Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-09
DEMOCRATS OF CONGRESS Sue
cEEp IN IMPAIRINo comMis-
SLOWS USEFULNESS.
LEFT WITHOUT FUNDS
TO CARRY ON WORK
by Democrats, and No
Relief Possible Until Next Session Of
Congress- Commission Left With
Little to Do Except Draw Salaries Of
$4,000 Per Year.
Especial correspondence

GRAZ lIduc CoMHiSSiOA Wao oSA uSA q
hard blow in the last hours Of the
Sixty third congress. It was crippled.
by whom no one knows, to such an
extent that after July Its work will
be done chiefly by five commissioners
at $4,000 a year, a secretary at $1,000,
and few score Of employees at salaries
from 500 to $1,000 per annum,
Rumors of pressure to keep the COM
mission quiet and inactive have been
floating about for some time. It looks
as if efforts Of this kind had succeeded.
Unless way can be found to remedy
it, the commission will he able to do
little more than organize, draw salary
and form preliminary plans.
No Money For Work.
It has no money for the employment
of counsel, special attorneys, exam
iners or trained economists. It has
no money for rent. 1t has no money
for furniture, and till the end Of the
current fiscal year it must subsist on
the gratuities of the department Of
commerce, and the balance Of the ap-
preparation for the moribund bureau
Of corporations which will be merged
into the trade commission In the
course of four months.
George Rublee, Of New Hampshire,
who is to be given a recess appoint
ment by the president will have to
serve without salary till the senate
meeting, probably next December.
"Hamstruns" by Democrats.
In the words Of one of the officials
of the commission, a man whose name
can not be mentioned, the commission
was "hamstrung' by the democrats.
and repairs can not be wholly effected
till congress meets again. Upon whom
the responsibility for this damage rests
no one yet seems to know. The "ham-
stringing" was done in conference
some time early in the morning Of
March 8. There is a possibility that
the controller Of the treasury will issue
ruling whereby the present employees
of the bureau of corporations may
continue as employees Of the new COM
mission with their present salaries.
But it is certain that no new positions
carrying salary Of more than $1,000
can be opened till congress legislates
specifically in that direction.
Senator Newlands, Of Nevada, chair
man Of the senate committee on inter-
state commerce, which framed the bill.
states: "The commission will start its
important work in a crippled condi-
ton" Senator Cummins, Of Iowa, one
Of the republicans most active in franz
ing the law, protesting vigorously
against the Limitation in salaries pro-
posed by the conference, declared: 1T
must be apparent to everybody that II
we allow this appropriation to go in
this way we will simply destroy the
efficiency of the trade commission, and
we might well repeal its additional
powers, for we will have then the
amazing and the humiliatlEg spectacle
Of five commissioners at $4,000 year
doing no more important or greater
work than has heretofore been done by
the commissioner Of the bureau OF cor
porations at a salary Of five or six
thousand dollars a year, most
astonishing and indefensible conclus-
ion"
Shuts Out Competent Men.
The limiting provision which IS
causing the organizers Of the trade
commission such trouble occurs in the
sundry civil bill and provides for the
continuance Of the employees Of the
bureau of corporations, except the
commissioner and deputy commission
er, and for such additional clerks and
others as are authorized IN and at the
rates of compensation fixed by section
1877 of the revised statutes OF the
United States" Section 167 says that
the annual salaries Of clerks and en-
ployes in the departments. whose
salaries are not otherwise prescribed.
shall range from $1,000 down to $3.50.
This means, Of course, that trained
men who would expect to receive from
81, 900 to $1,000 and $4,000 OF $500 will
not accept employment under the new
body to regulate business. It means
further, that the commission will have.
difrlcuity in retaining the services OF
men who have worked under the com.
missioner Of corporations for salaries
greater than 1880, and who will re-
fuse to be locked or continue without
raise.
The appropriation bill containing
this drastic limitation was amended IN
the senate by providing $1,000 limit
for salaries. but the conferees struck
this provision out, acting, apparently,
ON orders from "higher up"