A glorious tribute was accorded the chief executive upon his return from teeming southern waters to official duties yesterday. Led by a reception committee composed of Speaker Rainey and Representatives Snell, Englebright, Byrns and Greenwood the members of the Democratic party--loyal men and true--joined with members of the opposition to extend the glad hand of welcome to their President. A delegation boarded the train to assure him of their joy at his safe return, of their continued support and of their allegiance to the principles for which he stood. The occasion was further enhanced by the presence of the Marine Band which attempted to express the same happy sentiments in an even more vociferous fashion. It was by no means a mere party affair. Senator McNary and some other members of the opposition were magnanimous enough to pay the returning executive the tribute of their presence. After all, this was but a small price to pay in order to win the support of constituencies who still admire the President's policies. And so the impressive welcoming ceremonies went on and these same magnanimous Republicans must have enjoyed a nice quiet laugh all to themselves at the expense of the naughty boys of the opposition whose "welcome dear teacher" rang somewhat false after their participation in the nasty little pranks which were engineered during his absence. Some of the apostates may reflect perhaps that the President would have preferred the triumph of his bonus veto and the defeat of the Philippine oil tax bill to the Marine Band and the welcoming delegation as an expression of Congressional good feeling.

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Not all of the anti-New Deal Democrats were at the depot in Washington by any means. Our own Governor Ely now finds it expedient to declare that government control of industry has gone far enough and that the field should once more be left to free competition. While this sentiment expresses in general a growing conviction that the administration cannot much longer occupy a middle position on all-important questions of governmental control, still Mr. Ely must be an optimist indeed to believe that "free" competition will not again land us in the same slough as the one from which we are just beginning to emerge. MIDAS.