THE ROOSEVELT PLAN

Northern Advocate, 18 October 1933, Page 6

THE ROOSEVELT PLAN

The “politic:) I honeymoon’’ that President Roosevelt’s National Recovery Programme has so far enjoyed, like all honeymoons, must eventually come to an end. In January Pon gross reconvenes, and in less than a year thereafter all members of the Lower House and one-third of the members of the Senate must stand for re-election. P»y then, if not before, many tineiyphrased protestations of nonpartisan co-operation with the President must inevitably yield to political expedience, as an American correspondent very forcibly put it recently. Already, to use the common vernacular, some of the boys are sharpening their (ommyhnwks for various scalps within Roosevelt’s official

family. Olliers have started poking holes, hut tiny ones as yet. in Roosevelt’s revolutionary political philosophy. The N.R.A., w !, ich has become the very life and breath of all the Administration’s recovery plans, will undoubtedly be called upon to hear its share ol: tin* attacks. During the recent fervid months since Oonuress adjourned it has been easy for the average eiri<cn to forget that the law-making functions of liis country arc vested in a legislative body and not tn the President and a heterogeneous group of administrators, deputy - adm ini st ra t o rs, com in is,sit> ne rs and “brain trust.” Under the Constitution of the United States the President is empowered to suggest legislation, enforce and administer legislation, even, in a general way, to interpret legislation. But the power to make and amend laws —for all the abjeet surrender to the Presidential will that Avas evidenced during the entire length of the last special session—still rests solely in i Congress, and, as the entire substructure of the Roosevelt programme is built on laws made by it. it has the power to Strengthen immeasurably the President’s hand, or, conversely, to weaken or scrap altogeUer Such parts of that programme as it sees fit. How returning Congressmen will react to the auministration of the N.R-.A. will depend partially on the adroitness Avith. Avhich tin* President handles them, lint more particularly, of course, on the amount of success or failure the recovery movement presents at the -nne of reconvention.