Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-16
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

The Federal Trade Commission Is
busily engaged in eight separate in
quiries ordered by the Senate, several
dating back two or three years. The
commissions latest synopsis of prog
ress" reveals that the entire eight are
steadily moving forward at snails
pace. Investigation of the extent of
the control of the electric power in
dustry by the General Electric Co, or
dered by the Senate in February,
1925, is virtually completed, and the
final report Is lin course of prepare
ton" according 10 the commissions
announcement. A. partial report on
this inquiry was sent to the Senate in
the last week of the session. The
bread trust inquiry ordered by the Sen
ate in February, 1924, sis now under
way" after several temporary halts.
Investigation of open price associa-
tons and cooperative associations
both requested by the Senate in
March, 1925, are lin progress" Seven
volumes of reports on general IN
auiry" into the. grain trade are now
ready for distribution, with more to
follow. Investigation of the organiza-
ton and practices of lumber associa-
lions recently initiated and temporarl-
ly suspended has been resumed.
report is sin course of preparations
also on an inquiry into petroleum
prices, which is intended to disclose
whether the periodical Increased
prices in motor fuels are due to re-
straints of trade, and also to broadcast
the profits of the oil companies. Last,
but not least, the commission reports
that in response to a Senate resolution,
nassed in December, 1926, directing an
inquiry into 1.-The practices of corpora
~ n
an investigation was initiated lmme-
diately." All of which goes to show
that the commission, whatever It's
shortcomings, is by no means Idle.
X
Although the President named, ana
the Senate confirmed. new American
Ministers to Canada ana TO the itlSh
Free State. the loss of the deficiency
anpropriatioa bill in the Senate hll-
buster at tho end of the session leaves
the Department of State without
funds to pay the Ministers salaries
and the salaries and expenses of their
stats until the regular 1927 approprla-
lions become available, July /. rms
10 being offered as an explanation for
the apparent delay in the taking up
of their new posts by the Minister'S
designate Frederick Sterling, VINO
is slated for Dublin, is still in Lon
don as first secretary of our embassy
there. William Phillips, our Ambas-
sador to Belgium who is going to
Ottawa, is still in Europe on TEN
porary leave"
Representative Robert Luce, RepuD-
lican Of Massachusetts, whose ire
long avocation has been a scholarly
procedures of parliamentary bodies,
concerning which he has written sew
eraI books, has made his own contrl-
button TO the controversy now raging
as to whether the Reed slush-fund IN
vestigating committee still lives or ala,
i'm fact die with the expiration of
the Sixty ninth Congress. Mr.. Luce $
Judgment is that the committee IS
dead His citation of legal ana par
liamentary presidents Is formidable
and far too long and complicated for
statement here. But in nutshell
he concludes that while the Senate
Is a continuing body for certain pur-
poses and in certain aspects, never.
theless ii is entirely fallacious and
entirely unsupported by fact or rea-
son to contend that a special commit
tee created by one Congress continues,
without express grant of power, after
that Congress ends.
X X X
The Irish Free State government
intends to redeem in full the $1,000
600 of Irish republican bonds f1oated
in the United States by the De
Valera faction back in 1919. ire
spective of the outcome of the law
suit now on trial in New York over
the possession of two and half mil
lion dollars on deposit In New York
hanks, which represents the unspent
portion Of the bond money. De
Valera, who is no hand In person.