Evening star., 1935-03-18
Washington Takes Charge.

The Federal Government is taking
over the handling of relief in Ohio.
Whatever the reason for such step,
it is a deplorable state of affairs when
the Federal Government assumes
control of anything so intimately as
sociated with the people of a State as
the relief of the needy. And yet such
situation has been in the making
ever since the New Dealers took
charge of the administration in Wash
ington. The dual system Of govern
ment which has existed in the United
States since its beginning, with cer-
tain functions, national in scope,
placed in the hands of the Federal
Government, and all the rest of the
functions and powers of government
left in the hands of the States. makes
no appeal to those who believe that
the power should be centralized in
Washington and the people of all
the States and all the localities
should follow one pattern.
The charge is made to the head of
the Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
ministration, Harry L. Hopkins, that
the campaign committee of Gov.
Davey of Ohio has been shaking
down" men and business firms which
were in the business of selling goods
to the Ohio Relief Administration.
The charge has been backed up by
President Roosevelt, who has directed
that the Federal Government taEe
over direction of all State relief involv-
ing Federal funds. The Federal Gov
ernment's agent, Charles C. Stillman,
is already in Columbus, the State
capital, for that purpose. 1t is even
intimated that the Federal agent may
be called upon also to administer the
States contribution for relief. Mr..
Hopkins notified Gov. Davey some
time ago that Ohio must turn up 81
100000 a month to- supplement the
100000 which the Federal Govern
ment is sending into the State for re-
lief.
If there has been an effort to shake
down business men to square Gov.
Davey's political debts, it should be
investigated thoroughly. There are
evidences that the State Legislature
and the attorney general of the State
will move promptly in the matter.
The evidence in the case has been
collected, it is said, by the Federal
Government. Naturally the Federal
Government has and must take an
interest in the expenditure of money
sent into Ohio or any other State.
There is already talk of impeachment
of Gov. Davey. 1t is an unusual
situation. however, when a movement
for the impeachment of the Governor
of one of the States grows out of
Federal activity in Washington. And
it has serious implications.
Months ago Senator William E.
Borah of Idaho charged that the ad-
of relief was honey
combed with waste and extravaganza.
His charges we're denied by Mr..
Hopkins. They went rather to the
manner in which relief was admin
istered and the money loosely ex-
pended than to charges that any one
was being shaken down" in connec-
ton with contracts for materials to
be used in relief. On the eve of an
other huge appropriation of public
funds for relief the whole situation
would bear investigation.
The suggestion has come from a
number of quarters in the past that
the American Red Cross should be
the agency to handle the Federal re-
lief funds. That agency has been
called upon frequently in the past to
deal with emergency situations aris-
ing from floods and other disastrous
conditions. Its administration has
never been tainted with fraud. 1t
has not been charged with playing
politics, nor with waste and extrav-
apance