Show 4 t r ar r tI To Washington To To have a clear understanding understanding understanding un un- un- un of the discussion that is isto isto isto to follow I think I IThe IThe IThe The TV TVA A must first find a aC C Controversy definition of th the e word contumacy contumacy cy cy It ought to be properly and officially defined because it is going to be a ver very Important word in this country So I read re-ad from the dictionary dictionary dictionary dic dic- dic- dic here on my desk the following following following follow follow- ing definition CONTUMACY contempt contemptuous ous disregard disregard disregard dis dis- dis- dis regard of authority insolent di disregard dis disregard dis- dis regard of authority incorrigible ob ob- Next it should be set down that there are rather are rather there were were two two men with the surname of Morgan as officials of the Tennessee Valley authority before President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt veit removed one of them Ulem from office office office of of- fice for contumacy The fact that there were two Morgans must be remembered because each one figures figures figures fig fig- ures prominently in a continuing controversy and md for lor the reason that neither one of the Morg Morgans is connected connected con con- with the House of Morg Morgan ln to which so many dem demagogues refer when the they t talk about economic roy roy- In the third place we should know something ab about ut David E. E Lilienthal Lilienthal Lilien Lilien- thal that who like the two Morgans also was a director of the TV TVA A. A Mr Lilienthal continues to be a director i as does Harcourt Morgan The Morgan Morgan Morgan Mor Mor- gan who no longer has with TVA according to President Roosevelt Is Dr Arthur ArthurE E E. Morgan founder of the famous Antioch college at Yellow Springs Ohio Arthur Morg Morgan ln was removed as ch chairman lirman o of the TVA because the President said he was guilty of contumacy and Harcourt Morgan Morgan Morgan Mor Mor- gan was made chairman The removal took place by executive executive tive live order order- after Mr Roosevelt had personally held three hearings forthe forthe for the purpose he said of determining who was wrong in in an old-fashioned old cat and dog fight that has been going going going go go- ing for months among the three directors directors directors di di- rectors of TV TVA A. A Arthur Morgan had made accusations against the other two 1 directors charges of a libelous nature charges of dishonesty in dishonesty in in short she charges that the other two directors were guilty of enough things to cause their removal from office Arthur Morgan had openly urged a congressional investigation of the TV TVA A as well and when Mr Roosevelt made his own investigation investigation tion and Arthur Morgan refused to offer one iota of evidence to support his previous charges he was guilty of contumacy and the Chief Executive Executive Executive tive removed or just plain fired him And so we come to another phase In urging a congressional investigation Arthur org I Morgan ln followed followed fol fol- lowed owed what he thought was th the proper prop prop- er course He held that the TVA was vas a creature of congress which placed in its law its legal charter that none of the directors could be removed unless on charges that they had played political favorites in m TV TVA A appointments He thought that t the e White House investigation was wasa a means of checking a congressional investigation which had been so vigorously vigorously vigorously vig vig- vig- vig opposed by Senator Norris of Nebraska father of the TVA and Roosevelt supporter That is to say Chairman n Morgan didn't believe President Roosevelt had any authority authority authority author author- ity to call in the three directors and there in the presence of all compel the chairman to substantiate I ate his his charges So he stood pat But Mr Roosevelt believed he did have authority and he used it H He removed d Arthur Morgan and promoted promoted promoted pro pro- Harcourt Morgan to the TV TVA A chairmanship Well there had been a lot o of f hemming and hawing around in the senate over the general TV TVA A inv investigation investigation in in- in- in v proposed by the fighting g young oung Styles Bridges of New Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire Hamp Hamp- shire who was wad joined In the battle by Sen William H H. King of Utah Senator Norris succeeded ed in in stalling g the investigation lUon for quite awhile But after the White House investigation tion which Senator Bridges contemptuously contemptuously contemptuously con con- referred to as a comic comi c opera trial things began to happen happe n in in the house of representatives a awell as aswell aswell s well as In the senate and so now noti v there is scheduled an investigation n in wh which ch house and senate will join an inquiry that will go into every ever phase of f TV TVA A to see what makes f it t tick There can be no doubt at all aU that tha t instead of satisfying the country especially congress as to the merits merit s j I of the TV TVA A row the White House Hous e r 1 Investigation had the effect of bringing bringing bring bring- ing about a reaching far-reaching tion in congress Many bitter words word s have been uttered about the White Whit e House course in firing Arthur Mo Mogan Morgan Morgan Mor Mor- r gan observations that Mr Roosvelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- e velt had railroaded the chairman n out of the TVA job assertions th that it constituted an American version n of the famed French Dreyfus u s case assertions that contumacy y is a crime only where dictators operate operate op op- o p erate etc Try as the they may no now w the Ute public ownership advocates s socialists socialists so so- o and others who believe inthe in fn inthe the state owning everything are arc du duto due e to have the varnish removed from fro m TVA The country at last is going to have a look at the real wood they will get some facts that hitherto hither hither- to h have lve been concealed or hushed up That is is these things will come out for lor an airing unless the presidential dentin lash whips enough committeemen committeemen commit- commit into line to develop a white white- wash Aside from irom the tragedy of having Arthur Morgans Morgan's name smeared the TV TVA A row and Good for the White House the Country investigation probably probably probably ably will be good for the countr country Anybody who knows Arthur Morgans Morgan's record must agree that it is one of which any man could be proud It is too bad therefore therefore therefore there there- fore that he has to be the goat in inthe inthe in inthe the case But I repeat that the affair affair affair af af- fair will result in in considerable good if the whole TV TVA A record can be brought into the open and the go go- on ings-on of public ownership advocates advocates advocates cates can be exposed for once insofar insofar insofar in in- in- in as Tv TVA A is concerned There is however something much more significant much deeper deep deep- er in this situation than just justice or injustice to one man In this I refer to the use of authority by the President to make an independent official do the bidding of the Chief Executive It is is a case comparable in many respects to the removal of the late William E. E Humphreys asa as asa asa a member of oC the federal trade com com- mission That was done President Roosevelt said at the time because Mr Humphreys failed to see eye to eye with the Chief Chic Executive Itis It Itis Itis is to be remembered too that the Supreme Court of the United States held unanimously that Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt did have the power to remove remove remove re- re re re- move Mr Humphreys Thus there is is again a legal question whether the President had the power although al although although al- al though Homer S. S Cummings the attorney attorney attorney at at- torney general advised Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- Roosevelt velt that such power was vested in him as President Undoubtedly Arthur Morgan will try tryout out the matter matter matter mat mat- ter in court The disturbing thing is s however that if President Roosevelt has that much authority now how much more authority will he have to do that sort of thing and many many others if given authority to reorganize reorganize reorganize the government agencies as ashe ashe ashe he sought in the original government government govern govern- government ment reorganization bill Of course much of his demanded authority has been shorn from the bill but I believe believe believe be be- lieve there is ground for alarm at what remains Whether Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose velt continues to be President indefinitely indefinitely indefinitely in in- definitely or whether some other man man Is President I think congress has no right to give away such power But to get back to the case of Arthur Morgan and his contumacy contumacy cy cy The meaning of the word is is clear Arthur Morgan according to people who know him intimately was trying to do the Ule best job he knew how to do He read the law lawone lawone lawone one wa way the President read it il an an- other I see see no legitimate reason for removal of the man on the grounds of contumacy That is no crime Discipline Mr Morgan 1 Yes i if the President wanted to do so Suspend him until the facts have been brought to light by a congressional congressional congressional inquiry a mode of procedure which congress reserved to itself But removal seems to be rather foolish and the ad action on certainly has reacted adversely to the President among his own partis partisans ns The White House inquiry failed to adduce any story stoy about the opera opera- of Harcourt urt Blames Morgan and Mr Lilienthal Lilienthal I hear hearin in many quarters that Mr Lilienthal is the man who really started the trouble in the be be- ginning He is the same man who was connected with the Wisconsin utilities commission and wrote an order directing a reduction in telephone telephone tele tele- phone rates before holding a hearing hearing hearing hear hear- ing to give interested parties a chance to have their day in court If It current reports be true truo Mr tile Lilienthal Lili Lih- actually signed the order reducing reducing re re- re- re rates several days before beCore the so-called so public hearing was held The court court called his action arbitrary and delivered its itself l of quite a tongue lashing about bout such unwarranted and despotic action That opinion was rendered late in February Whether Mr Lilienthal has been guilty of the same kind of despotism in TVA I h have lve no means of knowing but this much surely can be said if t he attempted anything anything anything any any- thing of the kind Arthur Morgan would be the first to object Mr Lilienthal's operations in TVA as far as they arc are visible from Washington have the appearance and the results naturally to be expected expected ex ex- of an extremist Arthur Morgan Morgan Morgan Mor Mor- gan Is willed self-willed too but the records records rec rec- of the two men as far as they are known publicly assuredly shows him to understand human nature Mr Roosevelt having elected to fire Mr Morgan for contumacy and thereby having placed himself on the side of l Mr r. r Lilienthal now must face the political music musts Western Newspaper Union |