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Show CAPITAL I BY JeSSSS ii nil WujiiTSJ -ttenry worshak3 YOUR CONGRESSMAN jjiliMMiillJl This begins Volume 3 of Capital Gleanings, designed to keep my constituents informed on some of the events at the national capital. ' The 76th congress cixpi.-'ed X noon January 3, 1941, after a record-breaking session of 367 days, which appropriated about $20,000,-000,000. $20,000,-000,000. At noon, the initial session of the 77th Congress was held, as observers ob-servers agreed that many crucial domestic and foreign policies will face the national lawmaking body during this session. Both houses are predominantly; Democratic, the majority party having 267 representatives, represen-tatives, the Republicans 162, and 6 scattered. In the senate there are 66 Democrats, 2S Republicans, one Progressive and one Independent. When Sam Rayburn, Texas veteran, vet-eran, was chosen speaker, he made a forceful appeal for unanimity, in his own party, and then declared that, while he believed in the two-party two-party system of government, there must be unity on national defense. Therein lies the potential keynote of this momentous session, for it is patent that administration pressure pres-sure will be directed to the legislative legis-lative body. At a time when it is extremely essential that there be ! from three news agencies, the Associated As-sociated Press, International News and Acme, recorded the presentation, presenta-tion, thereby insuring widespread publicity. Idaho potatoes have won an enviable reputation, but wider distribution is necessary to provide more profitable prices for growers. There was a total of 1,086,171 civil employes in the executive branches of the federal government on October 31, 1940, with a monthly month-ly payroll of $166,485,603, according accord-ing to the report, of the U. S. Civil Service commission. These figures show an increase of 27,532 employes employ-es over September and 149,762 more persons on the payroll than in October of the preceding year, or an increase of about 16 per cent. The monthly payroll during the year ended October 31, increased almost $25,000,000 so that now approximately ap-proximately $2,000,000,000 are required re-quired annually to meet the civil employes payroll. National defense activities contributed con-tributed to the large increases, with the selective service system showing a total of 21,205 employes. The Tennessee Valley Authority is listed wilh 17,927 on the payroll, and the post office department 302,436, The payroll in the District Dis-trict of Columbia for October was $26,000,944 for 149,479, persons. a proper co-ordination of government govern-ment processes, to insure the adoption adop-tion of wise and. logical politics, as well as to preclude mistakes, there will be a tendency toward intolerance intoler-ance of opposition views. The entire country is aroused over the need of building up an invincible national defense, but insistence in-sistence upon support of administration adminis-tration views without regard for their effect on the nation's security and welfare, would inevitably result re-sult in a tragic approach to tne totalitarianism which is so generally) gener-ally) condemned in European countries. coun-tries. Whenever policies are finally final-ly adopted, there should be soiltmr-ity soiltmr-ity and loyally on the part of all Americans, but this does not preclude pre-clude deliberate and frank debare of all proposals although aimed at a common objective. Democracy is on trial in the United Unit-ed States, and citizens as well as public officials should recognize that the destiny of this republic may depend upon thj attitude and actions of the congress during the In the early days of this session it is likely there will he a, showdown show-down between Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau and Chairman Chair-man Eccles of the Federal Reserve Board over executive powders to prevent the inflationary trend feared as the result, of heavy defense de-fense spending. Broad powers were given to the president in 1933, to change the gold content of the dollar, dol-lar, to issue $3,000,000,000 in Greenbacks, Green-backs, and issue $1.29 worth of currency for each ounce of foreign silver purchased by the treasury. Although the two officials are in disagreement over some fiscal policies, poli-cies, both are reported to favor raising the public debt limit, jssll. ing no more tax-exempt government govern-ment securities, and financing defense de-fense as much as possible by taxation tax-ation rather than borrowing Sen-ator Sen-ator Taft of Ohio has introduced a bill to curb these monetary powers coming months. Prejudices and emotionalism shoufd be discarded, as. we approach the solution of our problems with loyalty lo traditional American principles and ideals. As a forerunner of the new concessional con-cessional session. Idaho potatoes gained the spotlight when the Second Sec-ond district congressman prf-s-ntod a box of two-pounders to Sena'or Drewston of Maine. The kilter stale is the leading producer of tubers, while the Gem Slate is next in line with a production in 1940 of 32 S60.000 bu hels. Photographers |