Evening star., 1936-05-13
new COIN ISSUE
SEENAS RACKET
Cincinnati Commemorating
Music Anniversary With
out Any Good Reason.
RY CARLISLE BARGERoN.

has sought to discourage minor
rackets around his administration. It
develops that commemorative coins
are just about to be struck OF for
the City Of Cincinnati when 1t really
has nothing to commemorate. The
matter came up when Charles Morse,
chairman Of the Fine Arts Commis-
sion which has to approve the pro-
posed designs. got to looking into
the proposed design Of the Cincinnati
commemorative coin.
1t developed that Cincinnati really
did not rate to commemorate any,
thing this year. 1t was a music CEN
tenary that was proposed to be COM
memorated, the one hundredth anni-
versary of the date Cincinnati was ac-
cepted as music center But 1t de-
veiops that Cincinnati's culture in this
respect dated from some entirely diff
ferent time.
The bill authorizing the commemo-
rating coins went through Congress
with the approval of Representative
Hess and Senator Buckley, however,
notwithstanding Mr.. Roosevelt's ex-
pressed objection to this sort of busi-
ness on June II of last year. and in
cidentally. without either Hess or
Bulkley knowing just exactly what the
commemorative coins were intended
| to commemorate. What they did
know was that the music lovers of
Cincinnati seemed to be in favor
of the coinage.
President FrOwns on Practice.
In his letter of June II, 1895, adj
dressed to Senator Fletcher, chairman
of the Committee on Banking and
Currency, who at that time was wor-
ried about various inflationary none
tary proposals Che was not worried
about an appropriation for the Flor
ida ship canal because the President
had appropriated for it out of relief
funds), Mr.. Roosevelt called attention
to the fact that the matter of strik-
ing of commemorative coins for every
little Tom, Dick and Harry event had
been concern of the previous ad-
ministratisn, and the intimation was
that the New Dealers embraced this
concern, and Mr.. Roosevelt suggested
that if something must be struck
of, that it be medals.
Mr.. Roosevelt pointed out that bills
are being introduced with increasing
frequency authorizing the coins COM
memorating events, many of which
are of no more than local signifi-
canoe"
Senator Adams of Colorado, as head
OF one of Senator Fletcher's subcom-
mittees, made study of the coin busi-
ness and reported on March II, this
year. Before the Senator as he brought
his subcommittee to order were Is bills
to strike off commemorative coins. and
Senator Adams asked the clerk of the
committee rather sarcastically if tina,
was all, and the clerk replied he hadn',
looked in the incoming mail Of the
day.
In spite Of this cynical attitude and
Mr. Roosevelt's opposition the coinage
bills have continued.
Rackets Spurned by President.
Mr.. Roosevelt is understood to fee
strongly. not as strongly as he does
about some other things-but at least
to be against the general coinage busi-
ness. He Is different from q lot OF
other Presidents, it Is pointed out, in
the matter of autographed photo.
graphs and will not give a man an
autographed photograph unless he
personally knows the man. Some men
get autographs of Presidents, it is ex-
planned. display them in their Offices
and with them seek to give their
clients the impression that they are
close to the President and can get
things done" OF course, Mr.. Roose-
welt has a wide acquaintance.
Shortly after he came in, Mr.. Roose-
welt announced that any citizen could
get things done without recourse to a
close to the President" man here and
he set up department Of informa-
tion. This department has later be-
come erased in the development OF
other alphabetical agencies, but Mr.
Roosevelt's attitude Is understood to
be that the citizen can still find his
way about the New Deal, that it is as
plain as day.
Earlier in his administration he wa,
caused considerable chagrin over Post.
master General Farley's getting in bad
with the philatelists. But this was
Strengthened out when Mr.. Farley ran
on 30 many duplicates of the stamps
he had given to Mr.. Roosevelt and tc
Secretary Ickes and to other friend,
as to make them valueless.
As regards the numismatic industry
Mr.. L. w. Hoffecker of El Paso, Tex
chairman of the Legislative Commit.
tee ofthe American Numismatic Asso-
citation, appeared before the Adams
Committee and his attitude seemed tc
be pretty much that of the utility
holding company executives, that the
business shouldn't be killed, but reg.
ulated. To kill it, it is argued, would
be defiationary move and discourag.
ing to American ingenuity and enter.
prise.
Opponents of the New Deal, on the
other hand. assert that the growth oi
the numismatic and philatelist indus.
tries in this country disprove tn.
New Deals contention that the from.
tier Of opportunity Is closed.
Eh1uEP NIEIlM AMI