Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-10-14

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covering that hearing who felt he
tried to do the job fairly.
So now Morrison Shafroth and
Russell Ryan are back in private
life and in their places are men
picked by Mr.. Oliphant, men who
are likely to obey orders regardless
of the whims of Mr.. Oiphant and
Secretary Morgenthau.
Another instance of official ac-
ton that seems to indicate a bad
trend in govern
Indicates ment lately has
Bad Trend occurred. This in
cident was propa-
gated by the federal power commits
sion, one of the numerous federal
agencies that is supposed to be
largely judicial in character but
which is equipped at the same time
with administrative powers.
The facts are these:
There was group of men who
served as directors of the Associat-
ed Gas and Electric company.
These same individuals were direc-
tors for numerous corporations that
are subsidiaries of that same COM
pany.
The federal power act provides
that the commission may require
directors of one power company to
divest themselves of connection
with any other power companies
one of the strongest features of the
law The commission is empowered
to make it's own investigation of
these interlocked directorates and
then on it's own motion may require
such directors to appear and give
the commission satisfactory reasons
why they are holding places on the
boards of more than one corpora
ton. This also is sound provision
of law and undoubtedly works to the
benefit of all consumers of light and
power.
Before I proceed further, let it
be definitely understood that l have
not a great deal of respect for the
Associated Gas and Electric COM
pany. Its record does not warrant
my respect as an observer. I'm
doubtedly, however, it's manage
ment complies with the terms of it's
corporate charter but as a great
public utility it has obligations to
the public beyond the terms of it's
charter and it is my opinion that
the moral obligations are such that
this age demands full observation of
them.
This brings us to the crux of the
power commission action. Late in
September Vice Chairman Seavey
of the commission had ordered the
group of directors referred to above
to show cause why they should not
be compelled to relinquish various
positions on other boards of direc-
tors. A hearing date was set. A
few days before the hearing date,
the directors in question resigned
the positions to which the commits
sion objected and then their attor-
ney issued statement which said,
in effect, that they had resigned
because they were convicted in the
minds of the commission before the
commissioners had heard the case.
He used rather strong language,
perhaps too strong in expressing his
| views.
Upon publication of the attorneys
statement, Vice Chairman Seavey
promptly ordered him to appear be-
| fore the commission to give his
reasons for the statement and to
defend himself against disbarment
from practice as lawyer before
the commission.
Now, lest I be misunderstood, I
do not know the attorney, Mr.. Pax
son; / know nothing about the mer-
| it's of the case in question. But it is
significant that an agency of the
| government suddenly decides that it
can prevent man from earning his
living because he criticized men,
bers of that agency.
Occasionally, situations develop in
national politics that provide real
| laugh. One Of
JUST a them is now at
Big Laugh hand. 1t results
from the nasty
controversy that swirls around the
head of Hugo Black of Alabama,
newly appointed associate justice
of the Supreme court, who is
charged with being a member of the
Ku Klux Khan.
Terrible as is the charge and
worse if it eventuates that Mr.. JUS
tice Black still is subject to the oath