Evening star., 1925-10-09
DECLARE REQUEST
FOR RULE IGNORED
Two Trade Commissioners
Say President and Sargent
Failed to Answer.

commissioners Huston thompson
and John +. NuGent of the Federal
Trade Commission in public state
ment today ask why the President
and the Attorney General have ap-
parently failed to pay any attention
TO a. letter sent five months ago by
n majority Of the Trade Commission
asking an opinion from the Attorney
General as to the commission lurlS-
diction in making investigations or
dered by the Senate regarding the pro
duction, distribution. transportation
ami sale of flour and bread. regarding
the American Tobacco Co. and the I'M
perial Tobacco Co., regarding the Cen
eral Electric Co. regarding open-prtce
associations and cooperative aSsocia-
lions.
Insist on Authority.
Commissioners Thompson and MI
gent. both Democrats. insist that the
commission has full Jurisdiction to
make the Investigations directed by
resolution Of the Senate and which
have been held up by the majority
members. commissioners Van Fleet,
Hunt and Humphrey. But in their
statement they insist that the commits
sion Is entitled to an answer TO the
request for itu opinion from the At
.orncy General. II this connection
they say:
AT the time OF the sending OF the
letter OF the majority TO the Presi-
dent the minority members. Commits
Sioners Huston Thompson and John
t. Nugent, also sent letter to the
President stating in substance that.
with all due respect, they protested
against the submission of the deter
n7inatfon of the commissions iurisdic-
tion 10 the President or the Attorney
Cir, ~
an Independent body created by Con-
gres5 as q creature of Congress and
its jurisdiction subject TO the determi-
nation of the courts. They took this
position in view OF the fact that the
commission has been repeatedly de-
clared by Congress in each appropria-
ton hiii an independent body and
its jurisdiction many times passed
upon hy the courts.
Have Had No Answer.
Five months have passed and no
answer ht, been received by the COM
mission either from the President or
the Attorney General. In the mean
time tn" commission has discontinued
all work on the resolution to inyesti-
gate bread. No work has been done
on open price associations and CO.
operative associations.
Not having received any reply
either from The President OF the At
tUrucy General. the commission. on
Juno 20. 1875. submitted the same
question OF jurisdiction with respect
10 the resolutions heretofore referred
to To the controller general OF the
United States and received q reply
from him on July %, 1925, the pur-
port Of which was that proceeding
with these resolutions was within the
dcrn f,l - 1fC.s: =.
judgment ana that in order 10 make
expenditures IN regard To them the
commission would have 10 certify as
to thH f@cts Of alleged violation Of
antitrust laws. a prescribed by the
statute
'On October L. 1926. the commission
was Informed through its secretary
that he. in turn. had been notified
by the chairman OF the Bureau of the
Budget that there would be a cut Of
1924 600 from the commissions budget
of 1929. of 1897 900. 50 that the COM
mission will receive for 1926 $3.50 900.
II was suggested by the Bureau Of
the Budget that $780, 900 of this cut
be made up by reductions in the
economic division of the commission.
This division is the one to which had
been assigned the investigation of
the bread Industry under the Senate
reSoiutOn. ne stopping OF work or
this division in respect TO the economic
investigations called for by Congress
has disorganized the body to such a
degree that recently some OF its lead
ing men nave resigned.
In view of the fact that the ma
tority Of the commission refuses to
proceed with the bread investigation
until authorized by the Attorney Gen
eral 1t is difficult to say when. If at
all, there Will be any response made
70 the said Senate resolution