| Show Round Merry By y DREW PEARSON and Ind ROBERT ALLEN Trad Trade Mark WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Behind Behind the mask of the federal federal federal fed fed- eral communications commission a big blow blowup p pis is brewing over the investigation of the American Ameri Amen can Telephone and Telegraph company compan and it may p prove ove to tc b be more sp spectacular than anything anything anything any any- thing so far turned up by the probe Within the commission the sensational charge has been hurled that several of its members are secretly attempting to sabotage the inquiry Some of the commissioners were far from enthusiastic when the senate ordered the agency to make the investigation This was an open secret at the time As the probe progressed reports of internal dissension leaked out every once in a while But it wasn't until last week that this subrosa subrosa subrosa sub- sub rosa pulling and hauling broke into the open The way it happened was extraordinary The Wall Street Journal and Hearst news service carried a story that Samuel Becker young hitting hard-hitting chief investigator and John Bickley his equally aggressive accountant as assistant assistant assistant as- as were resigning The inference was that they were being ousted The source of the story was was' Commissioner Thad H. H Brown of Ohio a Hoover-appointed Hoover holdover from the thc theold theold old radio commission This report was entirely without foundation It was promptly and decisively scotched by Commissioner Paul A. A Walker who is directly in charge of the telephone investigation upon his return to Washington Why Brown spilled the resignation story at this particular time is not known Note Two Note Two facts may have something to do with it One is that Walker and Becker are preparing to resume public hearings shortly The other is that Becker has ask asked d his colleagues colleagues col col- col leagues to name Carl Wheat a crusading telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone expert from California to do special work on his staff R It F C Applesauce R uR F C Reduces Interest Rate Doubtless you saw that headline recently It was quite a astory story story story-as as far as it went The trouble trouble was that it didn't go very far The press release put out by R F C Chairman Chair Chair- man man Jesse Jesse Jones announced a acut cut in the interest rate on industrial loans from 5 to 4 per cent This sounded very impressive But all is not gold Sold that glitters and glitters and the inimitable inimitable in in- in imitable Jesse has demonstrated more than once that he knows his publicity onions A close examination of his actual order discloses discloses discloses dis dis- dis- dis closes that while a 1 per cent reduction in in interest interest in- in terest charges was put into effect the cut is so hedged around with reservations as to be tic lly valueless For example this is one of the conditions U. U the said 1 per cent reduction is dependent upon the character of the loan and the circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances of the borrower Which means simply this If in the omniscient ent judgment of the R B F C a borrower is not of the best c character then he gets no reduction tion There is no appeal from such a decision This is is one case where even the supreme court has no jurisdiction There are still other strings Another paragraph paragraph paragraph para para- graph reads All reductions will win be conditioned upon a borrower promptly his interest and principal principal principal prin prin- cipal payments promptly as they mature and will ill be allowed alIo so long but only so long as his payments are promptly met In other words even if a business man does obtain the 1 i per cent rate reduction he automatically automatically automatically auto auto- forfeits it and ald has to pay the old 5 per cent rate if he gets into difficulties and cannot promptly meet his payments Thus the wily Jesse wins going and comi com corn i ing g. g He got a a big publicity play and the business business business busi busi- ness man gets a rate reduction reduction-if if he can jump through Jesses Jesse's hoop C S Snappiest and most attractive publication put putout putout putout out by any gov government agency is The diThe Federal Theater monthly organ of the federal theater division of the works progress administration The magazine is printed by the offset process on printing equipment supplied free by the Rockefeller Rockefeller Rockefeller Rocke Rocke- feller foundation S S S The United Mine Workers are planning to togo go to bat for President Roosevelt in a big way wayon wayon on on Labor day Union organizers are arranging big political rallies rallies' in 28 states and the theme o of the addresses to be delivered is the reelection of the new deal administration Over speak speakers ers will participate in the plan S S S w Major George Berry coordinator of Industrial industrials Indus indus- trial trials recovery got a letter the other day from a southern unionist complaining about the administration administration admin admin- of relief in his district The writer concluded as follows If you cant can't do anything with Harry Hopkins turn the matter over to John JohnL L. L Lewis and let him take it up with the president Lewis has a big drag with Roosevelt I 1 hear Co t 1936 by br United 1 Inc |
