The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-12-08
Johnson's
Threat

J0hHSOn8 Otner Gay, anu the
Tbreot chorus of chortles
that it evoked leads
me to believe he has moved out on the
wrong foot. The general, once a
hard-boiled cavalry officer who re-
mains hard-boiled, says that the fed
eral government is going to police"
business unless business policies itself
under the codes of fair competition.
All of which is possible. of course, but
in my wanderings around the capital
city and in conversations with busi-
ness men from other parts of the coun-
try, / feel that the general would be
biting of more than he can chew If he
proceeds far on the program implied
by his announcement.
There can be no honest doubt that
"chiseling," as Mr.. Roosevelt de-
scribed it, is taking place in almost
every community to a greater or less
extent. 1t is evident to anyone taking
the trouble to look about him. There
are hundreds of businesses that have
signed the codes of fair competition
with their fingers crossed. They knew
il would be dangerous to refuse TO
sign and so they signed in order to get
the famed blue eagle insignia, but
they had no intention Of living up to
their obligation. 1t is a sad common
tary, yet it is true, that certain ele-
ment of business, and quite a large
element at that, cannot be trusted.
So, as I see the problem, perhaps
General Johnson is right in demanding
that business be policed. The weak
ness of mis- plan, however, is inherent
in the scheme for controlling business.
Federal control necessarily means that
the national government has to inject
itself into the private affairs of all.
and that is the sort of thing that led
up to repeal Of the Eighteenth amend
ment People resented interference
from the government in their personal
affairs.
Then, there Is another phase Of the
problem, a difficulty as applicable to
prohibition as it is in General John
sons plan. Thousands of persons will
be required for this policing job, just
as thousands were used in prohibition
enforcement. There will be as many,
or more, ''meddlesome matties" get In
TO the Johnson police as were found
in the prohibition police, and there
will be some few straight-out crooks
get jobs. The meddlesome individuals,
either through fanaticism or through
a misguided sense of duty, will stir
up more fuss in a few minutes than
they ought to stir up in a year.
Crooks, If any get in, will "bleed"
business which will be forced to pay
for protection, exactly as occurred IN
the case of prohibition.
Washington newspaper correspond
ents who devote their time to writing
of financial affairs
Morgenfhou in the treasury have
Backs DotDn lately come through
brisk, although
brief, battle with the new acting sec.
rotary. Henry Morgenthau, Jr. No
sooner had Mr.. Morgenthau, who is
only forty-two years old, been in
stalled as acting secretary, than he
sought to curb the rights of the cor
respondents by forbidding his subor-
dinates to talk with the writer's. It
was censorship, If ever censorship was
attempted. The writer's rose up in
righteous wrath and with an announce
ment that there would be no compro-
mise on the principle.
The battle lasted, as a matter OF
fact, only three days before the act
ing secretary called the correspond
ents to his office to invite them to
"agree" to a modification of his gag
rule. He was met with an absolute
refusal to "agree" to any proposal un-
less that proposal contemplated free
dom of the writer's to seek and obtain
factual information that was a mat
ter of record and properly available
to the public. The new head Of the
treasury was in a tough spot and he
yielded on all points which the writ
ers demanded as their privilege, except
that he requested they avoid seeking
information on treasury policies from
the subordinate officials. Since the
correspondents never have been will
ing to take information on the framing
of policies from anyone in official life
excepting those who decide questions
Of policy, namely, department heads.
the writer's felt they had won, and
were satisfied.
But after stating the above facts, It
should be known that the correspond
ents on the second day of the gag-rule,
sent a Geographic protest to President
Roosevelt, then at Warm Springs, Ca.
on vacation. Mr.. Morgenthau said he
had received no word from the Presi-
dent concerning the protest. 1t stands
as a fact, however, that the day the
telegram reached Warm Springs, the
President found immediate reasons for
the sudden and swift return to Wash
ington of Stephen T. Early. one of his
secretaries, whose chief duty is that
of maintaining peace between the
newspaper corps of Washington and
the various branches OF the govern
ment.
Although the incident is closed, talk
about it continues. The incautious
step by Mr.. Morgenthau put good
many metropolitan daily newspapers
on guard against encroachment by the
government on the freedom of the
press. 1t ought to be recorded here as
well that these newspapers did not
spare words in their criticism of Mr..
Morgenthau In goodly number OF
them. too. there was suggestion that,
while the acting secretary asserted the
order was given on his own volition,
there may have been deeper purposes.
Personally. 1 cannot go along with the
belief that the administration desires
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