AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

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regulation within each industry by the citizens most vitally affected, with a
veto power in the National Government, and power of initiative, for the equal
protection of all. The origin of this plan is the Federal reserve act, to be improved
upon; also later applications of this industrial democracy have been made in
other countries.

(g) The forthcoming system for the restoration of equal rights in the channels
of trade shall supplement the nation’s antitrust laws, statutory and case law.

(kh) There is need, also for the stabilization of the price level, as a basis for the
stabilization of individual prices.

() An improved agricultural system is provided for in a separate act.

FEDERAL TRADE SYSTEM

Sec. 2. There is hereby established the Federal trade system to consist of
nation-wide self-regulation in interstate and foreign commerce (except as to
agricultural products) by the citizens most vitally interested, by means of Federal
trade boards and banking, to take the place of trade associations in interstate
commerce, and be subject to supervision by the reconstructed Federal Trade
Commission, with its policies to be subject to the approval of the policy-
determining branch of the National Government.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Sec. 3. The existing Federal Trade Commission shall become part of the
Department of Commerce. The said commission shall consist of the Secretary
of Commerce, who is the representative of the President, and be aided by eight
assistant commissioners, to hold office at the will of the Secretary of Commerce;
and each decision as to public policy, as distinguished from the decision of a
question of fact, shall be subject to the approval of the policv-determining branch
of the National Government.
APPROVAL BY CONGRESS

Sec. 4. (a) Each decision by the Federal Trade Commission as to public policy
shall be subject to the approval by the people’s elected Representatives who by
the Constitution are clothed with jurisdiction to decide the questions of national
policy. To them shall be mailed a copy of each decision by the Federal Trade
Commission, and upon request by a committee of either House of Congress, or
the written request of 25 per cent of the Members of either House, or a request
by the President, a decision by the Federal Trade Commission as to national
policy shall be taken up promptly by Congress and be put to a yea and nay vote,
the issue to be, ‘Does the Congress sustain the decision by the commission?”
The action taken by Congress shall be placed before the President for an expres-
sion of judgment, and in case of disapproval of the action taken by Congress the
issue shall be returned to Congress for the procedure provided for a vetoed
measure.

(bh) This right by Congress to call for a vote shall exist during the 40 days of
the session of the two Houses following the date of the mailing of the copies of
the decision by the commission.!

(c) Until the expiration of the time for a request for a vote by Congress, the
verdict by the commission shall not be enforced except in an emergencv, to be
described bv the commission

APPEAL TO THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

Sec. 5. To the extent that the decisions by the Federal Trade Commission are
by the Constitution appealable to the judicial department, the commission
shall prescribe the details whereby an appeal to the said department may be
taken; and may include such other lines of decisions as in its judgment should
be appealable to the Federal courts.

1 The above proposal is the system in use in the British Parliament for the ratification of the rules framed
by the administrative departments, supplemental to the statutes. By means of this procedure the sover-
eignty of the people's representatives in the legislative department is maintained, and always the ones
who frame an administrative rule have in mind the possible objectors in Parliament, who can secure a vote.
Each year in Britain the bulk of these administrative rules that are almost wholly adopted by implied
acceptance, exceeds the number of pages of statutes. Here in the United States it is high time that the
legislative department shall insist on its dominancy—the ending of trickery in behalf of the busines:
interests.