| Show Merry Round ltd Marz By y DREW PEARSON end md nd ROBERT ALLEN W WASHINGTON Simultaneously WASHINGTON Simultaneously with the conviction conviction con con- of f three official responsible for tor the Morro Castle disaster the bureau of navigation avig tion and steamboat inspection is trying to clean house However Joseph B. B Weaver new and forthright forthright forthright forth forth- right director of this long moribund agency is having difficulty with J. J M. M Johnson assistant secretary of commerce and his immediate superior Weaver ta a talking plain-talking maritime expert was appointed following the Morro Castle disaster in order to snap the bure bureau u out gf its old decade-old dol dol- dol- dol drums He was assured of a free hand For Fora a while he got it Personnel and efficiency of the bureau were greatly improved But recently Johnson has been quietly blocking blocking blocking block block- ing Weavers Weaver's reforms One of his undercover mane maneUvers ma- ma ne vers was to sid sidetrack track Weavers Weaver's request for an increased appropriation so a larger large and abler staff of f inspectors could ouId be employed Weaver and his assistants are not taking this backstage sabotaging quietly They are fighting back with considerable considerable vigor His board of inspector inspectors inspectors tors tor held helda a meeting and adopted a resolution strongly urging the need of additional funds to remedy deplorable conditions existing in the agency agency agency-a a lon long list of f which they included d. d The resolution was adopted ed unanimously and delivered in Ii person to Johns Johnson n. n But Johnson suppressed suppressed suppressed sup sup- pressed the embarrassing document Just the same that did not prevent it from getting int into the hands of the pr press ss c U Commerce department insiders say that ship operators ar are deeply and secretly rese ul of Weavers Weaver's bare knuckle bare knuckle c crusading Mrs l Roosevelt Mrs Roosevelt is tightening up on answers to controversial questions put to her by correspondents correspondents corre corre- at her pr press s conferences o ere Last week she sh he was briefest in iii months Question Have you read accounts of the Talmadge Tal- Tal madge convention held in Georgia Georgi Mrs Roosevelt Roosevelt Yes Q Anything to say Any comments Mrs R. R No S Q Have you read accounts of Al AI Smiths Smith's address S Mrs R Yes Q Have you any comments Mrs R. R No Q Have you read Mr Landon's London's speech Mrs R. R Yes Q Any comments Mrs R. R No Landon When Presidential Aspirant Landon blasted the new deal the other evening his most interested interest interest- ed oed Washington listener ner viAs was Presidential nt al Aspirant t The senator from Mi Michigan higan sat back in an armchair i in the Wardman Park hotel and list listened ned quie quietly until quietly until ly-until until Landon struck these words Weare Weare We are going to be many years unscrambling the eggs cooked up by the kitchen cabinet of of this admin admin- sat upright Then he sat back again The ink was scarcely carcel dry on a s speech Vanden Vanden- berg himself had just finished writing writing one one ne to be delivered in New York City February 12 In that speech he had planned to say something much like the Landon line It was this The gentlemen in power challenge us to offer remedies of ot our own to replace the remedies they have adopted They challenge us with the truculence truculence truculence lence of ot a cook who knows that after she has lias made the omelet its it's too late to unscramble the eggs eggs eggs' has a fondness for neatly turned phrases And he has turned such suph u h phrases ever since his editorial days with the Grand Rapids Herald So effective were they that Warren G. G Harding Harding Har Har- ding drafted as a. ghost writer for his front porch campaign He liked speeches so 80 much that he wrote a letter of thanks which the 1936 1938 aspirant still keeps framed on his office wall waIl Note The Note The Michigan senator is now his own ghost writer l Successor Although the year 15 term of Comptroller General J. J B R. R McCarl does not expire until July 1 I. I a hot the scenes scramble to tt fill his shoes already has started Drawing a year the post is one of ot the choicest plums on the patronage patron patron- age counter o ter Active in the undercover maneuvering arc are several several members members of ot McCarl's st staff staff staff-O. O. ff-O. O. O R. R McGuire extremely able counsel Charles M. M Galloway another counsel and F. F L. L Yates attorney- attorney conferee Another eager hopeful is Corrington Gill ace statistician of Harry Hopkins' Hopkins The Wisconsinite Wiscon- Wiscon smite has clashed with McCarl on a number of occasions and would take great secret pleasure in succeeding him Insiders Insiders' say that working hard Acting Budget Director Daniel Bell could have the job if he wanted it but that he wants to stay where he is Secretary is backing the appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment of William H H. his administrative tive assistant A time one cowboy who studied law in his spare time entered the government service 30 years ago as a postal in in- in His quiet ability is highly regarded But beI he be I has one serious handicap A forthright and independent independent inde inde- pendent executive he has stepped on ott the toes of ofa a number numbe of potent politicians and incurred their secret enmity iCO t 1936 by United |
