Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
BIZ WILLIAM HARD.

The most fundamental and far
reaching thing In Washington Is now
proceeding quietly and unobtrusively
through hearings before the interstate
and foreign commerce committee OF the
House Of Representatives and through
deliberations of the interstate commerce
committee of the Senate. It is the re-
organization Of the Federal Power Com
mission and the extension Of its author
occupied In interstate commerce by cleo
tric light and power companies.
Such companies now represent an in
vestment which by some calculations
comes to eleven billion dollars and they
constitute political problem which
even conservative Senator's and Repre-
sentatives regard as approaching the
proportions exhibited by the railroad
problem q generation ago, when the
Interstate Commerce Commission was
brought into being. 1t seems probable
that the Hoover administration will be
notable for two of the greatest and
OF Federal governmental authority over
the opportunities Of the States and over
the affairs Of business.
4 ~
One Of these engagements Is In agri-
is obliged by law not only to finance
agricultural organizations for the mar
keting of farm products, but also IN
consequence incidentally to upset and
remake the whole business lives Of the
private commercial organizations which
hitherto have dominated the travels of
farm products from the originator to
the consumer. The other enlargement
is in public utilities. where municipal
control and State control, sometimes
in practice meaning little or no effec-
tive control, Is now about to be supple
mented by Federal control in the course
Of legislative development Of irresisti-
BILE political strength.
In that development both political
parties are implicated. It is directly
tl1rou h the efforts of Senator Walsh
Of Montana, Democrat, that the Fed
eral Trade Commission Is now engaged
in taking thousands upon thousands
of pages of testimony regarding the
alleged bad methods and morals and
manners Of public utility executives
and lobbyists. It Is through the spec
tacular public manifestoes Of Gov.
Franklin D; Roosevelt Of New York,
Democrat, that the valuation" Of pub
lie utility properties for the purpose
Of fixing public utility rates and charges
to industries and to householders has
been made into q frst-rank political
national issue.
Meanwhile, the Republicans, though
trailing the Democrats, have not been
entirely inclined to be left sleeping at
the starting post. President Hoover, in
his annual message to Congress. recon-
mended certain changes In the structure
and In the authority Of the Federal
Power Commission and his recommen-
dations are now embodied In H. r.
l140S, q bill introduced into the House
Of Representatives by James s. Parker
Of New York, Republican chairman
Of its interstate and foreign commerce
committee.
This bill may be taken as the mini
mum that is going to happen Federally
to our fellow citizens who have under
taken to provide the Nation with cleo
trio light and power. The Federal
Power Commission is now feeble anna
teur body, consisting of three cabinet
members, the Secretaries Of War and
Of Agriculture and of the Interior. who
are too busy with their departments to
give any proper amount of time to their
Federal Power Commission duties. Mr..