The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-13

.WAsHINGToN, Nov. l3.-The
over the remains of the NRA IS
passing rapidly from comedy TO
fantasy.
While Maj. George Berry. Co.
ordinator for Industrial Recovery.
energetically is ballyhooing his
Dec. 9 conference of business and
labor to revive the Blue Eagle. a
little by-play is going on behind his
back. Uncle Dan Roper is push
ing secret plans to absorb the REM
nantS of the NRA into his Com
MERGE Department.
Under Mr.. Roper'S scheme, all sec
tons Of the NRA except the Re-
search and Planning Division would
be junked. This one remaining di-
vision would be incorporated IN the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce
Mr.. Roper's plan is not mere
wiShthinking. 1t has progressed to
the point where Ernest G.. Draper,
assistant commerce secretary, and
l.. j. Martin, acting NRA admins
traitor, have discussed what per-
sonnet should be retained or dis
missed
Mr.. Martin, incidentally, plans to
fly the Blue Eagle rooSt just after
Mr.. Berrys induStry-labor con
greSS' meets. Relations between
him and Mr.. Berry are friendly only
on the surface. For all practical
purposes, he has been superseded
as NRA boss.
Mr.. Roper's plan is known fully
to the White House, but it is being
kept under the blankets in order
not to throw a damper on Mr..
Berry's forthcoming three-ring cir
Gus. The inside whisper in the
Commerce Department is that the
NRA absorption is slated for around
the first of the year.
The President has the authority
to make the transfer by executive
order. His decision will be guided,
it is limited, on what happens at
Mr.. Berry's show. If it proves a
dud, the ak will fall and the NRA
will pass out.
n
NTILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
w may have had tough Shedding
as Secretary of State, but his daugh-
ter, Ruth Bryan Owen, is at least
one woman in the New Deal who
has made good.
At first welcomed with consider
able skepticism as United States
Minister to Denmark, she has won,
the genuine affection of the Danes.
Mrs. Owen also has solved the
economic problem. She made a tour
of Greenland-DaniSh possession
on United States Coast Guard
vessel, sent at government expense
by her good friend Secretary of the
Treasury Morgenthau.
The book produced as a result of
this trip is featured in the book
stores of Copenhagen. And every
American tourist buys copy.
THE Bituminous Coal Board has
Il decided to delve into a mystery
that has perpleXed consumers for
many, many years. It is out to
unravel the why" of the high re-
tail cost of coal when it sells at the
minehead for only 81 and So a ton.
The board thinks the wide differ
entail between the original whole
sale price and the final retail figure
is unWarranted, and wants to know
If this view is justified.
According to the United States
Bureau of Mines, the average price
of soft coal at the minehead last year
was $1.82 a ton, with the average
freight charge adding another S215.
This makes an average wholesale
cost per ton of 1897. But the av-,
erage price to consumers was double
this figure.
This important probe will be car
ried out by Thomas N. Woodward,
the boards newly appointed con-
sumers' counsel. Under the provi-
sions of the Guffey Coal Act, the
consumers counsel (only office of
its kind in the government service)
is independent of the board and
has wide powers.
Mr.. Woodward is we'll qualified for
the job. For several years he was
on the staff of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, assisted William
Gibbs McAdoo as railroad adminis-
traitor during the war. More re-
Gently he was vice president of the
United States Merchant Fleet Corp,
"a post from which he was dis
missed by Secretary Dan Roper be-
cause he insisted that the ship op-
orators live up to their agreements
with the government.
1t was to soften the blow of Mr..
Roper's action that the President
named Mr.. Woodward as consumers
counsel on the coal board.
Copyright. 1888, by United Featurs
Syndicate. 1nc.)