Evening star., 1933-08-03
The Political Mill
By G. Gould Lincoln.

seph B. Ely, undertook to lay down the
law to the generalissimo Of the Roose-
welt public works program yesterday,
Secretary Ickes of the Interior Depart
ment, and ran his head into q stone
wall. The incident, which Is full Of po-
| litical implications, happened something
like this: Gov. Ely called Secretary
Ickes on the long distance telephone
yesterday and requested that before
any OF the money for public works
| projects in Massachusetts, was passed
out the projects should be given ap-
proval by the Governors own board,
which has been looking into the fnan-
cial standing of the various municipal
tiles. Mr.. Ickes promptly replied that
the moneys for public works were from
| the Federal Treasury and that the
Public Works Administration had its
own Set-up for passing upon projects
and would not make exceptions for
Massachusetts, or any other State.
| \ \ ~
The Governor Of Massachusetts, be-
came insistent. He told the Secretary
that the Governors of States were not
being given enough consideration in
the handling of the public works pro-
gram, and that SO far as he was con-
cerned, he was ready and willing to
make an issue of it, Mr.. Ickes replied
In effect that the Federal Government
was the boss Of this job and intended
TO remain so. Gov Ely pointed out
that the municipalities in Massachu-
sets were the creatures Of the Com
monwealth and should be dealt with
certainly through the State Govern
ment. The Secretary Of the Interior
refused to bulge from his position
Whereupon the Governor of Massachu-
sets suggested that the Federal Gov
ernment was but the creature Of the
States anyway
This was too much for Mr.. Ickes 81
don't like your tone" the Secretary
said. And I don't like your policy
was the reply of Gov. Ely. Whereupon
the Secretary and the Governor banged
OH the telephone. and that was that
The set-up Of the Public Works Ad-
ministration for cooperation with the
States in the public works program in
cludes regional directors, with one for
all New England, and State advisory
boards in each Of the several States.
The personnel Of the Massachusetts,
State Advisory Board set UP by the
President and the Public Works Ad-
ministration is as follows: Former Gov.
Alvin T. Fuller, Republican; John J.
Prindaville Of FTamingham and James
p. Doran Of Brockton. Fuller not long
ago announced that he would be a
candidate for Governor next year, and
IN some quarters it is said that Ely will
seek denomination and reelection, too.
Gov. Ely in his telephone conversation
with Secretary Ickes yesterday made
no criticism OF the members of the
| I'd crft t,,-% n,
llc Works Administration. He lust
wanted board Of his own to have the
final say when it came TO passing upon
| the projects.
The Democratic organization in Mas
Sachusetts, of which Gov. Ely, Senator
David 1. Walsh and Senator Marcus
A. Coolidge are bright and shining
members, is said to be decidedly dis
gruntled because some of the big jobs,
the prize plums from the Federal
patronage tree, have been passed out
to men whom the organization did not
recommend. Only the other day the
internal revenue collector for the dis
trict Of Massachusetts, was named
Joseph P. Carney of Garden. This is
| one OF the most important of the Fed
eral offices in Massachusetts,. Mr.. Car
| neys appointment came as a stunning
surprise to the Democratic leaders OF
least one other man for the job. There
have been other jobs passed out in the
same way in Massachusetts,.
~
When President Roosevelt, then Gov
ernor of New York, became an avoved
candidate for the presidential nom
ination, the Elys and the Washes did
not jump on the bandwagon, although
Mayor Curley of Boston, their politi-
cal enemy, did. The Elys and the
Washes held of and finally came out
strongly in support Of Al Smith for
the presidency-smith the idol Of the
Bay State democracy. At the Chicago
convention the Massachusetts, dele
cation yelled itself hoarse for Smith
and stuck to him and against Roose-
welt to the end, which was very bitter.
After the nomination had been made
Gov. Ely held OF for weeks before he
came forward and declared his sup
| port for the Roosevelt Garner ticket.
Senator Walsh and other Smiths said
right away that they would 60 along
with the national ticket and did all
they could to help in Massachusetts,
Because Of the disgruntled Smith
Bay State for Roosevelt for a while
But then Al Smith himself finally
gave the ticket his open support and
the situation changed greatly, with
Roosevelt on election day carrying
Massachusetts, by a big vote.
The administration handlers of
patronage, especially Chairman Fa1-
ley of the Democratic National Com
mittee, Postmaster General, have
clearly indicated that the Federal jobs
are 10 go to Democrats who were "for
Roosevelt before Chicago" if they be
qualified It's not strange, therefore,
that the Democratic organization in
Massachusetts, has not been getting
all 1t wants. Whether Gov. Ely's re-
quest for virtual control by State
board of the public works program IL
Massachusetts, was reelection of the
feeling that has been growing up
there is only a matter of conjecture
However, it Is quite clear that such
control, If vested in the Governor of
Massachusetts, or any other State,
would be a powerful political weapon.
Any Governor who did not like a Ger
tain municipality and who preferred
others, would be in q position to turn
thumbs down on the projects Of the
first and give the money to the favored
municipalities. mat would be putting
politics into the public works pro-
gram with vengeance. Mr.. Ickes has
laid down broad, general policy that
politics are not to govern in the pub
lie works program of the Government
and that projects are to be selected
entirely on their merits
The administration, in passing out
patronage. apparently is taking into
consideration the fidelity of the Demo-
Gratis to President Roosevelt before and
after the convention, and also is taking
into consideration the manner in which
they have performed In the special ses-
sion Of Congress. The failure to recog-
nize Senator Huey Long, Louisiana
KingfiSh In making lot Of Federal
appointments In his State is q case in
point. Roosevelt had half of the New
ENGLAND States at the time of the Chi