Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-08-27

L I
: end. Then he turned to the publi
5 debt and the easing of the enormous
tax burden the American people hat
borne through the war
The debt, which stood at 26 billion!
of dollars when he entered office, wa.
pared down more than 20 per cent
while more than two billion dollar.
were cut off the annual tax bill of the
people.
Mr.. Mellon was born on March "a
1854, at Pittsburgh, the son of Judge
Thomas and Sarah Jane Negley Mel
lon. His father was judge in the AL
legheny county court, but retired in
1869 to found the banking house OF
t. Mellon and Sons
After his schooling in the public
schools of Pittsburgh and the Univer-
slty of Pittsburgh, the future Secre-
tary entered this banking house and
upon the retirement of his father, he
and his brother, r. B. Mellon, organ
lied the Union Trust Company and
! the Union Savings Bank.
These institutions and the Mellon
National Bank, of which Andrew w.
Mellon was made president, formed
the bulwark of the numerous other
financial and industrial interests with
which he became connected before he
was required to drop all upon his en-
try into the cabinet.
Assumed Duties in 1921
A second choice for appointment by
President Harding, Mr.. Mellon took of
flee on March 4, 1921. Political Wash
lngton found the greater banker and
business man extremely diffident and
sparing in words, but it learned that
his was strong will once he had set
himself to a course.
OF Scotch Presbyterian stock, Mr..
Mellon was of small stature, but his
physique belied his capacity for work.
He was at his desk early and late. At
tending Cabinet meetings was a fet-
lsh with him, so much so that when
occasion demanded his presence else
where, he frequently made flying trips
TO Washington to be present at the
Presidents council table.
His office only stones throw from
the White House, he would quietly
slip out of the back door of the Treas
ury, putting at a small cigar, and
move rapidly across the street and
around the south side of the White
House to the executive offices.
Although ranked as one of the rich
est men in America, the Secretary
gave little time to recreation. He did
some riding and played golf moderate
~, but his principal exercise was walk
ing and he was seen often on the
streets of Washington going to and
from his office
Despite his wealth, he often found
himself without pocket money, and it
is related that on one occasion when
he was in a hurry to reach his office,
a taxicab driver held him at the Treas
ury door until Mr.. Mellon could dis
patch a messenger to his office to Dor
row money from his secretary
Although MI. Mellon wrote some
books on economics, he did little pub
lie speaking. He was i'll at ease on
the public platform, as he was before
Congressional committees where he
appeared by invitation occasionally
to give his views on taxation and 9TH
er financial subjects.
Shy In Public
In the habit of presiding over strict
~ business meetings and giving a
yes or mo- to questions or max
ing concise statements, the secretary
was sometimes at a loss for words
to explain his reason for particular
when asked by members of Congress
recommendations for legislation. But
he was always able to make his mean
ing and the strength of his position
clear
A fondness for ocean travel was an
incentive to spending vacations in
Europe, where he utilized them by con
ferences with high public officials on
the larger financial problems of the
world. Newspaper correspondents
abroad found him just as reticent as
those at home
Going to Washington from Pitts
burgh with what the politicians re-
garded as the somewhat odd idea of
conducting Treasury affairs on a strict
~ business basis, the secretary soon
found himself in conflict with the
politicians, particularly those on Cap
itol Hill. His policy, especially that
of retaining efficient Democrats in
the Treasury service, led to a protest
to President Harding.
Urging the secretary's utter lack of
practical political experience, those
|
the federal service finally succeeded in
having Elmer Dover. of Ohio, appoint
ed as assistant secretary
Thus a man who had his early po-
litical training under the late Mark
Hanna became a liason officer be-
tween Mellon and the politicians, but
the secretary held to his idea of hav-
ing the best men for the job, and
Dover retired within a year.
While the controversies seldom FLAIR
ed into the open, Mr.. Mellon had his
difficulties with both the drys and
the vets in the administration of the
| prohibition unit. Drys denominated
| his as a wet because of his former
holdings in a whisky distillery, while
| the vets assaulted him as his methods
| in enforcing the Volstead Act
Seeks Prohibition Abality
| Clifford Pinchot, then governor oil
| Pennsylvania, delivered frequent
| proadsides at Mr.. Mellon on the dry
| issue and joined with other prohibit
tlonists in insisting upon the policy
| of using ardent champions of prohi
| bitiOn for it's enforcement.
Despite these criticisms from both
sides, the secretary adhered to his pol
| ;oxy. oollipcr in Brio Cnn Tipoolp A,