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Show News Review of Current Events the World Over President Roosevelt Tells Congress of Ills Great Work Relief Plan Designed to Supplant the Downright Dole. By EDWARD W. PICKARD by Western Newspaper Union. pTlEKinKNT ROOSEVELT In his message to congress, delivered In person at a Joint session, offered the law-makers a "new and great- ly enlarged plan" of l r,;"Rf- "e dkl not U,!7.' "" extlmnte Its cost. t but assorted that I f"K- 'J the system of out-JLif.-J :- ? rKht (1o1ps si,,,,,,) f i' ' ' he dropped and the V 4 government should Xi? ! undertake projects r ' of slum clearance. , -$f J grade crossing ellm- L.t.'j-1fpig J Ination and other , public works that President , , , , would give emplov- i Roosevelt . . , i ment to ahout 3,- f r(X),0(K) icrsons now without Johs. The (Inures to he proposed for this were reserved for his budget message, mes-sage, but be assured congress that they would be "within the sound credit of the government." Mr. Roosevelt declared the gains made In the year 1934 were greater great-er than the losses and expressed "a strong hope in the coming year." He reasserted his belief In the "profit motive," but uttered a warning against wealth "which, through ex-' ex-' cesslve profits, creates undue prl-vnte prl-vnte power over private affairs, and to our misfortune, over public affairs af-fairs as well." This, naturally, was taken as applying especially to the public service Interests, which have been so apprehensive of the administration's Intentions. As for a legislative program, the President made no attempt to outline out-line one, but he did promise that definite legislation soon would be proposed covering old age and unemployment un-employment Insurance, benefits for children and mothers, and other features of his social security plans. He declared the nation was making mak-ing headway toward the "new order," or-der," but under the framework of the Constitution, and he spoke of the Increased industrial activity, benefits to agriculture and profits to merchants that have been realized. real-ized. Then came this stern warning: warn-ing: "Let him who, for speculative profit or partisan purpose, without Just warrant would seek to disturb or dispel this assurance, take heed before he assumes responsibility for any act which slows our onward steps." The President reported an unsettled unset-tled condition in the foreign field, with the resurrection of old jealousies jeal-ousies and passions and new strivings striv-ings for armament and power in more than one land, adding: "There Is no ground for apprehension appre-hension that our relations with any nation will be otherwise than peaceful." peace-ful." Discussing the matters that will be brought before congress for action, ac-tion, Mr. Roosevelt said : "Among the subjects that He Immediately Im-mediately before us are the consolidation consol-idation of federal regulatory administration ad-ministration over all forms of transportation, trans-portation, the renewal and clarification clarifica-tion of the general purposes of the national industrial recovery act, the strengthening of our facilities for the prevention, detection and treatment treat-ment of crime and criminals, the restoration of sound conditions in the public utilities field through abolition of the evil features of holding companies, the gradunl tapering ta-pering off of the emergency credit activities of government, and improvement im-provement In our taxation forms and methods. "We have already begun to feel the bracing effect upon our economic eco-nomic system of a restored agriculture. agricul-ture. "The hundreds of millions of additional addi-tional Income that farmers are receiving re-ceiving is finding its way into the channels of trade. "The fanners' share of the national nation-al Income Is slowly rising. The economic eco-nomic facts justify the widespread opinion of those engaged In agriculture agricul-ture that our provision for maintaining main-taining a balanced production gave at this time the most adequate remedy for an old and vexing problem. prob-lem. "For the present and especially in view of abnormal world conditions, agricultural adjustment with certain cer-tain necessary Improvements in methods should continue." PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT did not wait for the opening of congress con-gress to start his fight against Immediate Im-mediate payment of the veterans' bonus. The 'commander of a Legion Le-gion post in Texas wrote him for information on the matter and Mr. Roosevelt replied at length, detailing detail-ing his reasons for opposing the payment. He argued that the obligation ob-ligation Is not immediately due; that of 3.500.000 certificates outstanding. out-standing. 3.03S.500 veterans have borrowed SH.fiOO.OOO.OOO, or "more than the present worth of their bonus certificates." and that when the veterans borrowed 50 per cent of the face value of the certificates In 1931 they used the funds to discharge dis-charge their debts. Tills last point, according to National Na-tional Commander Belgrano of the American Legion, is one of the strongest arguments for Immediate payment of the adjusted service certificates. cer-tificates. "The foundation of good business Is good credit," said Commander Belgrano. "The money due veterans would be used to satisfy bills at the corner grocery, would help pay rents that are long past due and would go to hard pressed merchants mer-chants to discharge the accounts1 of harder pressed veterans. "In short, the money derived from immediate payment of the certificates certifi-cates would quickly find Us way Into every channel of business and trade and would be distributed equally and automatically throughout through-out the country. If the 3.531,S(5G war veterans, who hold certificates, ore so over their heads in debt that they must use the entire amount due them to pay their bills, what greater stimulus could there be for business than to restore to business tills vast potential purchasing pur-chasing power?" Speaker Byrns admitted that the cash bonus bill would pass the house "because there Is no opposition opposi-tion to It there," but he added that If the measure is finally enacted the administration will insist on some additional taxation to meet the estimated $2,000,000,000 expenditure. expendi-ture. It is believed the senate also will pass the bill, but leaders doubt Its passage by congress over the Presidential veto that is regarded as a certainty. THE Seventy-fourth congress, elected on the sole issue of support sup-port of the New Deal, began its first session on the dot and devot- Pw- ed its first day to the organization of - the two houses and the swearing In of 'i new members. The I Vy fsi lawmakers assem- . -. ;-'. bled In the Capi-i Capi-i tol were a serious :;s looking lot, and ' :; 'f:'-i!S0Wi w''h reason, for i'xf- tney nave on their 1,1 - ' hands a big job, " , that of making the Speaker XT , g New Deal perma- Byrns . , , nent; and in the doing of it they must solve some of the most perplexing problems that our national legislators ever have faced. It would seem that the Democrats will have no trouble in passing any legislation they wish, for they have an overpowering majority. ma-jority. In the senate are 69 Democrats Demo-crats and only 25 Republicans, plus one Progressive Robert M. La-Follette La-Follette and one Farmer-Laborite Henrik Shipstead The house Is comprised of 322 Democrats, 102 Republicans, seven Progressives and three Farmer-Laborltes. The administration ad-ministration Democrats do not anticipate an-ticipate any trouble from the Republicans; Re-publicans; it Is from the radical members of their own party that their woes are likely to come, and the help of the Republicans may be necessary to curb those left wingers. The majority leaders in both houses can be counted on to hold the radicals under a tight rein if that is possible. In the speaker's chair sits Joseph T. Byrns. chosen unanimously by his fellow Democrats. He Is too much of a compromiser to suit many of them, but is now tied to the administration, which declined to oppose his election. John H. Bankhead of Alabama, like Byrns one of the old school, won the leadership lead-ership of the house after a brief struggle. Senator Joseph Robinson of Arkansas was re-elected majority major-ity leader of the senate, and Senator Sena-tor Lewis of Illinois continues as whip. In their pre-session caucus the Democrats voted to reduce materially mate-rially the Republican representation representa-tion on house committees, and decided de-cided to abrogate the 14fi rule for discharging a committee and bringing bring-ing a bill to vote -within a week. The number now required for this action is 218. This latter action will provide another restriction on the radicals. TF LOUISIANA wants any more 1 public works money from the administration, it must "clarify" some of the new laws which Its legislature has passed at the behest be-hest of Senator Fluey P. Long. This Is the gist of a letter sent to Gov. O. K. Allen by President Roosevelt, Roose-velt, and the "kingfish" s not pleased by It. He told the reporters report-ers he would make his reply on the floor of the senate at the first opportunity. op-portunity. The President's warning warn-ing applied especially to the Louisiana Louisi-ana moratorium law passed In November. No-vember. Since its enactment the PWA has held up payments on about CO Louisiana projects. TWO thousand eight hundred bills were Introduced and referred to committees on the first day of the new congress. Number 1, handed hand-ed in by Representative Wright i'atman of Texas, provides for the payment of the adjusted service certificates of veterans immediately In cash through the Issuance of greenbacks. Batman and ottier supporters sup-porters of this plan call It "controlled "con-trolled Inflation." Lemke of North Dakota, Republican, Repub-lican, introduced a measure for the liquidation and re-financing of agricultural ag-ricultural indebtedness. The liquidation liquida-tion would be carried out at a reduced re-duced rate of interest, according to the bill, by establishing an efficient effi-cient credit system, through the use of the federal farm loan and federal reserve banking systems. Lemke also provided for the creation cre-ation of a board of agriculture to supervise the program. Continuance of the nOLC was proposed by several congressmen. The bond issue of this agency would increase anywhere from one billion to four and a half billion dollars in the various bills introduced intro-duced on the subject. A 100 per cent payoff for depositors depos-itors whose funds are tied up In trust companies was sought In two bills written by Representative Clarence J. McLeod of Michigan. ONE of the most serious Issues that will confront congress Is the battle between business and Industry In-dustry on one side and organized labor on the other, especially over the thirty-hour work week. The American Federation of Labor is committed to this proposition, and to the retention of the collective bargaining provisions of the NRA act. Big business, as represented by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and the National Manufacturers' association, is opposed op-posed to the thirty-hour week, and now has the support of the Brookings Institution. It also seeks the separation of labor bargaining and practice codes In the reorganization reorgan-ization of the NRA. The opening shot In this battle is the introduction introduc-tion hy Senator Hugo L. Black of Alabama of his thirty-hour work week bill, which at present has not the support of the administration. WITH remarkable celerity the jury in the Hauptmann trial was selected, consisting of eight men and four women, and Attorney General Wilentz set forth the state's case against the Bronx carpenter car-penter who is accused of kidnaping and murdering the baby son of Colonel Lindbergh. The colonel and Mrs. Lindbergh were present, and they and Retty Gow, the child's nurse, were among the early witnesses. wit-nesses. On behalf of the state the attorney general demanded the penalty pen-alty of first degree murder. IN 1033 the James E. Sullivan memorial trophy, awarded to the athlete contributing the most to the cause of amateur athletics dur-ln dur-ln the year, was missed by Bill Bonthron of Princeton by just one vote and was given to Glenn Cun ningham. Now it is in Bill's pos session as the result of his great foot-racing campaign during 1934,! In the course of which he established estab-lished a world record for 1,500 me ters and beat Cunningham In three out of five races. In the nationwide ballot, conducted con-ducted by A. A. U., Bonthron led. in the preliminary voting and then piled up 1.072 votes In the final test after the field had been cut to seven. Benjamin B. Eastman, former Stanford Stan-ford track star, ran second with 929 and then came Ralph Metcalfe, Marquette university's negro sprinter, sprint-er, with 413, and Glen Hardin, Louisiana State university, with 2S5. Three swimmers trailed the trackmen. track-men. Lenore Kight of Homestead, Pa., received 262 votes; Jack Med-lca Med-lca of Seattle, 169, and Kntherlne Rawls, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 154. SENATOR VANDENBERG of Michigan, liberal Republican, says he will introduce In the senate sen-ate a bill designed to take the Post Office department '"X 1 out of politics. The W ', measure he has I drafted would put SJJSTjjl all postmasters and Vy J postal officials, ex I , cept the postmns- '"sJT3 v ter eneral. under y tne c,vi' service, "fcSV I and In the giving t of jobs the post Id 'iijfiMisl office employees would have the Senator preference. Senator Vandenberg vandenberg has been persistently demanding that Postmaster General Farley either resign re-sign from the cabinet or give up his chairmanship of the Democratic national committee. In line with this his bill will prohibit the postmaster post-master general from holding any political office. The Michigan senator said he had written the bill after conferences with the civil service commission and several organizations within the Post Office department He predicted pre-dicted it would have strong support from the latter quarter. By taking politics out of the department de-partment and establishing a career service, Vandenberg said, "the pavement-pounding letter carriers may look forward to ultimate gradua Hon to the high post of first assist- ' ant postmaster general." |