Evening star., 1933-10-01
Muscle Shoals Dams Political Stream
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

knows nor cares about partisan poll
tics. but Is vitality interested In the de-
velopment Of the Tennessee Valley
along, model lines. both from the en-
gineefing standpoint and as q s0cio-
logical undertaking, quietly referred the
Postmaster General to section 6 Of the
Tennessee Valley Authority act.
With q CONSERVATION probably never
equaled. the Democratic czar Of patron
age read:
Section 9. In the appointment Of
oficials and the selection Of employees
for said corporation and in the promo
tion Of any such employees or officials
no political test or qualification shall
be permitted or given consideration. but
all such appointments and promotions
shall be given and made on the basis
OF merit and efficiency. Any member
Of said board who Is guilty Of . viola
ton Of this section shall be removed
from office by the President of the
United States, and any appointee of
said board who is guilty of violation
office by said board"
Chairman Farley Of the Democratic
National Committee, Postmaster Cen
eral Farley, Patronage Car Farley or
plain Jim Farley. as you please, doubt
less read, for the first time In his life,
that . man could be guilty" Of polttt-
cal patronage. Political influence had
always been regarded BY him and b.
most other Democrats q somethtng TO
be proud q. For the law Of the land
TO stiemati1e political influence -
something OF which . man = guilty"
was revelation.
Something New In the New Deal.
1t developed that, regardless Of the
merit OF applicants for positions with
the 7. V. A., any man who had been
urged for appointment or even recon-
n1ended by a member of Congress or
any one else with q political interest
was automatically listed as ineligible.
The very worst thing which could pos-
sibly happen to an aspirant for 4 Job
on the T. v. A. would be the urgent
recommendation. demand or order of
Patronage Car Farley.
Somewhat dazed, Nh. Farley retired
dazed but determined that Chairman
Morgan's post should be vacant the next
day. But be thought he had better
look over the act which created 20 many
fine but politically mattainable Jobs.
He discovered that the chairman had
been appointed, regardless Of political
considerations or political admtnistra-
tions. for . term Of Is solid years.
AUOut L1c O1ly met0OQ which seems
possible to get nd Of Chairman Morgan
Is to ind some way Of inducing him to
accept the strong recommendation of
Postmaster General Farley or, possibly,
Of President Roosevelt Should he hire
man on recommendation Of President
Roosevelt, then President Roosevelt can
remove him from Office because he will
have violated section by permitting
politics to have some weight. He will
be guilty" Of giving consideration to
politics.
just how all this is going to come out
none can say. It has even been sug-
gested that . patronage-mad Congress
will 60 SO far as to pass q law abolish
ing the whole Tennessee Valley Author
ity by repeating the act. Then Chair
man Morgan would be out Of Job.
Congress could re-create the T. ". A.
the next day. after removing section 6.
But that would let everybody know that
Congress was more interested In poll
ticai jobbery than in the constructive
work which Chairman Morgan Is try
ing to carry out, free from the mias-
matte atmosphere Of politics. Chairman
Morgan Is 50 little concerned that he
does not even maintain . Warrington
office, but does his Tennessee Valley
work in the Tennessee Valley.