New Britain herald., 1928-03-24

the Idol Of thousands or bankers and business men, who felt that he was heavens own gift to the nation. Aged to 7S years. white haired and very slender aristocrat, Mellon speaks softly and elegantly, When he swears, he says Mercy" He is the incarnation of conservative wealth. He always has worked for his class as we'll as for himself. He is man of "breeding." The criti- cism most often heard 0, him has been that he believed wealth and the republican party could do no wrong.
 Couzens probably i. worth up to slOo.00o.oo0 as compared with Mel Ions several hundred millions, is different. He is hard-headed, hard boiled, forceful and direct. In con- trast with Mellon he Is, though white-haired, burIy and robust. Tn the first place. he never could have been among those multi -millionaires who toady to Mellon because he has many more millions than they.
 In fact, he doesn't act like nlil- lionaire at all. AS someone has said, he's the one big millionaire who doesn't belong to the union." He has a sense of humor but he can be rough and eruff. When Couzens swears he says lot more than Mercy" Like Mellon, he Is a poor orator, but Couzens can never, never speak with the wistful tones that Mellon can.
 Mkldle-of -the- Road Man
 There Is nothing radical and not much that Is progressive about Couzens but many times he has felt compelled to vote with the senate's insurgents. He considers the peo- ple's business his business and works accordingly. as he did when mayor Of Detroit.
 AS everyone knows. Couzens in. vested couple of thousand in Ford's motor enterprise and sold out 10, s3o. 1000 twenty years later.
 His feud began when the famous Mellon tax bill was brought out three or four years ago. Couzens vigorously objected to Melons pro. posed big reduction of surtax rates. which he felt favored the very wealthy to too great an extent He wrote a letter to Mellon and re- ceived a nasty one in reply. There had been errors in Couzens' letter and the Mellon letter was a rather bald attempt to ridicule him. It is commonly supposed that some Of Melons bright young men in the treasury department had composed the letter. enjoying the chance to sling a. harpoon in the senator, but Mellon signed it and the fight was on.
 Couzens next letter was more carefully prepared and a hot cor respondence began when Couzont pushed through a resolution to in. yestigate Melons internal revenue bureau. which handles all taxes and refunds.
 Sued for Taxee
 Mellon--or his subordlnates, al least-were heard from next uitf q suit for $lo,0oO, 900. plus interest as additional tax which it vas al legged should have been charget against Couzens when he sold hi, Ford stock.
 The case was supposed to have been closed Couzens was adviset that the suit va. coming and con s'rued this as an attempt to black mail him: 50 did some other sena tors. The suit IS still in progress Couzens referred 70 il once uhe1 he said; T don't give damn abou the ton million. but ! don't want t lose.'
 Bulldog Couzens went righ, ol with his investigation. Being al expert accountant, CouzAns was a home with the tax figures. Fl charged that wealthy adminstratio supporters and campaign contrib utors had been favored with larg income tax refunds and that 0 numerous occasions Melons own ir 'eres's had been similarly favoret He did not, Of course, prove tha Mellon had anything 70 do with tlla
 Lost His Case
 Baing 4 poor speaker, he failed { nail Mellon. No one paid a srea deal Of attention to him. Melioi often called the greatest treasUr secretary since Alexander Hamilton. with high on his pedestal, lofty ! the esteem of the press and most ( the public.
 After tha. Couzens ceased firm; The feud, as everyone knew. wasn over. but the biting and snarlin stopped. The tuo nul'imillionaire had occasional social contact, quit undersigned by them. and acted pe | litaly toward each other. But things finally began 70 lrea badly for Mellon. and then Couzer ! had his chance to spring. Mello | had contributed largely 10 the PeI 1 per "slush fund" in Pennsvlva nj ! and defended his contribution as lii enc made to the church. Ware va kicked from the senate door fc spending less than Pepper. Thc | Melons Pittsburgh Coal compan aroused senatorial resentment by i rolicies.
 Mellon Made Admission
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