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Show The Government Always Wins The following editorial is reprinted re-printed from Editor & Publisher: ' ' When you a r gue with a government govern-ment agency you are up against it. The agency usually writes the rules, enforces them, acts as judge and jury. "Take the example of the electric elec-tric utility companies in the hearing before the Federal Power Commission on their battle to charge certain advertising expenses ex-penses as a cost of production for purposes of fixing consumer rates. "An FPC examiner ruled that the only point of controversy is whether the money was spent for advertising for discussion of a 'political question--the public vs. private power debate. The FPC upheld him and has ruled that testimony is not admissable which attempts to prove that the expenditures were 'ordinary, necessary, ne-cessary, just and reasonable.' ' 'The largest sinale producer of Electric power is the government against which these privateiy-controlled companies must compete. It seems to us that Congress is going to have to declare sooner or later that the electric companies can talk about their competitors in or out of advertising. Congress' failure to do so will imply that criticism of a government agency is against the law." A visitor from abroad, preparing pre-paring to return to her homeland, bought a television set to take back to her family. "Can't you buy a TV set in your own coun-. try?" she was asked. "Oh, yes, but American programs pro-grams are so much better than oflrs." |