The Syracuse Journal, Volume 28, Number 17, Syracuse, Kosciusko County, 22 August 1935 — Page 2

2

BRISBANE] THIS WEEK Nobody Was Frozen One Strike Subsides The Emperor Has Lions I 1,000,000 Tiny Pigs Several have written to this column offering to let themselves be “frozen

stiff and then returned to life” In the interest of science. as suggested by a Los Angeles chemist, R. S. Willard. They will be sorry to hear that i the American Medical association | calls Mr. Willard's i alleged freezing “a vicious hoax." It accuses Wil- | lard of freezing a ■ I dead monkey and j then substituting a live one, supposed I;

Artkar llrlabane

to have been frozen and thawed out. ■ Doctor Flshbeln. editor of the Amer- » lean Medical Association Journal, says ; anybody frozen stiff would surely die. I It was an Interesting yarn while it ! , lasted. New York’s strike of union men •gainst President Roosevelt, General I Johnson and the WAP (“Works Prog- • rets administration") seems tempo- “ rarlly to have collapsed. Mr. Meany, New York labor leader, said all union nwn would go out and stay out and Nonunion men would follow. The news Is that the nonunion men did not follow. and the union men went back I to work. Robert Moses of the park depart- | ment, who employs 25,000 workers on j park projects, reports. only 110 de- 1 setters. An Interesting photograph from ' Addis Ababa shows two servants of the Ethiopian emperor, riding on lions, one female, one male, in the palace I garden. The emperor's lions are i trained In thia fashion for use as “watch dogs." You can easily be- ; lleve that intruders “keep out.” For war purposes. however, lions are I not particularly valuable. Tear gas I and deadly poisonous gas would discourage. the Hons, as they wauld men. and lions cannot jump as high as an airplane. In Chicago's stockyards half the hog pens are closed, price* are soaring, men have lost jobs, all for lack of hog* to push around and butcher. The yards are suffering. And only a little while ago an earnest government, determined to help I the fanner and promote prosperity, | was, butchering tens of thousands of I • farrow sows" to get rid of them before their little pigs could be born. | "Too many little pigs will make too many big pigs.” said the government You can imagine the ghosts of a million pigs floating over the stockyards, squeaking in their baby voice*. "We told you so." War talk continues. Mussolini announces a new air weapon "overwhelmingly powerful,” but does not I •ay what it is. Plain TNT and poison gas are powerful enough. Hitler, announcing that his country Is "ready to meet any outside peril." •dda: “No power on earth can attack us." That seems a little overconfident A prosaic financial telegram suggests that the public debt of Germany has been increased by 20.000,000,000 marks. That might represent an interior enemy of considerable proportions. '* -r ■ ’ Uncle Sam. with all hl* spending, makes a little something for himself. His money-issuing privileges, paper dollars worth about 50 cents, and silver coins containing lew than half their value in sliver, have given the treasury a profit of about 53.0U0.000,000. 4 And at this moment it doe* not appear to have hurt anybody. Who understands money? o -a Stocks are better, prices higher, in London and in Wall Street The London Dally Mall says: “A stock exchange boom seems to do more for world trade than anything. The reason is that It gives confidence everywhere." Strange and powerful Is "confidence." You cannot see it. feel It. weigh It. but you rah easily destroy It Lovely woman, led by Pari* fashion designers. Is still trying to find out what riie really wants. Universal Service dispatches from Paris describe “dresses as transparent as lace curtains from the knee down; skin-tight evening gowns with cut-out designs as big as* elm leaves from under the arm* to the hip-line. Cape coats of white fur, slit wide open on both sides." One gown Is made entirely of "platted gold braid." When will women settle down finally to some one style, as men have done? Interesting Items in taxation new*. For instance, government will collect income tax on “public relief.” If your generous Uncle Sam gives you KM a month, the amount that unions now spurn, he will take back 113.12 tn Income tax. That seems like giving your little boy • stick of candy and biting off tbs and of it • Kias Fj« urwsy ndicMw lac. MaditarraMaa Led the Way For centuries the Mediterranean was the only see to bear commerce. The straits of Gibraltar were the gateway to this huge sea. Countries not on the Mediterranean's shores were backward, barbaric or subject to the.Memterranesn races. Fena's Baria! Placa William Peon is buried in the cemetery of the old Quaker meeting bouse at Jordans, in Buckinghamshire. The gravestone of the founder of Pennsylvania stands hardly kneehigh.

News Review of Current Events the World Over Lobbiy Committees Quarrel Over Magnate Hopson—President Signs Social Security Act—Tri-Power Conference on Italo-Ethiopian Question. By EDWARD W. PICKARD C Western Newspaper Union.

WILL ROGERS, famous actor and humorist, and Wiley Post, one of the best known fliers in the world, ‘crashed to their death In a plane while | flying from Fairbanks to Point Bari row, Alaska. The two men, close j friends, had been enjoying an aerial j vacation trip in the North, and Post * intended later to fly to Asia. News of the fatal accident was sent-to Seattle |by Sgt. Stanley IL Morgan, signal | corps operator at Point Barrow. He said be had recovered the bodies from r _ RIVALS In the matter of publicity, the house and senate committees ■ oh the activities of lobbyists got into a. tangle that certainly didn’t enhance

thelr dignity. Howard C. Hopson, the long sought heSd of the Associated Gas and Electric Utilities system, permitted the emissary of the house committee to find him. and Senator Hugo Black flew into a rage and had his committee threaten Hopson with contempt proceedings unless he appeared be-

■ I ~~ > * >j| 1 I Ljl k J , H. C. Hopson

i fore It. Chairman O'Connor of the I holise body was angered by this an 1 l declared: "Hopson is in my custody, i I've got him. Nobody else has got him. Nobody else is going to get him." The elusive, chunky utilities magi nate told the house committee about’ I his various companies and related the i saga of his travels while he was beI Ing sought. But he politely refused toan- | swer questions concerning the sources I and amount of his income. He testified that he "believed" the Associated Gas system had spent "eight or nine hundred thousand dollars" in opposi- | tion to rhe Wheeler-Rayburn utility control bill. “That’s just a small fraction of the $300.000,000 equity in our companies I which would be destroyed if the bill ea law and remains law," he declared. To one question by Cox of Georgia Hopson replied: “I resent that Inquiry. No gentleman would have I asked it" Whereupon Cox threati ened to kick him out of the room unless he withdrew the answer, and Hopson mildly withdrew It. O’Connor Introduced in the house a resolution that severely slammed the senate, but it dropped when word came | that Senator Black would wait to take . Hopson after O’Connor’s bunch was through with him. However. It gave I opportunity for a ridiculous quarrel I between the New Yorker and Rankin of Texas. Late In the day Hopson calmly I walked Into Black’s committee room and asked: “Is some one here looking for me?" Black and hl* committee then questioned the utilities man for an hour or two and got mighty little out of him except, smooth sarcasm that made the chairman ouite furious. At that time both Hopson and his attorney had been served with contempt citation. SURROUNDED by a group of notables and In the glare of photographers’ flashlights. President Roosevelt put his signature on the social security set, of which he said: "If the senate and house of representatives in this long and arduous session had done nothing more than pass this bill the session would be regarded as historic for all time.” Among those who were present were Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York and Representative John Lewis of Maryland, who jointly drafted the bill; Secretary of Labor France* Perkins, who bad a hand In its making, and. Senators I’at Harrison. William King and Edward P. Costigan. In a talk intended for reproduction on the sound screens of the country, the President said: "This social security measure gives at least some protection to 30.000.000 of our citizens who will reap direct benefits through unemployment compensation. through old age pensions and through increased services for the protection of children and the prevention of ill health. “We can never Insure 100 per cent of the population agalpst 100 per cent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life but we hive tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age. “This law. too, represents a corner stone la a structure which Is being built but is by no mean* complete—a structure Intended to lessen the force of possible future depression*, to act as a protection to future administrations of ths government against the necessity of going deeply info debt to furnish relief to the needy—a law to flatten out the peaks and valleys of deflation and of Inflation—in other words a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide for the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness." GOV. MARTIN I*. DAVEY of Ohio has “pulled a fast one” on the Republican* in behalf of the Democratic party. The G. O. P. leaders were demanding a state-wide by-elee-tlon bF Ohio to fill the vacancy created by the death of Representative-at-Large Charles V. Truax, believing the result would derronstrate, even more dearly than did the Rhode Island election, the waning strength of the administration. But Governor Davey went to Washington and consult ed with President Roosevelt and then announced that he would not call and could not be compelled to caU a spe-

cial congressional election until next year. His declared reason was the cost, not fear of party defeat Court action to force the calling of the election has been started but Davey says ! there is no restriction of his discre- j tion In fixing the time of the election. | ITedictions as to the outcome of next year’s national election are now ' the order of the day. Representative ‘ Bolton of Ohio, chairman of the Republican congressional campaign com- < mittee, gate out a forecast that his party would pick up at least 75 or 100 I house seats. Speaker Byrns. hearing ■ this, grinned and said: "That’s a d—n fool statement. There is no question but what the Democrats will ’ maintain every bit of their majority, i The country not only will re-elect President Roosevelt but will show its approval of the aims and policies of ■ the administration by re-electing ev- i ery Democratic congressman.” i pAPT. ANTHONY. EDEN of Eng- j land. Premier Pierre Laval of France and Baron Pompe! Alois! of ' Italy met in Paris, as arranged, to see

if they couldn’t de- I vise away to avert the . Italo-Ethiopian war. due to begin in September. Eden had a plan all prepared and after outlining it to ■ Laval he laid it be- | fore Baron Alois!. The i latter, of course, had > no power to assent , but was compelled to submit the proposals ! to Premier Mussolini. \

£ V x -A Baron Alois!

That II Duce would accept it without i change a red unlikel&tmt It formed a basis for discussiomN According to the best InfoPffratlon, the Eden plan embraced these chief points: . 1. Important economic concessions for Italy in Enftefim. 2. A the right to exploit rich, of the Ethiopian under a j as Is pro- i v/ded colonies in arQchj of Na- I 3. The 01W of an outlet direct ( to the sea for Ethiopia, as a measure j of compensation for its concessions. It was understood in Paris that | Mussolini still demanded what would amount to a mandate over Ethiopia | so that ho*'-would have political as j well as ecbhomic control over the conn- ’ try. This Great Britain does not like, ! and France is rather on the fence. ■ The British Insist that in any case : there must be an immediate showdown. One correspondent said if : Great Britain adhered to the policy at i which Eden hinted in his conversa- i tion with Laval, It would mean either dissolution of the League of Nations or else collective sanctions against Mussolini, involving the risk of a Eu- I ropean war. W. Perry George retired as charge d'affaires at Addis Ababa, and Haile Selassie and the American colony were sorry to see him go, for he is credited ' with doing a great deal to uphold ■ American prestige In Ethiopia and to improve relations. Departing diplomats usually receive a decoration, but i the emperor showed the high esteem in which he held Mr. George by pre- ; seating him with a gold watch and a set of small diamonds bearing the royal monogram. ■VTOBODY liked the new tax bill that congress was working on, ; and the senate finance committee had | hard work making up its mind as to the ■

form It would recommend. First it altered almost every provirion of, the bill passed by the house and changed it from a "soak the rich” measure to one ' which would, soak i practically every one. Thia was done by lowering personal Income tax exemptions and starting the surtax increases at S3JXM) tn- •

Senator Borah

stead of $50,000. The latter feature was proposed by Senator La Follette and was adopted to keep him in line. Also, the inheritance taxes which President Roosevelt had asked for were eliminated. Protests against Increasing the taxes on little incomes came immediately, from senators, representatives and the country at large. Senators Borah of Idaho and Norris of Nebraska were among the •‘independents* who expressed their disapproval. Mr. Borah especially was vocal in opposition. “Families with these small income* are now paying more than their proportionate share of taxes and at the same time are facing higher price* for ■ food, clothes, fuel and rents,” he Mild. So the committee suddenly reversed. Itself abruptly, rejected the La Follette plan by a vote of 8 to 7, The bill which the committee reported was passed by the senate by a vote of 57 to 22. It contains new provisions to compensate for those eliminated from the house bill and the estimated revenue is only $1,000,000 les*. This is divided in the senate bill a* follows: Graduated corporation Income tax $ ss.ooa.Me Corporation excess profits and capital stock taxes Ss.osa.soo Intercorporate dividend taxes 30,000,000 Increased eitate taxes with related gift taxes 100.000.000 Increased surtaxes on in* comes in excess of sl.H*.**o ............... $.000,000 Total $200,000,000 The bill thus more closely follows the demands of President Roosevelt than the hoove men sure.

SYRACUSE JOURNAL

EMPTY commissioners representing * the Methodist Episcopal church, the Methodist Episcopal church. South, and the Methodist Protestant church have been in session In Evanstob, 111., and have agreed upon a form of union that is to be submitted to the general conferences of the three churches and, if ratified by them, to all the annual conferences. The new organization, it was agreed, would be called the United Methodist church and would consist of six jurisdictional or regional conferences. , FARMERS who believe that their individual, rights are being encroached upon by the administration's agricultural policies are offered a chance to get together by the organization and incorporation in Chicago of ! the Farmers' Independent -Council of : America. Dan D. Casement, a farmer i of Manhattan, Kan., Is president of ' the body. Stanley F. Morse, South i Caroline farmer and consulting agri- ; culturist, is executive vice president ! and Chris J. Abbott Nebraska stockj man and farmer, and Clyde O. Patterson, Illinois Jersey breeder, were incorporators. Dr. Charles W. Burkett agricultural authority of .New York and formerly director of the Kansas agricultural experiment station** and | L. G. Tolles, farmer and past master of the Connecticut State Grange, are other vice presidents of the council, j and Dr. E. V. Wilcox, representative of the Country Gentleman, District of ; Columbia. Is secretary-treasurer; Fred fL. Crawford. Michigan congressi man and farm owner; E. E. Dorsett, i farmer and past master Pennsylvania i State Grange, and Kurt Greenwald, J farm manager and agricultural engineer. New York, are directors. “To me there Is but one issue, i whether we are going to have a con- . stitutlonal government or have a dicta- ; torial regime,” said Charles E. Colj. lins, Colorado cattleman and president > of the American National Live Stock association, regional vice president of the new organization. SECRETARY of Agriculture Wallace has changed his mind about the re- ■ duction of wheat acreage for 1936. In-* stead of asking the farmers for a cut

of 15 per cent, as was announced recently, the figure is now placed at 5 per cent. Wallace told reporters that the change was decided upon after the government’s Augtist 1 survey of crop conditions indicated that total wheat production this year would amount to only 608,000,000 bushels as

!KJ - 4 j Sec’y Wallace

compared with domestic requirements of 635,000.000 bushels. The step was taken, he asserted, to assure ample supplies for domestic consumers. He said that it was expected to place the , country in a “strengthened position’* in the export market. He added the change in policy will not result in any marked reduction in benefit payment to farmers. He did pot say what the;exact reductions in the payments would amount to. AAA officials estimated that approximately 52,000,000 acres would be placed under contract this year. They asserted that the government is given “adequate powers'* to deal with the situation if a bumper wheat harvest should result in 1936. WHEN the President's social security bill was finally enacted into law, the senate adopting the conference report already agreed to by the house, probably many thousands of men and women al’, over the country began figuring on the pensions they would receive under its terms. It is unlikely that one in a thousand has any clear idea of how the new progiam’s pension system will work, so I we reprint here a neat summary pre- j pared by the Associated Press show- ■ ing its operation as applied io “BUI I Jones”: i “Suppose young BUI is twenty when I i the law goes into effect and makes an I I average monthly salary of SIOO until Ihe is sixty-five. He will get a monthly : pension, until his death, of $53,75. “In detail, here is what will happen ■ to him: “In the calendar years 1937, 1938. i and 1939 he will pay a salary tax of 1 per cent, or a t>tal of $36 for the three years. In 1940. 1941, 1942 he will pay P*t cent, or $54. In 1943, 1944, and 1945 the tax will be 2 per cent, or $72. In 1946, 1947. and 1948 the tax i will be 2H per cent, or S9O, From 1949 to 1981. inclusive, the tax will be 3 per cent, or a total of $l,lBB. “Thus, in 45 years. Bin Jones win have paid in $1,440, AU the time his employer will have been matching his tax payments, so the total paid to the ' federal treasury will be $2,880. “At sixty-five Bill Jones can expect , to live jjerhaps 10 years more. If he does, he will get back $6,450. “When Bill Jones dies this Is what , will happen: “His average annual salary win be multiplied by the number of years he | paid taxes. In other words. If he dies after he has paid taxes for 45 years, $1,200 will be multiplied by 45—giving a total of $54,000. Arbitrarily, the bill stipulates that Bill Jones’ estate shall be entitled to 3H per cent of that, or sl.B9o—less any amount be received ia pensions before he died. “If Jones dies before he gets back $1,890 in pensions, what he actually received is deducted from $1,890 and the remainder paid to his heirs. If be lives untfl he gets back all of t)»e $1,890 and more, his heirs get nothing. “If Jones should die before he reaches sixty-five, his heirs would be entitled to a payment of 3« per cent of the total wages on which taxes had been paid. “For instance. If he died after ten years, he would have paid taxes on $12,000. His heirs would be entitled to 3H per cent of that, or $420." Q EPUBLICANS of the 10 Midwest* era states that participated In the Grass Roots conference In Springfield, 111., have made the Grass Roots’ movement a permanent auxiliary of the party. Harrison E. Spengler of lowa to its chairman, Mrs. Leslie Wheeler of Illinois the vice chairman, and Jo Ferguson of Oklahoma, the secretary. Michigan. Ohio ar J Kentucky have been Invited to join.

WILL ROGERS Greatly Loved American Bom Nov. 4, 1879— Died Aug. 16, 1935 Will Rogers, Oklahoma cowboy whose homely philosophy endeared him to the hearts of millions, is dead. The wreckage of the plane In which he and Wiley Post, famous flier, were 1 seeking new adventures was found where It had fallen about 15 miles south of Point Barrow, Alaska, northernmost white settlement in America. Thus ended In tragedy the career of the ranch hand who had made millions laugh—probably the greatest and best known comedian of his day. His intense Interest in aviation caused him to undertake the hazardous flight with Post over the wilds of the Far North. For many years he had traveled the skyways, and in his newspaper column • had been one of commercial avia- : tion’s strongest supporters. That fly- j ing Should have caused his death is one of fate's grim ironies. Rogers’ career reads almost like fle- ! tion. born at Ollogah in Indian territory. November 4. 1879. He attended the Willie Hassell school at Neosho. Mo., and also the Kemper , Military academy at Boonville for a . j short time. From that humble beginning he rose to become the intimate companion of the great men of the world. His stage career began in vaudeville at the old Hamroerstein roof garden ‘ Will Roger* in New York in 1905. At first his act was purely a routine of rope tricks, and he is still considered one of the world’s rope experts. Finally he began to insert fconyely observations on current events into his act, and enthusiastic audiences begged for more. Rogers began to receive national recognition when he was engaged by Ziegfeld for the Follies and. the Night Frolics in 1914. The ever present chewing gum, his crooked grin, and the lock of hair which dangled in his eyes were known to everyone. Whether he talked to audiences of thousands, to Presidents and cabinet ministers, or to a group of ranch hands he still had the manner of the Oklahoma cowboy sitting on a corral fence and commenting on the weather and the affairs of the nation. ° It was through his writings, however. that he was best known and loved. His dally newspaper feature was read by millions, and his weekly column carried by the nation's largest dailies and also syndicated to weeklies by Western Newspaper Union carried his observations Unto the majority of American homes. No matter how busy he might be. or what affairs were pressing he always took time to prepare his column himself. A motion picture might be in the making, with expenses of hundreds of dollars each minute going on, but Rogers never failed his newspaper readers. Each day. he would retire to some corner of the set, and while directors fumed and producers wailed, he turned out his regular stint. Few people today realize the extent of Rogers’ writings. Among the books he wrote were Rogerisms—The Cowboy Philosopher on Prohibition; Rogerisms—The Cowboy Philosopher on the Peace Conference, 1919; Rogerisms— What We Laugh At; Illiterate Digest; Letters of a Self-Made Diplomat to His President, and There’s Not a Bathing Suit In Russia. His writings were unique. Under their cloak of humor there was an underlying common-sense that came from a man raised close to the soil He knew the people of America and his sage comments —often only a few lines —often carried more wisdom and more weight than pages by another. Although his fame was world wide, and bls income enormous he never lost the common touch. To the end he was Will Rogers, and his line “All I know , is what 1 read In the newspapers” became almost a trademark. Just before he left on the fatal flight, he told correspondents that he was going to spend the winter with some of Alaska's old sourdoughs—swapping stories, hearing their tales of adventures—and finding in their association the old pioneer humor of ids boyhood days. And because he was Will Rogers he would have found It just as entertaining as though he had never found success beyond his wildest dreams. America is better because of Will Rogers. He brought a viewpoint that la almost lost today—that of those sturdy people who forged their way Into the Wert, their alow, dry humor and their hard beaded attitude toward life. Millions will feel a personal loss when they pick up the paper and Rogers’ comment la no longer there. MarrtogoaM* Aga The marriages ble age In most states without consent of parents is twentyone. A boy and girl under thia age may marry in almost any state, but in every state in the Union one or the other or both must have parental consent, and in most stares it is both. Oaa of the Beat Airpcrta The Croydon Airdrome, near London, occupies 4<» acres and was devek ed by the air ministry In 1928. becoming one of the finest and best equipped air ports In the world.

Washington! Digest National Topics Interpreted By WILLIAM BRUCKART NAT CNA'_ s.D'G NG’CN ? C

Washington.—While two congressional committees have been seeking

newspaper publicity for themselves in promoting investigations of legislative

Legislation Lobbies

lobbies, the Federal Trade Commission has quietly taken the position that “legislative activities” on the part of I individuals or business interests are not so bad. Strangely enough, the commission heretofore has been la- ; beled as rather radical but in this instance it has taken a much more conservative view of efforts of private citizens to protect themselves than have the members of congress. The commission made known its position in only one case, but the understanding is that it represents a view of a majority of the commission members and that in ail probability there will not be much fuss or furore again respecting the efforts of private citizens to engage the attention of their elected legislators when their pocketbooks are in danger. No such attitude is in evidence at the Capitol. Certainly, no such evidence has been given by Alabama’s Senator Black and his senate investigating committee. The house investigating committee, under the chairmanship of John J. O'Conner of New York, has not been quite so ferocious but it has not overlooked opportunities to get on the front page of newspapers whenever possible. The two congressional investigations have come to be regarded by Washington correspondents largely as farcical. I reported to you some weeks ago that the probable result of the congressional investigations would he the smearing of many men of wealth and the exposing of any shortcomings of corporations on which the committees could lay their hands. That has been the result to date and the outlook has not been changed. As far as anyone can see now, neither committee Is going to adduce any evidence or testimony that will be helpful in the framing of legislation—that Is the basis upon which congressional investigations proceed and it is the only basis in law they have for such Inquiries. In support of the assertion that there Is much publicity sought, one needs only to reflect on the circumstance of those two committees engaged in a battle to obtain the testimony of Howard C. Hopson, the big shot of the Associated Gas and Electric company. Mr. Hopson has been sought to give testimony respecting his company’s lobbying activities and was ’ looked upon by the chairman of each committee as a star witness—a star because he Is one of the biggest men in the utilities field and therefore good headline material. We here in Washington saw the spectacle of subpoena bearers from each committee chasing through the streets in a race to hotels where Mr. Hopson was reported seen. The elusive Mr. Hopson was not discovered in any of the three hotels where rumor said he was quartered. Then rumor got and a process server raced wildly over the Virginia roads to the nearby estate of Attorney Patrick j. Hurley, who was secretary of war in President Hoover’s administration and who has served as attorney here for thb Associated Gas and Electric company at times past It turned out that Mr. Hopson was not at the Hurley home and the faithful process server was forced to return empty handed. Not forgetting that the Associated Gas and Electric company may have had reason to desire to conceal some of the things It did In opposing .the death sentence legislation proposed by President Roosevelt, the fact remains that the spectacle of two congressional committees, fighting over the potential headline material of one man, takes on the aspect of childishness. • • • But to get back to the Federal Trade

'■ position may yet be regarded as determinable only on the merit of an individual case or clrcum-

Commission. Its Delicate Question

stance. That is to say the commission probably has not condoned sharp practices in the relationships between private business and official agencies. The action of the commission in this instance was with reference to a motion of counsel for the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers. The attorneys asked that, the commission strike out of the complaint against the association three paragraphs which charged association officers and members with attempting to urge legislation and local ordinances “in bad faith.” That question, of course, is very delicate It presents a collateral question as to whether when an individual seeks legislation of a protective Character for his own interests or legislation that will aid him in his business, he has done so “in bad faith." Undoubtedly, there may be times when bad faith could be properly charged. But in discussing this phase of the situation in many quartan in Washington, I found the consensu* to ba that protection of property can hardly be cataloged as effort made in bad faith. Nevertheless, the politicians at the Capitol take a different attitude and they do not hesitate to follow through any scent they obtain of information which, when published, will hit newspaper front pages. The reason I regard the action of the Federal Trade commission as being so significant is that the commission deals with literally thousands of individual businesses each year. It has jurisdiction to order elimination of unfair trade practices and to expose just plain cheating in private business. Therefore, the commission may be said to have a vital influence on the lives

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22. 1935.

and businesses of those whose operations may be characterized as small and important only in small communities, as well as on the great masses of capital and national trade associations. Since the commission has shown a willingness to consider the rights of Individuals to foster their own interests, some observers believe that its prestige will be enhanced and that we may find in the future that the comwill be a popular governmental unit rather than one which business looks upon with fear. « • • Throughout the Roosevelt administration we have observed almost daily

Executive Orders

executive order.” In the rush of legislation designed to help us over the emergency in 1933, executive orders came thick and fast. No one thought a great deal About them. It was unusual for them to emerge from the White House in such numbers but I believe it was the general desire to forget the precedent that was being established, numerically at least, in the issuing of executive orders because Os the acute conditions in the country. Subsequently, attention was called •officially to the great number of these orders and that they had the force and effect of law. it was the more important because the Supreme court of the United States called attention to the facts. The court digressed far enough in a weighty opinion which it rendered to suggest that it was impossible for the average individual to know what these executive orders contained; what inhibitions or prohibitions were prescribed and what rights, if any. a citizen, had left. Remembering, as stated above, that these orders have the force and effect of law even to the extent of prescribing fines or imprisonment for violation 6f them, it becomes important to review this sitnation. The American Liberty league, which is addressing itself consistently to analysis of governmental affairs. Informs me that between March 4, 1933, and the end of July, 1935, Mr. Roosevelt issued more than one thousand two hundred and fifty executive orders. The league otlicgs also say that this is a greater total than the number of executive orders issued over the preceding 10 years. Some fift.v new agencies and additional branches of existing agencies or departments have been created by the simple expedient of an executive order. These new agencies have embarked upon all sorts of projects never even discussed at the time of the enactment of the law under which they were issued. The league takes thq position that the President has in some’ instances exceeded 1 his authority in issuing these orders because it is claimed that laws under which they were issued were unconstitutional. Hence, the President was without authority to act. • • • In addition to the executive orders, it is claimed that something like twenty

Orders Upon Orders

whose sole legal basis for their acts was an executive order signed by the President “The examples of executive orders which have been cited show clearly a usurpation of legislative power.” the league commented in a statement issued the other day. “By no stretch of the imagination can many of these orders be regarded merely as ministerial acts in execution of laws enacted by the congress. Policies are involved which under the principles of democracy should be passed upon by the congress. members of which reflect the varying viewpoints of citizens of dlfferent areas and schools of thought So long as the judgment of the entire membership of the congress is applied to important questions a balance will be maintained In the public interest It is contrary to our scheme of government to place supreme power in the hands of a single individual as has been done in European countries where parliamentary bodies have become nonentities. Encroachment by the executive upon legislative prerogatives, »n violation of the letter or even of the intent of the Constitution, smacks of autocracy and despotism. It is subversive of popular government” So long as executive orders and ad- « ministrative regulations Issued under them involve only administrative practices, there Is seldom much public interest in them. Always, after enactment of legislation, the administrative agencies designed to carry out the provisions of the legislation issue rules and regulations interpreting the statute. But it is to be remembered that In such cases, the authority is in a statute and that statute .is in printed form and widely distributed. In other words, individuals have an opportunity to know what the law is and have no excuse for violations of it. Such is not the case, however, with executive orders. They are issued from the White House and copies are filed with the Department of State. Ordinarily, they get no further publicity and the average man in the street has little opportunity to know what they are. * • Western Newspaper Union. Original Copies of Bills The original copy of a bill signed by the President or passed over his veto Is sent to the Department of State, where a certified copy is made which is given to the public printer. It is then printed from the certified copy into a form known as slip sheets, and later is included in the United States Code of Permanent Laws. The original copy remains with the Department of State.

announcements that the President has done tins, or the other , “by

thousand administrative orders have been issued by officials fit various agencies