Show SCANNING THE WEEKS WEEK'S NEWS NEVIS of Main Street and the World Judge Thomas f. f F Murphy to Direct D DC Ds r Administrations Administration's C s House Cleaning SCANDAL Thomas SCANDAL Thomas F F. F Murphy Murph a New York federal judge will direct President Truman's Truman s 's partisan non-partisan commission which will attempt to clean up the present administration before the coming election cam cam- Murphy urphy Is an old hand at investigations He formerly directed the criminal section of the U. U S S. S attorneys attorney's office In New York and prior to being elevated to the bench served for tor a time as commissioner of New Yorks York's huge police force As things now stand the President Is taking personal charge of the cleanup campaign However administration critics as well as some of Its supporters believe that corruption in government t as revealed In the past few years has ruined the Democratic party's chance of re The postwar rash of investigations started when evidence of skullduggery skullduggery skullduggery skull skull- was revealed in the disposal of surplus s war property Almost immediately afterwards a probe was started of five men five men men who peddled influence and obtained juicy government contracts for a afee fee lee The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was next in the headlines Son for loans This resulted in a shakeup in the agency agency and the naming of a single new administrator W W. Stuart Symington Even Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic National Chairman William J J. J Boyle figured in the probe and reigned resigned resigned re re- re- re signed a as a result The scandal was still making news when the special congressional congressional congressional tax investigating committee plowed into the Bureau of Internal Revenue resulting in sensational disclosures of tax fixing and influence influence in in- fluence peddling It was evident the President had this sordid history in mind when ho be announced he planned to establish a special house-cleaning house agency and that wrongdoers will be ousted no matter who they are or how big they are The Presidents President's action however is not likely to lessen the criticism of f his administration To the contrary It could mean a fresh wave of ot embarrassing exposures particularly if it the probe is pushed as vigorously vigorous vigorous- ly as the President says he intends And if it the show any signs of f heel-dragging heel there will be plenty of Republicans ready to prod them along It would seem then that the people In the home towns of America can expect further disclosures of corruption in government perhaps more sensational than already revealed during the past few years One GOP strategist has summed up the situation pretty well If It this thing really gets rolling it could make Teapot Dome look like a tea party TRUCE TALKS The TALKS The Korean peace talks hit a snag of vital Importance importance importance tance and interest to home towners who have relatives fighting in Korea the the exchange of prisoners The Communists refused to list the prisoners prisoners prison prison- ers or even to say how bow many they held Until they do the UN has bas refused refused re- re fused to talk on the subject of prisoner exchange It may be the Communists will change their tactics and produce the prisoner list before this reaches print If they do the UN will then be concerned about the location of the camp and the exchange method There are Americans and 1500 British and other UN troops missing in Korea Under the head of allied missing but not UN are about South Koreans UN forces hold of the enemy of whom are Chinese When the prisoners are exchanged and they must be before there Is any final peace in Korea less than can be expected to return UN officials believe One UN report recently estimated that nearly UN soldiers have died of wounds or atrocities This would support the general figure of less than still being alive THE BUDGET BUDGET- Within BUDGET Within the next few weeks the people in the small towns gowns of the nation will hear what the government expects to spend during during dur dur- ing the fiscal year beginning Jul July 1 1 The budget is about ready for normal formal presentation to congress Advance reports indicated it may be about although President Truman has spent considerable time trying to prune it below 80 billion on advice of political aides Even an outlay would be the biggest in history except for lor the two peak penk years of World War II when spending passed The spending this fiscal year which will end next June 30 is expected expected ex ex- ex- ex to be about A number of factors directed the Presidents President's pruning attempts 1 Military spending must be kept within bounds to retain public support 2 This year is a presidential campaign year and federal spending deficits and indebtedness will be an issue 3 Prospects for a new tax increase to match the rising budget are very dim 4 Never before have taxes been as high as now CEILINGS CUT Price CUT Price ceilings on cattle hides calfskins carpet- carpet and rugs have been rolled back by the government The roll-back roll amounted to 5 cents a pound on cattle hide and 18 per cent 10 to 15 cents a pound on calfskin The reduction in hide ceiling is not expected to have any effect on the market price of leather or on shoes and other goods made of leather price officials reported Leather and shoe prices have been depressed and are lower than existing ceilings Meanwhile a threatened shortage of tires next summer has been averted by the governments government's decision to stop allocating American made general purpose rubber James A. A Newman vice president of the B B. B F. F Goodrich Company says ays the elimination of government restriction on the consumption of new rubber should make it possible for tire manufacturers to produce at least passenger tires in 1952 or approximately snore more than the probable production of 1951 BRIT BRITAIN AI N TO PAY The PAY The British government has announced payment payment payment pay pay- ment of on United States and Canadian loans The payment has an ironic twist since the British have asked the United States for another in economic help during the next six months Britain owes the United States and Canada OO She has until the year 2000 to pay payoff off these debts incurred after afterWorld afterWorld World orld War II had ravaged the British economy The first installment due dueon dueon on eOn the American loan made in 1946 amounts to Of this represents interest |