WILL NOT WAIT!

Grey River Argus, 6 March 1937, Page 9

WILL NOT WAIT!

ECONOMIC FREEDOM ROOSEVELT’S WARNING Against Reactionaries (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received March 5. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 5. Although he did not mention the Supreme ’ Court by name. President Roosevelt, in his address at the Democratic Party’s victory dinner, opened a series of radio appeals, throughout the nation, in support of his judiciary proposals, which he stated were the quickest and surest way to obey thc general election mandate, and to "remedy the conditions under winch onethird of the nation are still ill nourished, ill clad and ill housed.’’ He said that his greatest ambition was to surrender the office as President to his successor in 1941 secure in the knowledge that the nation was intact, peaceful and prosperous. He was aware of the existence of his powers to serve the citizens in his position. 11c would use these powers, in an unhampered manner to meet the modern needs of humanity. Thus would he be providing that the Democratic form of government can, as’ will, succeed. • He remarked that slavery took at least forty years, through argument, discussion and futile compromise, before its abolition came to a head in their tragic civil war. "But the economic freedom of the wage earner, the farmer and thc small business' man,’’ he continued. "won’t wait forty years, or even four years! It -won’t wait at all! Various forms of government have failed in the world. Even democracies have failed, for the time being, to meet human needs. Demo, eracy has not failed in the United States, and wc propose not to let it fail

“I cannot say, with candour, that democracy in the United States, during the past few years has fully succeeded. Nor can I tell you just where it is headed. I can only hope, for there is no definite assurance that the threehorse team in the American system of government will pull together. It one horse lies down in the traces, or plunges in another direction, the field will be unploughed. ’ ’ President Roosevelt painted a pie. tore of th e farmers who are burdened with debt; the men and women who are labouring in factories with inadequate pay: the children who arc work, ing in mines and mills; the labour strikes that are costing millions of dollars; and the threatening floods and blowing dust. He said that none of these problems could adequately _ be met while the uncertainties continue with regard to the legality of the Congressional attempts to remedy them. The President’s speech is considered to be tantamount to an announcement, that no new effort will he made io meet these conditions until the Supreme Court is brought into better harmony with the legislative and' the executive branches of government. The President placed support for the plan to re-make the Supreme Court squarely on the basis of Party loyalty and responsibility, and he warned the Democrats that if they do not have the courage to lead the American peopie in the way they want to go, then someone else will. Mr Roosevelt said he would continue tho discussion in a radio fireside chat on March 9, and th c subsequent addresses.

Organising Unions ANOTHER GREAT DRIVE NEW YORK, March 5. A significant labour development is a conference of the C. 1.0. loaners, pre. paratory to the C. 1.0. making a drive to organise the nation’s 1,250,000 textile workers, and perhaps all of the kindred industries as well, which will be the third major C. 1.0, offensive. Steel Trust Move RAISING PRICES. (Received March 5, 11.15 p.m.) NEW YORK. March 5. Mr William Irvin, President of the United' States Steel Corporation, has announced that advances, ranging from three to eight dollars per ton, will be made in the prices of steel so as to meet increasing costs of production, including wage increases, and rising cost of supplies of raw materials. The entire steel industry is expect, ed to make similar increases immediately. The new prices will bo slightly higher than thos o in 1926, which was the best normal year in the history of the steel industry. NAVAL EXPANSION. BETTER WAGES BLAMED FOR DELAY. NEW YORK, March 4,_ At Washington Mr Vinson, the chair, man of the House Naval Affairs Committee, alleged that Miss Perkins (secretary for Labour) was responsible lor the Navy’s inability to obtain copper and steel. Speaking in the course of a debate on a naval supply bill providing for a vote of 526 million dollars, he said Miss Perkins had refusea Naval Secretary Swanson’s request to grant an exemption as to labour rates, which was discretionary under thc Walsh-Healey Act. He also contended that she lacked technical knowledge to enable her to decide navy questions. He said the total navy appropria. tion was 35 million dollars less than the Budget estimates for construction, this being due to the navy’s failure to maintain the construction progi amine.