Evening star., 1938-11-10
&c. {. Vote Purges3
As Procedure
Is Revamped
Examining Division
And Its Chief
Dropped by Action

HioPPS0 ~ T$ts0si
Revamping OF the procedural
methods In the handling of COM
munications cases and in the sys-
tenn of collecting and disseminating
information was ordered yesterday
by the Federal Communications
Commission. While Chairman
Frank r. McNinch, in a press con-
ference, pointed out the change was
an organizational one designed to
improve the efficiency of the COM
mission, it set in motion the long
expected purge, resulting in drop
ping from the commissions rolls of
three persons. two of them long
employed under civil service in the
Government.
The Examining Division, headed
by Col Davis G.. Arnold, was Or
dered abolished. Col. Arnold and
Melvin H. Dalberg, assistant chief
examiner, were separated from the
service by the action, and six other
lawyers in the division, P. w. Sew
ard, George H. Hill, John P. Bram-
hall, Robert L. Irwin, Rosel H. Hyde
and Tyler Berry. were ordered
transferred to the legal department.
The commission also abolished the
position of information expert, held
by G. Franklin Wisner, and author
lied the chairman to borrow the
services of M. l.. Ramsey, director
of information and research of the
Rural Identification Administra-
ton, to study and make a report to
the commission on the collecting
and dissemination of information.
Under Dempsey's Direction.
The former examiners have been
placed under the direction of Acting
General Counsel William J. Demp-
sey, who has just succeeded to that
position as result of the purge
dismissal of Hampson Gary. Mr.
Dempsey is one of the proteges of
the Corcoran-C Cohen group of young
lawyers.
The action of the commission was
taken in a long session at which
1t was said the plan was laid before
them and carried out by votes al
ready arranged for. On abolition
of the Examining Division, the vote
was four to three, Commissioners
McNinch, Walker, Sykes and Brown
voting for it, and Commissioners
Craven, Payne and Case voting
against. In the vote on the infor-
nation section, Messrs Payne and
Craven voted against.
The action of the commission was
the signal for the release of a Sc
ries of statements, one by Com
missioner Craven and others by
Messrs. Arnold and Wisner.
Commissioner Craven said he was
against the action of the examining
division because I felt that grave
questions of procedure involving un-
desirable control of the Nations
communication system might be in
volved and because I felt that long
Government service and excellent
record of efficiency should be recog-
nized by the commission.
with respect to the termination
Of the services of Mr.. Wisner and
the employment of Mr. Ramsey, I
voted no because did not know
Mr.. Ramsey and had no opportun-
ity to investigate his qualifications
and because I felt that the COM
mission might be in danger of evad-
ing the spirit of the Civil Service
Act. Furthermore, I felt that if
the majority of the commission de-
sired the services of Mr.. Ramsey
in an advisory capacity for tenn
porary period, he could have been
employed in addition to the pres
ent staff"
Commissioner Craven said he
felt that these men should be given
an opportunity to be heard by the
commissioners prior to their sev-
erance from the service. He said
he Is concerned with the possible
effect on civil service in Govern
ment by the action taken by the
commission.
Chairman McNinch explained
that a new examining procedure
was set up to place the RESPONSE
bility for examination and decision
in radio license, communications
tariff, and other cases more def
nitely upon the commissioners, and
to bring the commissions practice
into line with the principles an
nounced in the Morgan and other
cases by the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Wisner. in his statement,
charged that in his case civil SER
vice broke down completely and
the law was ignored by circumven-
ton He added that no one I'M
der civil service can henceforth feel
secure. The information chief also
charged that since Mr. McNinch
has been chairman he has never
discussed the manner of collecting
and dissemination of information
with him.
Col. Arnold said he believed the
action in placing the examiners in
the legal division was fundamen-
tally wrong, and contrary to the
practice as suggested in the Nor
gan case to which Mr.. McNinch
referred. He said it puts the jul
dicial work of the commission un-
der the legal department, which
in many matters represents the op-
position.