The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-26

that several Of ils members are secretly attempting to sabotage the ineulFy. & x ts,s
 Some of the commissioners were for from enthusiastic when the senate ordered the agency to make the investigation. This was Aia open secret at the time. AS the probe progressed. reports of in. ternal dissension leaked out every once in 0 while. ,s as,t.,. -a0
 But it wasn't until last week that this sub rosa pulling and hauling broke into the open. The way 1t happened was extTaordin. ary.
 RuHnors Spiked
 The Wall Street Journal and Hearst news service carried Q story that Samuel Becker, young, hard.hltting chief investigator, and John Bickley, his equally ag. greSsive accountant assistant, were resigning. The inference was that hey were being busted. The source of the story was Commits sioner Thad Fl. Brown 0e Ohio, Q Aoover.appointod hold.over from the old Radio Commission,
 This report was entirely with-f out foundation. It 'was promptly and decisively scotched by Com. missioner Paul A. Walker, who is directly in charge of the telephone investigatoin, upon his return to Washington
 Why Brown spilled tho resigna- ton story at this particular time Is not known. ,.
 NOTE-Two facts may have something to do with 1t. One is that Walker and Becker are pre-. pairing to resume public hearings shortly. The other Is that Becker has asked his colleagues to name Carl Wheat e crusading telephone expert from California, to do special work on his staff. Ladies of the Press
 The small group of women members of the senate press gel. lery has outwitted the naughty and mighty Standing Committee of the gallery.
 The Standing Committee. made up of members of the Washing ton press corps, Is elected by the newsTmen every two years. It has Q Serni.official status, and It's function Is to supervise the con- gressional press galleries, handle press arrangements at inauguralS and political conventions,
 Last summer and fall the senate press gallery underwent extensive reconstruction. But when lt was completed the amazed women reporters dis. covered that their promised lounge had somehow failed Co materlallSe
 rho Standing Committee had quietly changed the plans. Tn. stead Of giving ono of tho added rooms to tho women, they had 1t into Q roomy office for local rec porterS.
 Girls on Warpath
 The "girIs" hit the warpath. Led by Mrs. May Elizabeth Craig, cor- respondent for group of Maine papers, they went to tho senate rules committee, headed by Sen. ator M. M. Nicely, democrat, of West Virginia, end demanded tho promised rest room.
 The committee was sympathetic but tho masculine Standing Committee entered objections. The men reporters of the press gallery, they asserted, did not want Q wolnenS' lounge in the place.
 The battle ragged throughout tho last session, with both sides lobbying vigorously. Tho women reporters rallied tho women members Of the Senate and House Co their cause, and they put In some hefty lloks. Finally thelr chance came.
 The Standing Committee tried to got on appropriation to i'm. prove the House press galleries. The women reporters promptly demanded. specific authorization for 0 rest room. When the Standing Committee refused such 0 concession the "girls", through thelr feminine allies in the House, promptly blocked the appropria- ton. rs '. '.
 "No rest room, no Approprla. tlon," was the ultlmatuHa.
 Senator Nicely, under fire from both sides, appointed Q suh-co!1l- mittee made up of Senator Byrd, steiwer and Copeland. They tried to persuade tho Standing Committee to recede from It's stiff- neeked attitude, but 1t refused to budge.
 Disguised Rest Room
 So the deadlock continued until congress adjourned late in June and tho hard-hearted males Of tho standing committee went ofs to Philadelphia to cover the democratic convention.
 Two days after they had de-
 parted from Washington, Sem
 ator Copeland sent . crew of
 woPkmen into the Senate press
 0allaFv. and under thO gVllae Of