Show economic 0 1 c 11 highlights AIL i g h I 1 i g h S happenings that efat tile the dinner palls dividend checks and ta tas bills of every individual the presidents budget message was widely heralded in the headlines as a move for economy comparatively ively speaking in government practically Prati cally every itcan of expense was pared in ills estimates single major exception was national defense and on this there la Is almost unanimous agreement that we nye must spend more though there Is considerable disagreement the me expert and tho the not so expert as to just how the money should be spent I 1 despite ta tho ae headlines however it will come as a tremendous surprise to the more hardheaded hard headed an of oc expenses are materially cut in uny any direction tills this year and they will not be at all surprised if the final budget involves the c expenditures tures of as much or more than has been spent in any year of new deal history that may scein contrary to tho the general impression of sir Roosevel ts message sage but there are sound reasons for it first the presidents budget makos makes no mention of the money the treasury must appropriate for old ago pension payments which start february 1 these payments according to estimates will amount to better than halt half a billion dollars during the coming fiscal year and no provision Is made for farm benefit payments pay monts instead a major cut in the budget was vas in spending for agriculture it Is of course possible that congress will follow tho presidents budget in tills this regard but it it does a miracle will have occurred secretary wallace thinks that about ild be paid in farm benefits and congress agress at largo large so tor br as anyone can seo see now will back him up dont forget that this Is a general election year and congressmen gres 0 of both parties including somo some of those who talk the loudest about economy are break ing their necks seeking to win tho the great farm belt vote ewoud washington obe oberen servers era think the president has played a very clever trick on congress ile he lias has simply dumped the budget pro problem blent in ili the law makers laps ue ife has offered them a budget which though it may bo be economically wise Is full of political leal dynamite congressmen are only hu man As the records abundantly prove proe they nic are nit all for economy when it hits some district other than thir their own on anil and all for spend ing when hwi their constituents are to be the belief kin alea the empep eions to tills rule are arc few aud and far between though they do exist so the probability Is that congress will ft ill up the proposed expenditures in many if not most of the divisions one so far as the prospect of now taxes Is concerned there seems to lo be 10 more smoke than fire again the tact fact that tills this Is an all election year makes congressmen of both la riles exceedingly reluctant to pile ile more burdens on the taxpayers they think it politically safer according to those who make a business of watching washington affairs to let the deficit rise in other words new taxes are possible but not probable if now new taxes are imposed they will ivill probably bo be of a character illitch will directly affect comparatively few people to return to the budget message rant paul mallon summed it up aptly when he wrote on its smiling face it appears to be a stern economizing oin izing venture actually it con templates the largest spending program lu ili new deal history the fiscal problem la Is up to congress now tho the war authorities say will remain fairly quiet until spring tie no one is expected to start a major offensive while tho the bad weather holds and in the spring it Is forecast in some quarters hitler will make his bid for victory time works with the allies and against the reich the military men think that littler hitler must win this year or lose the russo finnish controversy still holds the spotlight to quote the military authorities once more it is felt that the rd erkd army has been bad but not as bad as illias it laa lipp appeared eared to most laymen the arctic weather has helped the finns who know the terrain and are masters of guerrilla les and the Itus troops at tile start at least comprised third class not first class divisions stalin apparently woefully underestimated the 91 spirit irit of Rus sias little neighbor there is considerable speculation as to what will happen once the finnish business Is settled A russian drive against india would not startle the experts and if that should happen england would ie be in ili a tough spot it would mean that she must divert great quantities of troops equipment and supplies from the continent and thus weaken her support of france on the lV western estern front england would have to give every cery effort to beating tile soviet a successful rus stall sian drive to the east cast would mean the shattering of the great empires lifeline there Is still talk of the possibility of a peace offensive this year with tile pope president roosevelt and mussolini Mus taking tile lending roles at the moment the outlook for peace seems black Indeed but change can take place fast |