Evening star., 1936-06-03
MANY MENTIONED
FOR M'CARL POST
Wishes of Congress Are
Expected to Decide
Appointment.

June 80, having completed MS lo-year
term. Under the law, he cannot De
reappointed, so President Roosevelt
Is casting about for McCarls success
sor.
The Office is one of the most I'M
portant in the Government service.
The controller general is the particu-
lar watchdog set up by Congress to
see that the money of the Govern
ment is disbursed in accordance with
the laws enacted by that body. The
appointment is for Is years at an
annual salary Of $4,000.
Among those who have been rec
commended for the place is Frank L.
Yates, now attorney -conferee in the
Office of the controller. Yates, West
Virginia Democrat and veteran OF
the World War, has been in the Gen
eral Accounting Office ever since 1t
was set up and has an excellent rec
ord. Many members Of Congress have
given their approval to his candidacy
to succeed McCarl. He has frequently
appeared before committees OF Con-
rress and has materially assisted these
committees in drafting legislation.
Two Others Mentioned.
Two other members of the present
staff of the General Accounting Of
fee whose names have been men
toned are Charles M. Galloway and
o. r. MCGUIRE, counsel for the ONCE.
Galloway was a member of the Civil
Service Commission before he entered
the General Accounting ONCE and is
about 81 years old. Because of the
retirement provisions of the law, he
would be unable to serve out the full
l5-year term. MCGUIRE has the back
ing of certain members of the Ameri-
can Bar Association. He may be
handicapped, however, by the fact
that he was reported to have been
active in aiding former President Her
bert Hoovers campaign in 1882.
Two officials of the Treasury De-
psrtment are reported to be candl-
dates. One of them is Daniel w. Bell,
acting director of the budget, and
the other is William H. McReynolds,
administrative assistant to the Sec
retary of the Treasury. For a num-
Der of years. McReynolds was as
sistant to Herbert D. Brown in the
Bureau of Efficiency until that agency
vas legislated out of existence by
Congress.
independence Is Factor.
Congress intention, when it created
the General Accounting Office, was to
have it an independent agency, large
ly under the control of the Congress
itself. 1t was to be kept entirely in
dependent OF the Treasury Depart
ment, which formerly received all ap-
propriated money and also audited
the expenditures and settled claims.
In some quarters the feeling exists
that to take an official from the Treas
ury Department and make him head
of the General Accounting Office
would not be in keeping with the
spirit of the act creating that Office.
. The Department of Agriculture is
reported to have a candidate in the
person of John P. Wenchel, assistant
TO the solicitor. Wenchel is said to
have the backing of Chester Davis.
head of the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration. Another New Deal
agency of the Government, the Ten
nessee Valley Authority, has a can
didate in Frank j. Carr. controller.
Congress itself, it is said, contains
number of aSpirants for the post
among them Representative Emmett
OrNeal of Kentucky, and a brace Of
Senators. Indeed the name of Sena-
tor Barkley of Kentucky has been
mentioned in the gossip about this ap-
pointment Senator Barkley is to be
the keynote speaker at the Democratic
National Convention in Philadelphia.
Wields Much Authority.
Since Congress has concerned itself
particularly with the General Account
ing Once, many members of Congress
believe that the wishes of the Congress
in regard to the appointment of
controller general should be given par
ticular weight by the President. The
controller general is clothed with great
authority when it comes to making
Government payments and to auditing
Government expenditures. During the
period of its existence the General Ac-
counting Office has been responsible
for the return to the Treasury of $40,-
100000 which was paid improperly and
not in accordance with the laws. This
Is greater sum than the actual cost
OF operating the office. But the main
benefit which has accrued from the
efficient operation of the establishment
Is found in the fact that disbursing
officers have become increasingly care
ful in paying out Government funds.
They know that they will ultimately
be checked by the General Accounting
Office and held responsible for the re-
turn of any funds paid out not in ac-
cordance with the strict Interpretation
OF the law.
Clashes With Higher Officials.
McCarl has done remarkable job
during his tenure of Office, guarding
the expenditure of billions of dollars
Frequently he has clashed with high
ranking officers of the Government
preventing the expenditure of money
in way or for purposes which he held
W NC AlOb NOA1SASJCIIb Will IIlC law. f1S
has trod on the toes of more than one
cabinet ofdcer. The country, as well as
Congress, has come to look up to the
controller general as the court of last
resort in the audit of Government dis
bursements.
No final decision, it was reported in
Informed quarters today, has been
made by the President in the matter
of picking McCarl's successor. Under
the law the General Accounting ONCE
may be operated under the direction
Of the assistant controller general II a
vacancy shall arise in the offlce of the
controller general. That being the
case, the President is not compelled to
announce the selection of a new man
until he is ready. The assistant con-
troller general is former Representa-
tive Richard M. Elliott of Indiana. a
Republican. It is presumed that the
prneidapt will oppoipt q nauoncrat