Evening star., 1935-02-10
M'KELLER FIGHTS
PAY FOR AGENTS
Tennessee Senator, Back
From Trip, Resumes
Treasury TussIe.

The fight between the Treasury and
Senator McKellar, Democrat, of Ten
nessee over the employment of sew
eral hundred former agents of the
Prohibition Bureau. is on again.
Returning from three-month trip
to the Philippines, the Tennessean,
who sought to legislate the men out
of the jobs they had won through
competitive civil service tests, an
nounced yesterday that he was pre-
pared to combat any effort to REM
burse them for their work since De-
cember l.
On that date, due to an appropria-
ton bill rider sponsored by McKellar,
1900 had their pay cut off. Approx
mately 1,100 of the number, who had
been transferred from the Justice
Department to the Alcohol Tax Unit
were kept in service by Secretary Nor
eenthau in order that liquor law en-
forcement might not be broken down.
The others, whose status at the time
was thought to be clear, were en-
ployed elsewhere in the Treasury, but
Controller General McCarl has held
up their pay, holding that these are
subject to the McKellar rider also
Sharply Critical.
Senator McKellar was sharply criti-
cal of the situation that has de-
yeloped in the wake of his amend
ment
Declaring he would oppose any ef-
forts to pay the men, he emphasized
that they ARE being retained by
some trick legerdemain in direct vio-
lation of the law ITSELF" and added:
LAS for the Secretary of the Treas
ury, who has been represented as
keeping on these employees who would
have gone off of the rolls because
of nv amendment, with the under
standing the law would be straight
ened out and they would be reim-
bursed, can only say that he Is not
acting in accordance with the law.
I do not believe an official should
wink at the law of his country
Meanwhile, it seems certain that
an effort will be made to pay the
men through an amendment TO the
Treasury-Post Office bill for 1886,
which has passed the House and now
Is in the Senate.
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee has not taken up this bill,
though, and it is not certain when 1t
will do so. Should the move there
fail. recourse doubtless would be had
to the Court of Claims The agents
already are represented by counsel.
a large group in New York having
retained Gen. Samuel T. AnSel, for
mer Judge advocate general OF the
Army. some months ago.
McKellar's declare ton as to his fu-
ture course was made yesterday, as
he was leaving the White House. He
said the matter was not discussed with
the President.
The Tennessee Senator's fight orig
finally was directed at about 72O
agents whom he asserted were re-em-
ployed after the Prohibition Bureau
was abolished, as hand-picked Hoo
yer Republicans" He always ques-
toned their civil service status, and
after being turned down by Attorney
General Cummings in an effort to
prove that their unemployment was
illegal, showed through his rider
right at the close of the last session
of Congress. Under this new civil
service tests were required if the men
were to hold on.
Many Failed Tests.
Then came a ruling by Attorney
General McCarl that not only the
McKellar targets but all their asso-
ciates would be affected by the rider,
due to the terms of the reorganiza-
tion order under which the Prohibi-
tion Bureau was abolished. and the
transfers made. A large number of
the men failed the tests, others re-
fused to take them.
When the effect of the rider began
to be evident, many members of Con-
greSs, importuned by constituents who
were affected, said they had voted
for the rider under misapprehension
and proposed to take corrective ac-
ton. This group is expected to be
audible when the pay issue comes to
head, and there has been specula-
tion also as to whether President
Roosevelt might not interest himself
in the matter.