going to be difficult hereafter hereafter hereafter here here- after to deny any President lump sum appropriations provided only that he has a substantial majority in the house and senate No doubt many persons will wonder wonder wonder won won- der why this sort of thing constitutes constitutes constitutes an important issue The answer answer an an- is simple Governments are wasteful and the federal govern government govern govern- ment being larger than state or local lo to- 10 c cal l governments is just that much more wasteful and unable to handle money carefully If states and lo local local local lo- lo cal communities have to bear expenses expenses ex ex- pe ses of this sort out of their own treasuries they see to it that only those ent entitled tIed to relief obtain It Unhappily Unhappily Unhappily Un happily the national relief system is caring for thousands upon thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of men who could get jobs and who could support their families families families lies but who will not do so as long longas as money is given them from Wash Wash- ington J Since the national debt is at the highest point in the history of our nation there is a growing conviction conviction conviction tion at the Capitol that a halt must be called sometime The present trouble is that there are not yet enough courageous representatives and senators to force Lorce a stoppage in such spending 1 While the steel strike blazed forthwith forth forthwith forthwith with battle after battle blood was sh shed d and property baker Takes 1 akes Was damaged lit- lit Labor Job tie attention was paid to a development development development develop develop- ment here in the nations nation's capital capital in in inthe the government itself While all of the sensa sensational lional things were happening on the steel front on one Jacob Baker was resigning his job as assistant relief administrator and was acc accepting the job of ot chief chic of at a new labor unit to be associated with John L. L Lewis and his Committee Committee Committee Com Com- for Industrial Organization Mr Bakers Baker's unit is to be made up o of government workers themselves a labor union In the government of the United States For some years there have been minor labor units among government government government govern govern- ment employees They were affiliated affiliated with the American Federation of Labor Generally speaking they were impotent and did little more than create a dozen jobs for the officials om- om officials claIs of ot the organization Now however the government workers are to have a militant fighting labor union which will get things done for them Such at least is the press agent word that has been spread under Mr Bakers Baker's direction Mr 1 Baker Is familiar with the problems of ot government service Undoubtedly h he recognizes that he cannot use the same methods in organizing organizing organizing or or- government workers that are used in private Industry If U for example he would attempt a astrike astrike astrike strike I 1 think probably it would be th the end of labor organizations iI in in inthe the government of ot the militant fighting type Th The advance notices concerning Mr l Bakers Baker's plans seem to indicate that he is seeking members below the grades of official rank In other words If the Baker plans are carried car car- tied ried out the new union will wili be made up up of the so-called so rank and file This would seem to be an advantageous J arrangement because it dim clim- I mates a es some of the dangers that al always always al- al ways develop where bureaucrats and division heads assume too much authority There is a danger also in confining conlin- conlin lag ing the organization to the rank an and file because among the less experienced experienced experIenced labor leaders there is always alwa's That Isto is isto isto a tendency to flare up to say lacking experience they may say things or do things which are arc regrettable or which they have cause to regret later on The vio vio- violence violence lence that has shown its ugly head headin in the steel strike proves this point So Mr Baker has his job cut out for or him in this direction fI 1 Western Newspaper Union |