Remote Control

Last week the U. S. centre of political gravity shifted from Washington to Albany with the ectoplasmic emergence of President-elect Roosevelt as the nation's new leader. De jure he was still Governor of New York with a hands-off policy on National Affairs. De facto he was the supreme party captain to whom Democrats in & out of the Federal capital looked for orders.

For weeks eager Democrats have been flocking to Albany to learn the wishes of the next President. Governor Roosevelt talked with them at long length but always in general terms about what he wanted, what he did not want. Visitors returning to Washington spread their ideas of the Roosevelt ideas, with the result that everyone was speaking for the President-elect and no one knew his mind.

Examples of remote control which made Albany last week's capital of the U. S.: Taxation, Newsmen pardonably assumed that Chairman Collier of the House Ways & Means Committee was speaking with the sanction of the President-elect when he declared: "I'd rather have the dentist pull my back teeth than support a sales tax, but I don't see any other alternative if we're going to balance the Budget." Chimed in Speaker Garner who as Vice President-elect is supposed to know the Roosevelt mind: "If it is necessary to have a manufacturers' tax to balance the Budget, I'd have it."

For 24 hours Washington witnessed a Democratic stampede toward a sales tax. Then from Albany through the Press came a disembodied Voice with a strong Harvard accent: "Friends of Mr. Roosevelt would be horrified at the very thought that he in any way favored a general manufacturers' sales tax."

"I guess that means the end of the sales tax for this session," muttered Speaker Garner.

Capitalized Construction. Another idea from Albany called for the Government to remove expenditures for public works from the regular budget paid out of current receipts and capitalize them separately by means of a bond issue. Of this trick Speaker Garner snapped: "Mere bookkeeping!"

Reorganization, The next manifestation of Albany control over Washington occurred when South Carolina's Senator Byrnes announced that, at Governor Roosevelt's specific request, blanket authority would be given the next President to reorganize and abolish multifarious executive agencies to save money, balance the Budget. Not since War days had it been proposed to give the White House such extraordinary power. How he would use it Mr. Roosevelt would decide after he had mastered the detailed set-up of the Federal Government later this month at Warm Springs. Already his agents were reported scurrying through the executive departments collecting material for him to study. Commented Speaker Garner: "I'd like to see the new President try out his ideas. At the same time Congress would keep control of the situation."

Congressional "control of the situation" is expected to kill off before the 60-day time limit President Hoover's proposal to reorganize 58 Federal functions (TIME, Dec. 19). Democrats explained that the Hoover plan was "just a shuffle" but that the Roosevelt plan called for major changes that should save much money. Real savings will be difficult. Only Congress has the constitutional power to change the laws for veterans' pensions. Army & Navy upkeep, Federal salaries, etc., etc. and Congress is habitually loth to tinker these.

Farm Relief. Once more last week the Albany Voice was heard in Washington: "Let us have farm relief legislation at once." Obediently the House Agriculture Committee prepared to bring its Domestic Allotment bill to the floor this week. Speaker Garner ordered the decks cleared for a quick vote. But was President-elect Roosevelt for the kind of price-raising scheme contained in this measure? Nobody knew and the Voice was silent.

Two Capitals, Democratic confusion over the sales tax, reorganization and farm relief moved New York's Snell, Republican House Leader, to remark: "You can't run the Government from two capitals. China is an example of that."

Perhaps President-elect Roosevelt felt the same way because he summoned a meeting of national Democratic legislators at his Manhattan home for this week. Then presumably a definite party program for this Congress and the next will be developed in face-to-face debate.

Last Week President-elect Roosevelt:

P: Received Mrs. Mary Mooney, 84-year-old mother of California's famed Prisoner Tom Mooney. Said she: "I wish you'd do your utmost to help my boy. He's innocent." Said he: "I feel sure because so many people believe he's innocent that there must be some reason for believing in his innocence." Governor Roosevelt wrote to Governor Rolph about Prisoner Mooney.

P: Presented the State with an oil portrait of himself by Jacob Perskie.

P: Extended executive clemency to seven prisoners.

P: Bade his Albany staff goodby, wished them Happy New Year, was photographed kissing Miss Ruth Goldberg on the right cheek.

P: Declared, after clearing out the Governor's desk preparatory to turning it and the State over to Herbert Henry Lehman: "I left a few pencils, an old pen, a half a card of matches and some rubber bands for Herbert. Everything else is mine and I'm taking it with me."

P: Gave a farewell dinner to his Cabinet, after which he spent half an hour at the inaugural ball. Because of the death of his sister, Governor Lehman, who was sworn in earlier in the day in Manhattan, was absent.

P: Drove back to Hyde Park a private citizen until March 4. The New Year found him "asleep in one corner of the car and the missus asleep in the other."

P: Announced that, with Nebraska's Norris and others, he would visit Muscle Shoals later this month.

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