Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-03

The storm center OF this session OF
Congress TO date is the Senate inter-
state commerce committee. II has been
the battle-ground Of the preliminary
sxirmish!ng In the prospective sena-
torial investigation of public utilities
the so-called Walsh power trust probe.
It is soon to start hearings on the
johnson resolution for an investigation
o. the troubles in the soft-coal delds
It has Jus. been handed still third in
vestigation resolution aimed at the tele-
phone companies, All three are heavily
charged with political dynamite with
far-reaching big business ramifcations
But these are only part of the COM
mittee's assignments. Pending before II
Is the confirmation OF John j. Esch 10
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and the confirmation of o. II. Caldwell
and Sam Pick2rd as members OF the
Radio Commission. And the commit
tees biggest undertaking at this session
Is the railroad consolidation bill. No
wonder Jim" Watson. the chairman.
declared the other day: This Is pretty
latitudinous committee"
Into the question of the confirmation
Of Commissioner Esch enter issues OF
fundamental policy. which the Senate
interstate commerce committee il at
tempting 10 determine. The issue Is
whether the I. c. c. ought to frame
rates solely with an eye 10 providing
the railroads with an adequate return.
or whether rate regulation should be
motivated by considerations OF the eco
nomic Ills and benefits OF Industries and
territories. Admittedly this Is knotty
question. inducing sharp divergence of
opinion With respect 10 the radio
commissioners. there is An overshadow~
ing question OF radio policy-whethcr
the chain broadcasters should be IA
vored In the matter o! licenses. giving to
them preferred status on the air on
the theory that their programs are best
and the radio public Is thereby best
served. or whether the little inde-
pendents" should have equal considsra-
ton on the theory that the commission
should treat all applicants alike. Here
again tn" Senate committee Is tacklins
n difficut problem
Though Tom Herin frequently crates
10 empty benches in the Senate cham
her, one Senator at least has been
noticed 10 sit through Helms lengthy
diatribes and 10 give him the closest at
tention, That Senator Is the crudite and
cultured Bingham Of Connecticut Bing-
ham, Republican colleagues noted II
and marveled. and sought All explana~
ton. Bingham then contided that he
had been told that Helm. even in his
most imprisoned moments. never was
guilty of a grammatical error He was
ioath to believe IT, and concluded to
listen. Day by day he sat watching for
the wrong pronoGn. the wrong participle
or the split inflnitive Several years
have passed and several millions Of
words have passed from Helms mouth.
and Bingham Ii still watching and wait
Ing for the grammatical slip.
Two Irish wolfhornds, by name
irish and Shane. by all odds the largest
specimens of dog flesh the Capital has
ever seen, are the particular pride OF
their owner the honorable Clifford
pinchot, Until recently they have oC-
cupied Il fenced"in Enclosure on the lawn
Ut the Pinchot domicile IN Washington
An Imposing stone mansion In the old
downtown residential aection Though
temporarily on the political side lines
and In Washington without title ur
portfolio, the former Governor Of Penn
sylvania is playing the game OF politics
foI all II Is worth. His many activities
here this Winter gave rise 10 u report
that he WAS attempting TO emulate the
Hftorts Of Frank A. Vanderlip. the New
York banker who came Ia Washington
Il couple Of years ago with battery Of
lawyers and sieuths and publicity
agents Ia turn the searchlight Of cor
fuption IN government. Clifford Pinchot
denies this soft Impeachment. The
difference between what | am doing
here" lac states, and what Frank Van
deriip was trying 10 do Is, as | see II,
inat his efforts were destructive while
am trying t0 be constructive III my
participation IN public alfalfa"
y =
There viii he | .0b9 delegates In the
| Republic an convention tals year Which
IL 20 less than sat At Cleveland IN 1924