Home to Vote

Biennially Calvin Coolidge used to board a special train, whisk off to Northampton, Mass., drop his vote marked with a cautious x into the ballot box. His electoral duty done, that President would then whisk back to Washington. In 1928 Herbert Hoover went to Palo Alto to drop his vote and hear election returns which put him into the White House. His ballot in 1930 was cast by mail. In 1932 he crossed the continent for the first and only time during his Presidency, again to vote and hear election returns which put him out of the White House. Franklin Roosevelt might have sent to Hyde Park for an absentee ballot this year, alleging that business kept him in Washington. But, ever ready to visit his mother's estate overlooking the Hudson River, he made the election (see p. 14) an occasion to go home for a four-day rest and cast his ballot in person in Hyde Park's town hall.

P:Before departing for Hyde Park President Roosevelt gave his one open political endorsement of the campaign. It went to his friend and successor at Albany, Governor Herbert Lehman, standing for re-election in New York. As the President finished reading his endorsement to assembled newshawks, he was asked whether he had forgotten to endorse Democratic Senator Copeland, also standing for re-election in New York. For answer the President smilingly remarked that the reporters would be surprised to know how often he had voted a split ticket. By the time Franklin Roosevelt reached Hyde Park, the news of his virtual repudiation of Dr. Copeland was in the papers. Immediate conjecture was that the President had thrown the New York Senator down because of his poor rating as a New Deal supporter. Hastily Secretary Marvin McIntyre assured the Press that the President would also vote for Senator Copeland.

P: Twenty months ago, with the fresh prestige of a landslide of popular approval, Franklin Roosevelt gave the mightiest display of Presidential power in recent years. At one stroke he forced Congress to cut veterans' pensions by $300,000,000, to cut the pay of all Government employes 15%. But Congress would not remain permanently cowed. When it met again last spring it restored over Presidential veto not only a good part of the pension cuts, but one-third of the employes' pay cut as of Feb. 15, 1934, and another third as of July 1. The President was empowered to restore the other third when living costs had increased sufficiently.

A far less able political prophet than Franklin Roosevelt could foretell that the next Congress would undoubtedly restore the remaining third of the Federal pay cut by July 1 if not sooner. Last week the President acted, astutely timing his announcement a few days before election. To be restored was the last third as of July 1, 1935 on the grounds that by that time the increase in living cost would make it necessary and equitable.

To advocates of Government economy this was a grim case of one step forward and three steps back. To them it was all the more grim because the three steps back covered more ground than the one step forward. Although the 15%, pay cut saved around $150,000,000 a year, the three steps back will cost an estimated $180,000,000 a year. Reason: In 20 months the army of Federal employes has been enormously increased by the New Deal. P: One day last week a distinguished gathering met in the President's office. There was Secretary Morgenthau, Jacob Viner, his special assistant, Acting Federal Reserve Board Governor Thomas and the Reserve Board's chief economist, Emanuel Alexander Goldenweiser. They were on hand to watch the President receive a distinguished oldtimer. Robert Latham Owen, 78, onetime Indian Agent for the Five Civilized Tribes, founded the First National Bank of Muskogee, Okla. For 18 years (1907-25) he sat in the U. S. Senate where his crowning glory was helping to put through Representative Glass's Federal Reserve Act. Last week Mr. Owen went to the White House to press on the President his pet plan: to restore prosperity, let a Government bank buy $10,000,000,000 of Government bonds from the public and put a lot of money into circulation. Attentively the President and his monetary advisers listened, politely showed the old gentleman out. Then the Press was given to understand in no uncertain terms that the President was doing homage to age, not dallying with Mr. Owen's inflation idea.

P: President Roosevelt wrote a letter to Housing Administrator Moffett with strict injunctions that the rate of interest on mortgages issued under the Housing Act was to be 5% flat plus 1/2% or 1% for insurance, plus, in some cases, 1/2% for service charges. Basic rate for refinancing cases is to be 5 1/2%. He declared that rates of 8% to 12% demanded on mortgages in the past were "exorbitant." P: Brigadier General Frank T. Hines, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, dropped in at the White House. As he emerged he intimated that the American Legion, which fortnight ago demanded immediate cash prepayment of the Bonus and remission of interest on all loans made against bonus certificates, might be satisfied with mere remission of interest which by 1945 will have eaten well into the promised principal. The trial balloon did not get far. Frank Belgrano, new commander of the Legion, promptly retorted that the Legion meant to get everything it asked for.

P:. Labor was not satisfied last week but it accepted with good grace a Presidential decision rather than embarrass its friend Franklin Roosevelt. The automobile code expired and Labor wanted a public hearing to make a fight against the code's "merit" clause, to strive to get a 30-hour week, higher wages. Manufacturers were adamant in insisting they would renew the code only if such questions were not broached. The President extended the code for three months without a hearing, but said he was going to order a Federal inquiry into the problem of stabilizing automobile employment, an inquiry that will give Labor a chance to present its kicks.

P: A fire-eater in Mississippi may be gentled by one contact with the urbane beneficence of Franklin Roosevelt. Two months ago Theodore Bilbo won the right in Mississippi's Democratic primary to succeed Senator Stephens by promising to "out-Huey Huey Long." Last week The Man Bilbo called at the White House, showed himself a turnquote. On emerging he buttonholed newshawks and declared: "I want you boys to do a favor. Correct the impression that Bilbo is coming here as a ... hellraiser. He is 100% Democratic. I am coming to Washington to stand by the party, the platform and the President."

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