Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, MAY 30, 1938. A PRESIDENT’S PROBLEMS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, MAY 30, 1938. A PRESIDENT’S PROBLEMS.

ONCE again, in his conflict with Congress over a Taxation Bill passed in a form differing greatly from that in which he desired it should pass, President Roosevelt may appear to be ploughing rather a lonely furrow. In view of the big Democratic majorities in Congress, Mr Roosevelt’s declaration that the measure just passed may allow the rich to escape just taxation implies a frontal attack on his own party, or at all events on an important section of that party. This, however, is not a new development. Opposition by Democrats has been an element helping to account for several of the President’s New Deal failures. The cleavage between President, and party is perhaps greater than it has been, but it does not necessarily follow that Mr Roosevelt’s day of power is over and that his influence is destined to wane during the remainder of his term.

In spite of the partial wrecking of the New Deal policy, Mr Roosevelt’s personal hold on the confidence and support of a large proportion of the people of the United States has been, attested remarkably on a number of occasions and it might be quite premature to regard him as a spent or declining force.

The rejection by the House of Representatives of the Reorganisation Bill, which in its original shape would have given the President far-reaching control over a number of administrative departments, was made much of by critics of the Administration, but seems to have occasioned little public stir. Mr Roosevelt had earlier suffered a rather more serious defeat in the rejection ,of his Supreme Court proposals, but the final outcome of the long and bitter controversy over these proposals is that the personnel of the Court and the tendency of its decisions are now much more than they were in keeping with the President’s policy aims.

Of late, Mr Roosevelt has secured the passage by the House of Representatives of a [Wages and Hours Bill, providing for the establishment, after a year’s delay, of the forty-hour week, and has failed to induce Congress to accept his lead in taxation policy. It remains to be seen how far he will succeed in giving effect to his 5,000 million dollar “pump-priming” policy and to regional planning proposals.

The peculiar position exists that while the President has been opposed in some of his leading policy measures by an influential section of the Democratic Party, that party’s prospects of gaining another victory in the Congressional elections which take place towards the end of this year are declared by keen observers to depend more on the personal standing and influence of Mr Roosevelt than upon any other factor.

It is stated that the President, who has already resumed his “fireside chats” over the wireless, probably will tour the country widely during the Congressional campaign. Some even of those who are fully alive to his difficulties and to the problems by which he is confronted—problems accentuated by a return of economic depression—think it not impossible that he may again attract overwhelming popular support. Indeed there is some speculation as to the likelihood of his being induced to accept nomination for a third term.