The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-11-10

Tor MS reSlgnaClOn, and an alterna-
tive of another appointment else
where in the government. But he
stuck out his chin and said "no."
Well, he promptly was fired.
Too Much Interested In
Fighting Among Themselves
From all of the stories I have
picked up, suspect that Mr.. Gary
was no great shakes as a lawyer.
On the other hand, it was equally
apparent that Mr.. Gary was being
supported by couple of commits
sioners who had hard noses and
wouldn't quit fighting. It is an Incl
dent that is related as an illustra-
ton and as a basis for the state
ment that most Of the members Of
the commission and q substantial
portion of the subordinate personnel
are much more interested in fight
ing among themselves than in try
ing to understand and administer
an intricate law.
This column Is not the place to
attempt a list of the many rulings
of the commission that have done
the industry no good. Attention can
be called, however, to the procedure
under which these decisions are
brought about, having in mind that
such decisions have just as much
foyco &c fho 1avy itself
It is the regular routine in q gov
ernmental agency for consideration
Of problems determination Of policy,
Interpretation Of law, to have their
initiative In suggestions from the
top individuals. They are named
as the policy-makers. They have
to assume responsibility. In the case
of the communications commission,
there seems to be something Of the
same procedure followed, except that
the individual members Of the
board, or some of them, persist in
acting individually rather than col
lectively as q board.
This would not be so bad II the
board mmeberS as whole were In
accord. But they are not. There Is
q split as wide as Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. The result Is that on many,
many occasions underlings have
brought forward propositions that
served only to fan the flames Of
disagreement between board MEM
beers. And, Of course, as these pro-
posals became known the portion Of
the radio industry concerned was
thoroughly upset because it had no
way to defend itself no place to tell
its side of the case.
General Housecleaning
In Commission Needed
Again, even this condition could
be corrected and something of q
workable nature developed II the
bulk of the subordinates around the
commission were sound thinkers.
That, unfortunately however, seems
not to be the case. The place is pack
ed and damned with numerous men
who think they are hot shots. whose
only claim to recognition is that
they, themselves, claim to be ex-
perts, or who have been unable to
make good in the industry and have
succeeded through political en-
dorsement to get q place at the
feed trough Of government checks.
So I say that I am unwilling to
charge continuation Of the mess to
Mr.. McNinch. He apparently has
tried, but as long as some members
of the commission manage to gain
public attention by the nauseating
blurbs and as long as some Of the
silly flock, claiming to be Original
New Dealers" continue to spew out
venom about "unfairness Of news
papers" 1t is likely the communities
lions commission Is going to get no.
where very fast.
Much Of the silly propaganda.
that newspapers are unfair to the
New Deal, bubbles to the surface
from points other than the COM
munications commission. Those who
serve as the mouthpieces for such
clabber, however, can be seen flock
ing together frequently. It Is only
natural. therefore, to suppose that
they are active In spreading their
views among commission underlings
who, in turn, get the germs incubat-
ed within their own organization.
said earlier that 1t may be Mr..
Roosevelt will have to ask for a gen.
eral housekeeping and resignation
Of most Of those in key positions. It
IS quite likely that he viii dodge
that action II any other way can be
found to solve the problem. In any
event, hope that congress looks
into the situation. # it does, may
be something concrete win be done
to establish q sound agency-one
that will consider the interests Of |
listeners and services and manufac-
turers equally, just as the Inter-
state Commerce commission does in
its supervision of rail and other