The Washington herald., 1919-05-12

tiOn In all of Mr.. Peck's intem-
perate screed,' snys the Secre-
tary.
Charging that the inspiration OF
the war was not sufficient to induce
the administration to give over the
business of politics for the business OF
government" George n. Peek, chair
man OF the defunct Industrial Board
yesterday reviewed with caustic COM
ment the events which led up to the
demise Of that body
The board expired when the Rail-
road Administration refused to ac-
cede to the prices it fixed for steel
and he declares the old railroad cor
poration gang is chiefly responsible
for its end.
Mr. Peek's statement, which he
makes plain is one from a private
citizen practically places Secretary
of Commerce Redheld at odds with
such members of the Cabinet as Sec
retary of the Treasury Glass and At
tOrncy General Palmer and Walker D.
Hines. Director General of Railroads.
Created by RedheId.
Mr.. EedHeld was the creator of the
Industrial Board. Mr.. Peek relates
the causes which brought about the
establishment Of the board and tells
of the unanimity of approval for it,
Then he says: --..
Weary ot the details of the con-
troveTsy between the Railroad Admin
istration and the board the public will
Yet demand an explanation of the
wreckIng. apparently on the obstinacy
Of a single official. of a plan of such
apparent national value.
Il can only conjecture an explana-
ton. Throughout the battling contro-
versy the board has found itself
checked by forces in opposition which
it could neither understand, reason
with. nor overcome. but which grew
in strength until they rendered fur
ther progress impossible and forced
abandonment of the plan.
Not Sufficient Qualification.
1t is inconceivable that the Rail-
road AdminiStra tion's unsubstantial
objection to the price OF steel rails
was alone sufficient to justify the
abandonment of policy Of such i'm
pOrtance. Nor toward the end has the
Director General been alone in thwart-
ing the purpose of the board.
The Secretary of the Treasury has
taken Il stand in direct contradiction
with his message to the President
urging the creation of the board. The
Attorney General has rendered an
opinion that the plan of the board
,Ontravenes the sherman act, but the
facts assumed as basis of that Opin-
ron are 50 inconsistent with the actual
course of conduct of the board as TO
render the opinion inapplicable. yet II
has been used as a basis for the
abandonment OF the boards plan
Mr.. Peek declares that an attempt
10 persuade the Railroad Administra-
tion To bury the hatchet" was met
with naughty silence Worse than
this. he point out. was the assump-
tiUn fabsoIutism on the part of the
Railroad Administration. which de-
CIarCd that it would fix the price only
that price on the steel producers.
shame Their Manhood.
Acceptance of such a suggestion -
SAYS Mr. Peek. would shame the
manhood of the board"
The Railroad administration" he
continues. answered only that the
steel price announced by the board wa
100 high If TOO high means that
the Railroad Administration can force
lower prices by smashing industry
smashing labor. smashing the public
interest and throwing production into
the hand of the most powerful and
lowest costproducers, the board
agrees that the price is too high But
it was precisely these results the
board was set up to prevent and the
case stand proved that lower prict
without these results are impossible.
still the Railroad Administration
persists and announces specifically
that its only view of low price is
one that shall. by inherent attrac-
tiveness. induce buying not by tht
Railroad Administration alone bu
also by the old railroad corporations
who are so ably represented in the
administration by the Director Gene
raj himself and by Messrs. Lovett and
Walters who have headed the opposi.
tion to the board.
"PubIIe BE Damned,
That the administration woulC
commit itself against the public in.
terest merely to support the ancient
and discredited railroad slogan the
public be damned is unthinkable
Yet after all il is the administration
not the Director General alone, who
had power to thwart the board"
Mr.. Peek points out that the board
was. given god speed by Secretar,
Glass. and that the issue has sinct
been confused by Attorney Genera
PaImer's irrelevant opinion" tn,
board never attempted to fix prices
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.