The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-12-15

thing what an official title will
cause many men and women to do.
It is equally strange what many
OF them will attempt to do under
the guise of the official sanction
which they usurp at every oppor-
tunlty. I do not intend to include
all public officials but I dare say
that everyone who reads these lines
can look about him and discover in
his midst or recall others who, as
soon as they began wearing title.
developed big head" got "puffed
up" and otherwise assumed a high
and-mighty attitude. The chara-
cterlstlcs may show in thousand
and one different ways, and we all
are more or less familiar with them.
Few persons probably would need
to be concerned if the circumstance
involved only this outward appear
ance. I am sure I wouldn't care
whether some official believed him
self to be son of the sun-god and,
therefore, counted himself great.
But when the mental attitude Of
that official begins manifesting is
self as it so often does by usurpa-
ton Of improper and illegal power;
when he regards himself as Judge
and jury, as well as prosecutor, then
1t seems to me that a halt ought to
be called.
All of the above observations are
made just as prelude to discus
sion of recent action by the de-
partment of justice. More accur-
ately, it should be said the action
was by Professor Thurmond Arnold,
who has great pride in his ability as
q trust buster. He also frequently
has let 1t be known-with due mod
esty, Of course that he possesses
knowledge in many fields. His ca
reer as university professor OBJ
viouSly fitted him with great un-
derStanding Of problems and prac-
ticeS Of business men. Mr.. Arnold
has not yet undertaken to solve the
difficulties of agriculture, but
reckon that is only a question Of
time.
Indictment Used as Club
Over Auto Corporations
But, again, am not so much con-
cerned with Mr.. Arnold's own esti-
mate Of Mr.. Arnold, but with the
results flowing from that officials
acts.
The act that brings on this dis
cuSsion was involved in what Is
known as consent decree. The
department Of justice obtained q
grand jury Indictment Of some Of
the larger automobile manufacture
ing corporations and their officials
under the antitrust statutes. The
charges involved the use, by the
companies, Of what were described
as monopolistic practices in the
financing Of new cars sold to in
stallment buyers. Each of the larg-
er companies, as I understand 1t,
owns q subsidiary corporation to
which q refill dealer can sell the
notes he takes when the buyer Of q
car wants to pay for the vehicle
over period Of year or longer.
I do not know the intricate ma
ture Of the scheme, and there may
have been many grounds for the in
dictment. Indeed, I think q grand
jury would not have returned an in
dictment unless its members saw
something that was not proper. But
when the department Of justice had
the Indictment, It used It as q club.
It's officials, under Mr.. Arnold's
guidance, are reported to have said
to the motor magnates, in effect:
now, If you admit certain of these
charges and agree to stop the prac-
tees, and II you win agree to COM
ply with certain other conditions
which we lay down, we will not
prosecute criminally. So, the mo-
tor companies apparently elected to
agree and avoid further prosecution.
Thus, there came about q decree by
xI,o roneanf ~ fho arr1.4od