New-York tribune., 1918-12-20
Wilson Names
Republican on
Commerce Board
Joseph B. Eastman, of Mas.
sachusetts, Radical, Picked
to Succeed Anderson
Senate Will Confirm Him
Ne1D York Tribune
WdsilinOtOn Bureau

W O@ftfHVtOlt BHrcdb
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-Despite the
belief in the Senate that Joseph B.
Eastman is a radical, the probability
tonight is that he will be confirmed as
member of the Interstate Commerce
Commission without much opposition.
Mr.. Eastman was nominated by the
President to-day to succeed George v
Anderson.
Mr.. Eastman. Senators who had
looked into his record said to-day. was
appointed to the old Public Utilities
Commission of Massachusetts by Gov
ernor Foss, regarded as something of
a radical himself. He remained on the
commission during its transition to the
Public Service Commission, and is still
a member
Republicans in the Senate. and par
ticularly of course. the Massachusetts
Senator's. are so delighted that the
President did not appoint Governor
Samuel Mccall to this post that they
are almost willing to permit the nam
ing of any other Massachusetts, man.
Under Senatorial courtesy, the an
nouncement of Senator that any ap-
pointee from his own state is person
ally obnoxious to him, save in rare
exceptions, is Immediately followed by
the rejection of that appointee The
utmost influence of the President, for
instance, failed to obtain the confrma-
ton of George Rublee as Federal Trade
Commissioner.
Mccall Would Have Lost
It may be stated very positively that
such objection would have been lodged
had Mr. Mccall been appointed. Sen
ators generally concede that Mccall
could not possibly have been confirmed.
1t is thought by many Senators that
he would have been named had this not
been so manifest.
BOSTON, Dec. 19.-Joseph B. East
man was born in Katonah, \. Y, in
He was graduated from Amherst Col
lege in 1904 and later studied law at
Boston University.
He became secretary of the Boston
Public Franchise League in 1905, sery-
ing until his appointment, by Governor
Walsh in 1915. to the Public Service
Commission. The appointment by Gov
ernor Walsh, a Democrat, was some
thing of a surprise, as Mr.. Eastman
is Republican.
AntiCorporation Man
He is known as an anti-corporation
man, having served as counsel for the
street railway unions in the Boston
Elevated Company arbitration. also in
the Middlesex and Boston Railway ar
bitration and as counsel for the street
railway mems union in the Bay State
railway arbitration.
In 1905 Mr.. Eastman wrote PAM
phlet on whether massachusetts rail-
roads should be allowed to acquire
street railways, opposing this privi-
lege. Mr.. Eastman assisted George ".
Anderson in the preparation of the
case for the sliding scale regarding
gas companies. He was practically
responsible for the invest CATION of the
Edison Light Company. His suggestion
was adopted, the final result beng, that
the rate was reduced
In 1910 and 1911 Mr. Eastman fought
the renewal of the Boston Elevateds
Washington Street tunnel leases on
behalf of the franchise league. The
league asked that twenty-five years
should be the maximum lease. and this
view was adopted by the state legisla-
ture in 1911
In 1912 and 1913 Mr.. Eastman spent
a large part of his time in aiding the
Interstate Commerce Commission IN
the investigation of the railroads.