The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-21
POLITICS AT RALEIGH
is CREATING STIR
CONTINUED from page ~

| "
Revenue A. J. Maxwell, is caus
ing turmoil in political circles
here.
If the changes made or ir
process of being made, finally
work out for the good of the
service" and a more efficient
and economical administration
of these departments results, the
changes made and methods EN-,
ployed in making them may
eventually be approved by the
people of the state, according tc
the opinion of many here. But
if developments show that these
changes were motivated by pc,
litical considerations and to take
care of those to whom the ad,
ministration was politically OBJ,
ligated, they may become the
most difficult obstacles this ad-
ministration may have to deal
with. Those who already believe
these changes have been or arc
being dictated by political con-
siderations think they already
mark the turning point in the
administration of Governor
Ehringhaus and that he is going
to have increasingly hard sled
ding from now on. They are
convinced that in attempting to
build up a personal political Or
ganization within the highway
and revenue departments that
the governor is likely to build
up a Frankenstein that is likely
to destroy him politically as well
as those who seem to be helping
him build it.
Seasoned observers here arc
also at loss to understand why
the governor should have reap
pointed Jeffress as chairman of
the highway commission and
Maxwell as commissioner if he
did not intend to let them run
their respective departments. For
the prevailing opinion here is that
Executive Director George Ross
Pou of the highway commission
has greater influence in directing
affairs in that department than
has Chairman Jeffress, also that
Govrnor Ehringhaus is making
his desires known and having
them carried out more through
Pou than Jeffress. Nor can many
understand why, after reappoint-
ing Maxwell as commissioner of
revenue, the governo rshould
then name Noble as executive
assistant commission at salary
almost as large as that of the
commissioner, and give him COM
plete authority over personnel,
reorganization and other mat
tiers, eve nto the investigation of
the account sof present and past
employees.
Those close to the governor
maintain, however, that there is
no break either between Jeffress
and Pou or Maxwell and Noble
and that all of the present fur
ore over what has been tkaing
place is being raised by appon-
ents of the governor who have
been waiting for just such an
opportunity. They say that there
has been no friction between
Jeffress and Pou over what has
been done in the highway COM
mission and that there will be
none in the future. They admit
that Chairman Jeffress went to
bat for the retention of Leslie
r. Ames as chief engineer, but
that when he was overruled by
the commission-and by the gov
ernor, of course-that he took
his defeat gracefully.
1t is further pointed out by
those friendly to the governor
that a careful analysis of the
highway commission eorganiza-
ton shows that there was not
much of a shake-up there after
all, with only two men in major
jobs actually fired-Ames, chief
engineer of the highway division,
and DR.. J. H. Norman, former
prison physician. For while Sam
Scott, former superintendent of
the highway prison system, was
not ertained in the prison divi-
sion. he will be transferred to
the engineering division, it is I'M
derstood. Since most of the re-
organization had to do with the
prison division, it is only natural
that good many of the former
state prison employees should
have been retained, it is argued.
The prison end is the end Pou is
going to have TO look after, more
than Jeffress, with the result
that the natural thing to do was
to let Pou select most of the key
men for the new organization.
With regard to the situation in
the evernue department, it is
pointed out that so much of
Commissioner Maxwell's time has
been taken up for the past two
years with looking after matters
of policy, with hearings and adj
ministrative matters. that he has
not had the time to devote to
personnel and organization he
desired an dthat as a result he
welcomed the creation of the
position now held by DR.. Noble.
He gladly turned over all mat
tiers pertaining to personnel and
reorganization to DR.. Noble, it
is understood, and has been CO.
operating with him in what has
been done so far. Those close to
the administration insist that
Commissioner Maxwell has glad
ly delegated the power to DR..
Noble which he has been using
and II iS lnnwn that what nct;o.,