The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1922-06-10
BLAIR-DOVER IN
cONFLICT;STINC
IN bee DEBATE
Harding Appoinfees Not In Ac-
cord and Upset Looms; Levee
axF Protection Plans.
Washington News Burear-
Rock fsiand Argus.

Rock fsaand Arrus.
Washington, d. c., June 1o.-Illi-
rsois members OF congress are
wondering whether the discharge
this week from the bureau Of in
tsrnsl revenue Of Samuel @. Pat
sheli of Chicago, appointed at the
raquest Of Senator Medill McCor-
mick, will bring action from Presi-
dent Harding to settle the contro-
versy which has been raging for
some time in that department.
That action from present indica-
tons will have to be the removal
of either the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue, David II. Blair, or the
assistant secretary of the treasury,
Elmer Dover, who has charge OF
customs and revenues for the
treasury department. These two
have been the principals IN nuner-
Gus disagreements during recent
weeks, it is reported.
f1Their difficulties date back to two
months ago, when President Hard
ing designated Dover to work with
Blair. also a Harding appointee. in
wedding out inefficient workers in
the internal revenue bureau, which
employs $4,000 people. But in
stead Of working together like adj
rninistration supporters are sup
posed to, the pair are reported to
have been in constant conflict.
Blair, it lie said, has transferred en-
ployes of the bureau whom Dover
ruled out to New York and other
branch offices instead of discharg-
ing them.
His critics say, furthermore. that
he has formed secret alliance
with Joseph Tumulty, former sec
retary to President Wilson to retain
in the bureau Democrats appointed
during the Wilson administration
and has in consequence refused
places to Republicans recommend
ed by influential senators.
q Assistant Secretary Dover, on
the other hand, is charged with at
tempting to GUST employees trained
in the work of the bureau that there
may be more places for political
appointees. And his position IL
made more difficult by the report
from informal sources that his
chief, Secretary OF the Treasury
Andrew Mellon, is inclined to sup
port Blair as knowing more about
the bureau and to resent Dover s
efforts as political interference.
= Now to bring the controversy to
a head comes the discharge of Pat
chell. chief payroll examiner of
the accounts unit of the revenue
bureau, who with Frederick Cell
niger, clerk, is charged by Com
missioner Blair, with removing
confidential papers from the files of
the bureau, presumably to be de-
livered to Dover. Patchell hotly
denies the charges and alleges that
he is the victim Of "frame-up" ar
ranged to get him out of the reve-
nue. service.
Officially the dissension has been
disregarded thus far, but there Is
no doubt that it has caused the
president considerable annoyance,
particularly since some of his
warmest supporters in the senate,
Mccormick among them, have had
difficulty in getting their requests
granted by the bureau. And though
action will undoubtedly be taken
soon, the president faces a guam
daay in that he named both men to
their present duties and to remove
either, probably means the loss of
a friend and lieutenant.
Both Dover and Blair have been
prominent in G. o. P. ranks for q
number of years. The former. a
native of the state of Washington.
was secretary TO the late Senator
Mark Hanna Blair, a North Caro-
linian, headed the delegations from
that state to the Republican conven-
ton in 1920. Though North Caro-
lima had declared for Hiram John
son in the primaries. Blair delivered
his votes TO the California progress
sive on but a few ballots. then
switched to Harding. His was one
of the first delegations to swing
over to the eventual nominee.
\ The charge that Blair has joined
Eforces with Tumulty IN keeping
Wilson appointees in their jobs
gives new interest to the oft re-
peated allegation that Tumulty fol-
lowers still hold office in Washing
ton by thousands. 1t is to this that
prominent Republicans, including
several 1llinoisans. attribute the de-
lay in official departments.
Chief among these is the depart
n1ent of justice. where Attorney
General Daugherty says that much
of the evidence pertaining to war
frauds has been stolen from the
files.
There are cases when the busy
little bee doth not improve each
shining hour, according to a ma
jority OF the hoase of representa-
tives. which has just passed a bill
placins a general embargo on the
Importation of honey bees from for
eisn countries. The bill was pre-
pared at the request of the depart
ment of agriculture. which has dis
covered that many foreign bees are
afflicted with q fatal disease which
spreads rapidly.
House wags managed to get mang
jests out Of the bill, particularly
out of the portion which specified
that adult bees" should be kept
out of this country.
Representative Graham, Aledo,
exhibited concern when this limi-
tation was discovered.
Cant infant bees carry the dis
ease?" he queried.
Have you ever seen an infant
'bee?" was the counter question.
soAnlt