PACE TWO
. THfi FRANKLIN PftESS AND THE HIGHLANDS MACONIAN
V
, THURSDAY, APRIL UW
RISING PRICES
170RRY LEADERS
Labor Situation Is Also
Causing Trouble In
Washington
(Special to The Pre-Mconia'n)
WASHINGTON, March 31. Ris
ing prices of consumer goods and
the labor situation are the main
worries of the Administration, and
are regarded 'by many as constitut
ing the "crisis" which President
Roosevelt spoke of "when he asked
Congress to authorize him to make
changes in the Supreme Court so
that emergency legislation would be
held to be Constitutional,
That prices are rising faster than
the 'incomes of most Americans are
rising is disclosed by official statis
tics of the Government, and that
this process will continue so long
as the Government continues to
operate on borrowed money, is the
gist of the warning sounded by
Governor Marriner S. Eccles, of
the Federal Reserve Board. Mr.
Eccles' proposed remedy is to cut
down Federal expenditures and im
pose hew taxes, in order to balance
the budget as soon as possible.
This is not in accord with the ideas
of some other members of the
Cabinet, who do jiot want to have
the expenditures of their depart
ments curtailed.
On the other hand, Secretary
Wallace of Agriculture has indors
ed Mr. Eccles' views, and Secre
tary Roper of Commerce agrees,
while Treasury Secretary Morgen
thau is resisting as strongly as he
can the , demands of the spenders
to be allowed to keep on spending.
Inflation Warning . -
The force of Mr. Eccles' warning
has not been lost .on the leaders in
Congress, who have been warned
many times from other sources that
unless there is a firm check upon
the present inflationary trend there
is great danger .of another collapse
which might be as "serious as that
of 1929 and which, if it should oc
cur before the election of 1940,
would, seriously affect thechances
'of the Democratic party continuing
in power. But offsetting .that in
the minds of many leaders are con
siderations of immediate political
concern. Spending money, particu
larly for relief, makes votes ; to
stop spending it might lose enough
votes in many districts to unseat
Congressmen who will come up
for re-election next year. Also,
taxes are unpopular, unless they,
can be imposed only on wealthy
individuals: and corporations. That,
those who are now paying taxes in,
the "upper brackets" can pay
enough more to bring the Federal
outgo and income into balance is
considered doubtful.
That means that any new income
taxes must be spread downward, to,
reach the lower incomes, which would
be politically risky, or must be in
the" form of excise taxes oh com
modities, which might be- equally
unpopular. However, Congressional
economists and tax advisers are
diligently studying the possibilities
in both of those fields. There is
talk of new excise taxes on coffee,
tea, sugar which seems quite cer
tain salt, steel ' and electrical "ap
pliances. Just at present both Sen
ate and House spokesmen are say
ing that no new taxes will be nec
essary. That can be dismissed as
the usual line of political talk heard
every year at this period in . the
Congressional session. -The practice
has 'been, and doubtless will be this
year, to, "hush-hush" on taxation
until along in July or August, and
then rush through 'a new tax bill.
Labor Policy Needed
Out of the labor' situation pre
cipitated by the "sit-down" strikes
in the automobile industry has
arisen a strong demand for the
clarification of the Government's
labor policy. There is, indeed, no
definite labor policy on which all
elements in the Administration are
agreed. The major item of , labor
legislation, the Wagner Labor Re
lations Act, is still before the Su
preme Court awaiting decision as
to its constitutionality. That it is
an inadequate tool in any serious
labor dispute is indicated by the
fact that it has not been invoked
in the automobile strikes. It places
no power in the Government to in
tervene unless the organized work
ers in an industry call on the Na
tional Labor Relations Board for
aid. Employers cannot, under the
Wagner Act, take the initiative irt
calling for a . decision as to the
rights or wrongs of a dispute with
their erhployees, and no power is
lodged in any Government agency
to compel workers to accept the
Labor Board's decisions if they
should be contrary to the workers'
demands. Regardless of the consti
tutionality of the Wagner Act,
there is a general concensus that
an entirely different kind of labor
legislation is needed. The Railway
Labor Mediation law has worked
admirably in maintaining excellent
relations between railway workers
and the roads, and under it the
railway- brotherhoods -have-not only
maintained the respect and good
wilPoMhfc Companies 'and the -public,
but have. steadily bettered their
own economic condition. Searchers
for a new Federal, Labor policy
point to this mediation law as a
good base to start frorn while
much study is .being -given to the
British Labor Act, which . places
much more responsibility .upon or
ganized Labor than any statutes so
far enacted in this country.
Privately a clear majority of Sen
ators admit their opposition to the
President's Supreme Court propos
al ; publicly not so many are will
ing to go on record. Seeking a
basis of compromise, the proposal
to authorize two additional Supreme
Court justices seems likely to be
acceptable to Congress, but wheth
er it would be to the President,
who has declared he will accept no
BUILDING MATERIALS
1X7ITH the coming of warm spring weather
there is opportunity to make needed re
pairs on your home property with comfort and
economy. It's, a pleasure to work out of doors
these days, and with labor and building mate
rials still at economically low levels, you will
save money by having necessary repair and
building work done now. We furnish estimates
without cost or obligation to you.
Franklin Hardware Co.
Uttcte Jitti Satjs
.It takes nature 500 years or
more to make an inch of topsoil.
What a shame some folks don't
realize how .fast land goes when
erosion sets in, . ,
compromise, is another question.
It is possible that out of the agita
tion may come the submission to
the s'tates of one or more Consti
tutional amendments. More than
twenty resolutions for amendments
have been introduced in both houses.
One which has long been discussed
would , limit the President to one
term of six years. Others would
limit the power of the Supreme
Court to declare acts of Congress
invalid, and several of the propos
als undertake to broaden the erant
of power to Congress to include
many kinds ot social legislation and
to take from the states many , of
the powers now reserved to them.
HORN'S SHOE SHOP SAYS
WE ARE STILL MENDING
SHOES
rt When your soles wear through,
And won't stay together
We'll mend them new.
With the best' of leather.
HORN'S SHOE SHOP
Box 212 ' Troy F. Horn
Opposite Courthouse
"
The
WHITE SHOE SEASON
Is Here
Women's, in Oxfords, Ties and Sandals, At
$1.95
Men's, At
$2.00 to'$3.50
Children's, At
$1.00to$1.95
Men's "Paragon" Dress
Shirts :
In Dozens of Spring Patterns, At
$1.00
Ladies' Silk Dresses
Make Your Selection 'Here From Many
Beautiful Styles
$1.95, $2.95, 3:95
tWDSEIPffl.
"We Clothe the Family"
.oh,. GENERAL
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t
1 AtnertcaX J
J
Macon County Supply Company
N.
A. R. HIGDON, Manager
FRANKLIN, N. C.
hPfUANCtS
km Mm uviNC
Frankf in, N. C .