, 1935-03-11
WASHINGTON
BY George Durno

WASHINGTON
BY George Durno
Pressure - Ine heat has been
turned on beneath the Rayburn bill
which would legislate utilities hold
ing companies out OF existence in
five years. AS a result it's a good
Det that II congress takes any final
action this SESSION 1t will be in the
nature OF n much modified act Of
regulation and controi.
Methods Of the power lobby in
stirring up voter interest in the
measure have been exposed on the
floor OF the mouse but they are
proving highly effective.
Senator and congressman alike
are being SwamDed with mal-much
OF II couched n identic language
protesting enactment OF the bill
Petitions-Tne other day Rep.
Rankin D), who comes from Tupelo.
Miss. where iva has been conduct
ing its big ''yardsticK" experiment,
got a letter from an employe Of the
Public Service Electric a. Gas Corp
Grafton Of New Jersey. The worker
enclosed a copy of a form letter
protesting the Rayburn bill that he
and his associates were TO mail
their two senators and congress-
man or pain OF missing the next
pay envelope.
Rep. Matthew A. Dunn, Cd Of
Pittsburgh. revealed that he and
many other house members had
been informed they would be killed
politically II they supported the
measure terminating holding COM
panies-although he served notice
in his district ne intended to do 80
and gamble on the consequences
On that same day. Is other House
members, after learning OF this con-
centrated outside pressure, had con-
stituent petitions Of protest against
the bill inserted in the congressional
record. They we're Walter O.. An
drews CR) Of Buffalo; A. Piatt An
Drew (R) Of Gloucester. Mass: John
J Boylan Cd OF New York City;
Frank Crowther R) OF Schenectady,
N. Y; Francis d. Culkin R) OF
Oswego. N. Y, George p. Darrow
R) OF Philadelphia: G. Elmer Die
trieh Id OF Tunkhannock, Pa;
Harry l.. Haines Cd, Red Lion. Pa;
william L. Higgins CR), South
Coventry. Conn; Mathew J. Mer-
l!tt Cd. Flushing. N. Y; Charles
D. Willard RI, Tarrytown, N. Y;
Stephen A. Rudd Cd, Brooklyn, and
Bertrand II. Smell CR), PotSdam, N.
Y.
CurtaiI-ThiS was not an unusual
day. A dozen or more can be found
in almost any issue Of the congress
sional Record.
President Roosevelt attempted TO
offset the propaganda that passage
Of the bill would hit life insurance
holders and widows and orphans"
by making public O detailed report
OF the Federal Power Commission
showing life insurance companies
and the like had only q very small
investment In utilities holding COM
panies. Judging from congressional
mail. the presidents move had little
effect.
Even Federal Securities Commits
sioner Robert Z. Healy, q well known
liberal. comedies that the section
nbolishing the power company super
structures win have 10 be modified
II there is to be any legislation.
stuffinK-Elsewhere on the power
front the manipulators are busy.
Tuesday Chattanooga. Tenn. votes
on an 100000 bond issue for a
municipal electric distributing sys-
TEN.
An alert Chattanooga newspaper
disclosed that l07 n~on-residents OF
Chattanooga, many OF them en-
ployes OF the Tennessee Electric
Power Company-had banded To-
Fether to pay go for a city lot. Un.
der the law this joint possession OF
property gives them the right 70
vote Tuesday.
Since the matter vas publicized
locally the general manager OF the
power company announced he would
advise any of his employees involved
NOT TO vote.
Fever-WaShIngton nov has more
lawyers in proportion TO population
than any other city-and many OF
them are top-hole experts In con-
| stitutional Law Their interest In
the NRA cases now moving toward
a sweeping supreme court decision
Is more intense and practical than
was their recent interest in the gold
clause cases. Business Is involved IN
the MIRA caSes-cash- competition
and credit are tied up In the issue:
Federal Judge Wayne q. Borah OF
New Orleans Is o brother OF Senator
Borah and Is regarded as an able
Iurist. His decision holding un-
constitutional the application OF
MIRA codes to business with q state
Is added to those Of Judge Gruoo
and several other. II the legal con-
~troverSy were a race between Caval-
cade and Equipolse In their prime
the lawyers OF Washington couldn't
be more excited
MISREPRESENTATION are waiting
for q detailed statement by Secre-
tary Ickes dealing with the public
work funds. IS called for by 5ena-
tor Byrds resolution CONGRESS aB