Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-17
YOUNGEST MAN WHO EVER
SERVED ON COMMISSION
Work % Msmhsr has Attracted Ma.
tien- Wide Attention - viii Help
Formulate New Laws Providing Fer
\ Return Of Rs'Irsads to Private Own.
ers-uphelds Postrastsr 0snsral.
rBy u. g. Dougherty.l


the interstate commerce commission
today. The honor comes to the former
Iowa man after only a brief service on
the great railroad tribunal, having
been appointed member Of the COM
mission In September. 1917.
y Mr.. Aitchison IL ono OF the youngest
men ever appointed to the commission
and is younger than any Of the ether
distinguished men who have presided
over the deliberations of this body.
The first chairman OF the commission
was Thomas NJ. Cooley, whose fame Is
made immortal by reason OF his great
legal treatise which u tho standard
authority of every lawyer. entitled
"Colley's Constitutional Limitations"
Other we'll known men who have &C.
coupled this place afe Martin A Knapp,
now on the United States circuit
bench; Charles A. Prouty, present di-
rector Of valuation Of the commission;
the late Judson c. Clements. and Sec
rotary Of the Interior Franklin *.
Lane.
Chairman Aitchison's work on the
commission attracted nation wide at
tention some weeks ago when an
opinion written by him was handed
down which asserted with great POSI-
tlveness the commissions authority to
review rate rulings of the railroad ad-
ministration. In his capacity As pro-
siding officer Mr.. Aitchison ID expect
cd to take a vital part IN the enlarged
duties of the commission II proposed
new LEGISLATION for the return OF the
railroads to private ownership and I've
restoration of all the powers possessed
Nv the commission prior to the enact
,nent Of the war time federal control
Law develops.
Mr.. Aitchison was born in Clinton.
Iowa. Feb. %, 1875. He was educated
in the public schools of Iowa and Ne
i,raska and graduated from the Hast
ings. Neb., College In 1898. He was
admitted to The bar in Iowa In 1850
and practicsd law in Council BUNS
until 1903. His hrst experience IN rail-
road law came while securing tho
right of way Cor the Chicago & North
. western railways second track from
Council Bluffs to Missouri Valley. ne
is the author OF "Annotations OF lows
Decisions" He went to Oregon In isos
and engaged in the ptacsice OF law q.
Portland. In the latter part OF lSoo
he was employed by the general per
camille and lumber interests OF oregon
10 assist in drafting railroad eoHihis
sion law. Whsn the legislature enacteu
The bill prepared by him, he was n'Auo
one of the original commissioners
serving for eight years with the orsan-
iyat,on He resigned in June, 1910, 10
r,ocome general counsel for the Vaiua-
,;on committee of the national assocla-
tior Of railway commissioners ana
served in that capacity in WASHINGTON
until amounted a member OF the lhtei
toto commerce commission by Presl-
dent Wilson In 1917.
Wilson Backs Burlsson.
Persistent efforts Of Postmaster Gen
40, Rurleson to dictate tho method OF
examining candidates for postmaster
sbins were responsible for the recent
shokeup in the civil, service commls-
SON. according to information obtained
today in well-informed quarters. II
,,as for the purpose Of ending q pro-
tracted row between the commission
and the postmaster general so~ .
out of the activity OF Mr.. 6uriesoh, ~
is declared, that President wilson NC
fore returning to Paris called LOT tne
designations Of Commissioners herman
w. Craven and Charles Nd. Gallo"ay'
two OF the three members OF the CON.
mission. Commissioners craven anu
Galloway, 1t Is stated. opposed the o.
forts Of Mr.. Burleson. COMMISSIONS
John A, McIlhenny. president OF the
commission. who is said to have sided
With the postmaster general resigned
several weeks ago to accept position
as financial advisor to the government
of Haiti.
executive order on March 81, 1916
nlacing>the first, second and third class
nostmasteps under the civil service IN
the sense Of providing that candidates
for any vacancies occurring from that
time forward would have to submit 10
competitive examination under the rul-
es of the civil service commission. AZ
that time. Representative Good, OF
Iowa, and other republican legislators,
charged that the purpose was to keep
the democrats In these places. or at
least to give the edge ito the incum-
bents, all OF whom were democrats.
The postmaster general also was
charged with responsibility OF, requir-
ing that a postoffice inspector Co
operate" with the commissioners III
passing on new candidates. The plan
was to examine each applicant, but-the
Joker" inserted by Mr.. Burleson was
that the Recommendation Of the post
office inspector would count so per cent
In the prospective applicants recon-
mendation, thus assuring the postoffice
department hand picked" postmas-
Il ter Commissioners Craven and Gal
loway are said to have both objected
strenuously to this proposal on the
s ground that the commission was open
to grave objection in the event that the
inspectors sent out were inclined to
lay more strength on the political quail
ifications OF tine candidates than on
other characteristics. With Chairman
McIlhenny resigned, the commission
was wholly in opposition to the post
master general, and a deadlock was
threatened. It is said that Burleson
y placed the matter before the president,
and the call for the designations Of the
two members Of the commission fol-
I lowed.
- 70 Entertain Iowa invalids.
The Iowa Society Of Washington,
made up wholly Of native Iowans who
have come to the capital, or those who
have lived sufficiently In the Hawkeye
state to call It their own, has made
definite plans for entertaining, all Iowa
4 lat'f--6 s y va Is
ef M 4 ~ 100. III