The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-11-21
TREASURY CLAMPS DOWN ON
UNRESTRICTED INFORMATION
ON FISCAL DATA AND POLICY
Business and Banking Cir
cles Indignant at Federal
Reserve Silence as to
Business
b. z. z. NICOLET
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21- (UP).
The treasury clamped down last
night on the unrestricted circula-
zion of general statistical data or
information involving administra-
ton policy. To many observers
the action appeared to be fur
Their step in a campaign Ia pre-
vent publication Of information
from official sources reflecting
upon administration programs
Acting Secretary of Treasury
Henry Morgenthau, Jr.. insisted
he was not imposing "gad rule
but made it clear that he felt
justified in taking such action az
he felt necessary to protect treas
ury secrets. He ordered that all
statistical or policy information
must be made public only through
Herbert +. CASTOR. his own pub
LEFTY man. whom he took to tho
treasury with him from the farm
credit administration.
A special office was being fit.
ted up for CASTOR across cor
ridor from the Secretary'S office
occupied by Morgenthau. CASTOR.
former newspaperman and non-
partisan Lacquer in the nortE
west some years ago, is expected
10 receive a salary of $500 a.
assistant to the secretary.
Morgenthau'S order was given
significance by its proximity to
two other developments, the three
of which appeared taken together
to indicate a strong telling in
high circles that some control
should be maintained over data
tending to discredit any phase o.
the recovery program.
The October federal reserve
bulletin carried a statement in it's
usual review of the month that
records showed a slowing down
in industries under NRA codes.
Recovery Administrator Hugh 5,
Johnson protested strongly against
the statement, but it was not
qualified. The November bulletin,
out last week, carried no review
of the month. but instead quoted
NJ length, without comment. from
President Roosevelt's speech an
nouncing his new gold policy.
Considerable indignation has
been expressed in business and
banking circles over the abandon
merit of the review of the month,
which has been considered a valu-
able Interpretation of available
statistics.
On top of that, F. C. Walker
executive secretary of the "supe1
cabinet" made up of cabinet
members and the heads of recov,
cry administrations. ordered that
all departments must submit al
economic reports to the central
statistical board before publica-
ton.
This board is headed by Win
field Riefler. the presidents 'in'
terpreting economist"
In this connection it may be
significant that the NRA has
withheld all recent data garner.
ed from its Census of industry
under the blue eagle. 1t set sou
with great fanfare to collect 8,
100000 reports from employer
on increases in personnel anc
wages. A few scattering reports
made public a month ago indi
Gated. when "broken down." that
though payrolls and the number
of persons employed had increas
ed, average wages had decreased
and some employees must be get
ting far less than NRA wages
m short, that a great deal of part
time employment was being given
as a means of makinga good show
ing in increasing employment.
Since then, not scrap of data
on the census has been made pub
lie though it had been counted
upon to furnish the basis fol
fighting off opposition com
plants that the NRA was slowing
down.
Newspapermen regularly at
tached to the treasury were open'
" indignant last night over Nor
genthau's order. which they fell
was an unnecessary restriction
Statistical data generally ha:
been freely available for inter
pretative use.
In connection with Morgen
thau's order, il was recalled tina
a few days before Secretary
Woodin went on indefinite leav,
of absence. he commented tina
"there's too much talking arounC
here"
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