, 1935-08-28
WASHINGTON
By Raw Tucker

WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker
Mystery@Secretary Rcper's bust
ness advisory council Is in warm
water again-their usual state Of
mind and emotion.
Although six leading members
have quit because the White House
showed no interest in their advice,
q few survivors have struggled des-
perately TO inform President Roose-
Welt on the views Of business and
industry. They regularly send COM
ments on his proposals TO him. and
wait in vain for replies. III he looks
at them there has been no sign OF
Ii. He has even withheld them from
prying press, and under their agree
ment only he car make them public.
The last three reports. however.
have hit the headlines OF many
newspapers. Mr.. Roper won't admit
II, but he wishes somebody would
tell him what coed there Is In hav-
ing an advisory committee If you
can't control il. Unofficially COM
mitteemen explain that they have
forwarded copies Of their reports 70
senate finance committee members
and that they must have leaked"
But a quiet check diScloSes that
democratic senators have never
seen these anti-New Deal opuses.
Sympathy Comptroller General
McCarl is good enough lawyer to be
able 10 read between the lines OF
ambiguously wOrded law. When he
gets around to studying statues en-
acted by the recent session Of coll
gress he will find that IL has snip
ped his red tape and weakened his
capacity for hating New Deal ven
lures.
he has handicapped &c many
undertakings that President Roose-
welt took him for a ride on the
Seuuoia. But still Mr.. McCarl con-
tinued to veto iva. AAA and REA
proposals. He was sorry-he had no
feeling In the matter-but the pro
posed projects exceeded the legal
authority conferred upon their
sponsors. One high-up official got
SC angry at this practice that he
said: "we can get Just as tough as
you are"
MI. McCarl ISN'T tough. contrary
TO common belief. IN fact, he SYM
pathizes with many Of the things ne
has to turn down.
Impersonal-Clipped or unclipped,
Uncle Sans bookkeeper frightens
the hardest bravo Of the New Deal
Mr.. McCarl bears down heaviest
on navy admirals and army gen.
erals. He regularly diSal0ws their
contracts and their claims for ira
Yelling expenses. He seems 20 take
delight in plaguing gruff Harold
Ickes. who publicly blames the de-
lay in moving some OF his projects
On the comptroller general. Although
ne has restricted the field OF opera
tons OF the Rural Resettlement Ad-
mi~nistration, Mr.. McCarl gets along
well with the mild Henry Wallace.
He also has a liking for Brain Trust
er Rex Tugwell.
Despite his many adverse opinions
on New Deal experiments. the comp
troller general has more friendly
relations with members Of this adj
ministration than he he'd with its
three predecessors. dc admits It.
Put Il doesn't affect his attitude.
He's a queer one.
Fees-The lawyers assigned By
The American Liberty League 70
render opinions on the constitu-
tionality Of New Deal experiments
can write their verdict now. In fact.
many have slready condemned the
defendant. Their selection angers
and amuses the new dealers. al
though they have made II a rule not
To advertise the league by taking
notice OF its criticism.
Almost every man on the cons
titutional committee has denounced
the presidents program rs a viola
ton OF the founding fathers philo-
sophy. Some have received fat fees
for putting their ideas In writing.
They have been employed to lead
court attacks on iva. the process
ing tax. the holding company bill.
Despite their admitted prejudice,
they number some Of the most
eminent members Of the American
bar. and their adverse decisions may
be a real political force.
Conservative lawyers are not the
only ones engaged in fighting the
New Deal. Some OF the lawyer-poli-
ticians who helped to place Roose-
welt in the White House - Bruce
Kremer OF Montana and Arthur
Mullen Of Nebraska-have been re-
vealed as the recipients OF fees from
private companies. Both are estim-
~+p1 10 have made fortunes from
their legal services on the ether
side or the White House fence.
Comeback-InSlders whisper that
Harold Ickes IS slowly restoring
himself TO the favored place he used
10 occupy IN White House circles
For a time the Secretary Of the
Interior seemed to be slipping so