ELECTIONS IN U.S.A.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 November 1938, Page 7

ELECTIONS IN U.S.A.

TEST OF THE PRESIDENT’S POWER NO GREAT PARTY CHANGE EXPECTED. MODEST REPUBLICAN HOPES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, November 1. The American nation goes to the polls on, November 8 for the regular biennial national election to choose 37 Senators, 435 members of the House of Representatitves, and 32 State. Governors and Administrations. Despite the probable appearance of six new Senatorial figures and a score or so of new representatives, due to the nomination of new men in the primaries. President Roosevelt will probably have to deal witht virtually the same Congressional body as that which has been in office since he began his second term, provided, of course,- that there is no upheaval at the polls, and such an upheaval is far from likely.

The Senate at present comprises 76 Democrats, 15 Republicans and five others, including vacancies. Thirtyseven will be elected on Tuesday, including five to fill vacancies. It will therefore be impossible to overthrow the Democratic control in the Senate, since many of these come from the Southern States and therefore will be Democratic.

PARTIES & FORECASTS. ' The make-up of the House is 328 Democrats, 88 Republicans, and 19 others, including vacancies. The Republicans’ most optimistic hope is that they will capture 25 new seats. • Any larger number would upset all present forecasts, but. although this would only slightly diminish the Democratic strength, it might nevertheless increase the President’s difficulties with a Congress which, during the past two years, has learned the art of revolt against him. On the other hand, some observers believe that any loss of numerical strength would cause the remainder of the Democrats to rally more strongly about him. There are two politico-economic forces which the President finds more difficult to handle than his outright opponents. whether within the Democratic or Republican Parties. Chief of these is the “ham and eggs social security” scheme, a new variant of the Townsend plan, centering principally ip California, where the Democratic Senatorial nominee, Sheridan Downey, who defeated the veteran McAdoo,, despite President Roosevelt’s endorsement, is running under a programme promising 30 dollars every Thursday to persons over 50 years of age. Democratic candidates in at least eight other States have been endorsed by followers of similar schemes, and President Roosevelt, who has called the schemes “crackpot inventions,” is trying to combat them by plans to have Congress add perhaps 10,000,000 more persons to the 40,000,000 already eligible for pensions under the present Federal Social Security Act. The second force is the third party movement launched by Democratic Governor La Follette, of Wisconism, and his brother. Senator La Follette. It was believed that this would rob the President of left wing support, but it is now believed that the movement is basically agrarian and conservative, and actually left wing sentiment for the greater part throughout the country is generally pro-Roosevelt. “ROOSEVELT LUCK.” The so-called Roosevelt luck seems to be holding in various respects. The improvement in business conditions seems to be continuing, and it is almost traditional in American politics that the Government which is holding office during an upward economic movement is likely to be returned. Against this, however, must be counted the unfavourable reaction in agricultural areas due to the low prices of commodities and the red tape which seems to delay the operation of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and the reaction to the charges of corruption in the administration of relief funds.

Observers with long view interests look to the elections, not only to indicate the status of President Roosevelt’s popularity, but what new forces have developed in both major "parties, and to what degree these represent new national trends.

However, this is rather academic. The people themselves chiefly want to know how popular President Roose-, velt still is, and what clues they can gather concerning his intentions to run in 1940 for a third term.