NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1934. ROOSEVELT'S TRIUMPH

Northern Advocate, 8 November 1934, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1934. ROOSEVELT'S TRIUMPH

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

The elections; held in the United States - this week have resulted in a triumph for President Roosevelt - and the ‘ ‘ New Deal ’ ’ of. which-he .is. the author. It was expected that the Democrats would • be: .successful, •; but there werc.^probablY; few . who antieipatecV .. ah overwhelming victory.. -The; election was fought on. -the ‘‘New Peal’’-issue, and it is’ clear;'that, whatever doubt the people of: other countries Iheld regarding the utility -of- the ..National Recovery Act, the people of the United States , had' none. - They voted solidly :for. the Democrats, or, in other words.: the President and his ‘‘New Deal.” As a consequence, Mr Roosevelt and his party have beeii placed-iiv an unassailable position and given; a mandate to do whatever they may deem-' necessary to facilitate the restoration of their countryThe world has been led to believe that momentous results will follow the Democrats’ return to absolute power. Mr Roosevelt is pledged to pursue the purpose of the National Industrial Act* signed by him on June 16 of last year. This purpose, as set out in the preamble to the Act, is “to reduce unemployment, to improve the standards of labour, and otherwise rehabilitate industry and conserve natural resources.” Despite criticism, it must be admitted that the' Act lias accomplished much. Unemployment was undoubtedly reduced at the outset, though Federal statistics show that from May to July of this year the number of unemployed has increased from 10,250,000 to 10,770,000. Official figures show that, .on the average, real wages declined, while the index of average profits rose from minus 6.9 to plus 32.2. These figures may, or may not, provide a true reflex of the actual value of the “New .Deal”; in the opinion of the people of the United States, as expressed at the ballot box, the results achieved have been eminently satisfactory. It geems to be agreed that the standards of labour have been improved, for minimum wages were established, child labour abolished and the workers given the right of collective bargaining. The right of unionisation was put into plain words in the celebrated Section 7 (a) of the N.1.R.A., which provides that “employees shall have the right to organise and bargain collectively through representatives oftheir own choosing, ’ ’ and they shall be free from any interference by the employers in organising themselves. The right, of course, always existed, as part of a citizen’s freedom under the: United States Constitution, but it has never been extensively practised, as' it is in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Many large companies and employers, among whom was Mr Ford, set their faces against, this provision of the New Deal, and. as is well known, their opposition caused much industrial conflict, especially when the American Federation of Labour commenced to take the N.I.R.A. as an open invitation, for wholesale uiiiopisation. However, this opposition has been very largely overcome, and strikes ’ and up-

hcavals* cf" Various kinds have, either been settled or a truce ar-j ranged pending the evolution hy 1 the Administration of legislation for the purpose of “permanent-1 iy safeguarding the rights of em- j ployers and workers." These| labour troubles, and the settlement of them, are. matters of domestic interest to the United States, to which their successful handling is of more importance than it is to the world at large, though it is recognised that the | economic state of America*' com • ditlons the economic state of. every nation. The victory of the | Democratic. Party, which is do-, termined to give the “New Deal” j a fair run, is welcomed as an in- ] dication of the early return of j the;- United jStates to economic stability. There is, however,, another reason why the nations should rejoice over the result of the election. Mr Roosevelt and his Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, have declared themselves emphatically in favour oi abolishing the tariff walls which the :United States fondly believed would ensure her wealth. “\\e liaVe sinned, but we have repented, ’ ’ the President and Mr Hull have said in effect. They have realised, as the statesmen of every other country have realised, that the ending of the world slump depends upon the development of international trade. Tariff barriers constitute a deadly obstruction. The United States, by erecting such barriers, started a vicious practice which other nations were obliged to copy. The result has been disastrous not to the United States alone— though she has reaped a sad harvest—but to the nations as a whole. If she pulls down the barriers other nations will follow'suit. Mr Roosevelt lias been invested with authority to open a new era in world trade. That he may do so iis fervently to be hoped.