U.S.A. COGRESS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1930, Page 6

U.S.A. COGRESS

A SERIOUS OUTLOOK.

BIG DEFICIT AHEAD

[United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph .—Copy right. ]

WASHINGTON, December 1. Confusion both inside and outside was the keynote of the opening of the United States Congress to-day. ■ At noon a motley horde of five hundred Communists—whites, blacks, and yellows-—men, women and children gathered on the Capitol steps with banners and posters bearing inflammatory notices; asking for the release of political prisoners. •■ The police fired one shot, which routed the mob with much excitement. This led to many melees within the group, which the police quelled, rising tear-gas bombs and nightsticks. One girl was seriously injured, and seven of the demonstrators were arrested. Meanwhile the Congressmen and the spectators within the House weie unaware of the trouble outside, but the harassed Party leaders endeavoured to work out a programme which can be completed by March 4th. 'The main disturbing factor was a refusal by the Republican floor leader Mr Tilson, ,to give the right of way to a programme favouring the Progressive faction. He advocated night sitting in order to avoid a much dreaded extra session which is looming as possibly unavoidable. , Further trouble was caused by a growing move to bar Senator-elect-Davis. .•The “Feminine Bloc” of the House which numbers nine were present all wearing hot-house orchid blooms. THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. President Hoover submitted a record peace-time- Budget of nearly four billion dollars for the fiscal year of 1932. He recommended the discontinuing of the one per cent, tax cut. The principal Budget items were: — An additional hundred million dollars for the Farm Board and a large sum for the U.S.’ Shipping Board, the War Veterans, and for road-building. In the Senate, the minority deader Senator Robinson, announced that he would 1 submit a Bill for a sixty million dollars relief , loan to the farmers in the drought area. President Hoover, in his annual message to Congress dealt principally with domestic affairs. His single outstanding reference to foreign relations was the following statement:—“l shall lay before -the Senate, in a special message the statutes of the World Court, which have been revised to accord with the sense of the previous Senate reservations.” In an extensive review of the United States economic depression, President Hoover covered mostly old ground. He blamed the internal inflation of 1928, also last summer’s drought, and the fall of commodity prices throughout the world as being the causes. In outlining the efforts of the Government to remedy the situation, he uttered the following warning:—“Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement,” and he asked for a co-operative effort to restore the nation to its oldl level, which, economically, was fifteen to twenty per cent, higher than that at present. The remainder of the message was taken up in minimising the amount of unemployment existing. He indicated that the Budget deficit would be 180 million dollars, as the result of the depression. He advocated the continued reduction of immigration and the strengthening of the deportation of criminal alien laws.