The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-22

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 The battle was over an airplane route between Houston and Brownsville, Texas, and the two companies bidding were Eastern Air Lines and Braniff Airways. Both wanted to be the first line flying over this important link between Mexico and the eastern United States, because lines ale ready in operation receive prefer ence under the new Aeronauti@ Authority.
 Braniff therefore offered to carry U. s. mail for one. millionth of . cent per mile. Eastern Air Lines simultaneous ly put in . formal bid of S00.00 per mile. Before making the bid Eastern Air Lines astute Cap- tain Eddie Rickcnbacker, famous World War ace, had looked up precedents for zero bids and found them to be legal.
 However, he reckoned without Elliott Roosevelt. Elliott lives at Fort Worth, through which Bran- if Airways pass. Also Fort Worth is the home of Anon Carter, friend and sponsor of Elliott Roosevelt.
 Elliott began to pull wires in Washington, got his brother Jimmy to intervene with their father. For time 1t looked as if Eastern Air Lines would lose out. Finally, however, the low bid prevailed.
 The millionth of a cent bid of Branif was thrown out and the $00.00 bid of Eastern Air Lines accepted. As a result 1t will soon be possible to take a plane at 10 P. M. in New York, and have lunch next day in Mexico City. Big BrOadcasters
 Here is how the big broadcast ing companies feel about the Roosevelt Administration.
 When Congressman Davey Lewis, New Deal candidate against Old Deal Senator Tydings of Maryland, went on the air last week after the Presidents Social Security speech, the Columbia Broadcasting company charged him regular commercial rates.
 But three days later when Congressman John O'Connor of New York went on the air to answer the President, the Co., lumbia Broadcasting company gave him free time. O'Connor Is running from only one dis- trict in New York city. Yet Columbia gave him . coast-to coast hook
 NOTE - Representatives of Co., lumbia include Paul Porter, for- mer New Deal executive in the AAA, also Judge John Burns, former counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 A New Deal Find
 Thanks to Assistant Secretary Dick Patterson, things are looking up around the dissension- ridden Commerce Department.
 When he took office several months ago, Washington labeled him a pleasant young man with flair for clothes, an ingratiating social manner and not much else. Now the Capital knows better.
 In the short time he has been on the job, Patterson has perked up the morale of the entire depart ment. This is particularly true in the battered Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, which has undergone one upheaval after another since that fateful day in July, 1933. when 453 mem- bers of its Washington staff and several hundred foreign service officers were fired.
 Executive Personnel
 Strengthening the Bureau was one of Patterson's first tasks. AS a result. of his quiet efforts the following changes in executive personnel have been made:
 Promotion of Ernest A. Tupper, one of the ablest and most con- scientious experts in the Bureau, to chief statistician.
 The shifting of Lacey c. Zapf, assistant director of the Bureau, to Sydney, Australia, and H. Law renee Groves, chief of the Foreign Commerce Service, to Shanghai, China.
 The appointment of Willard L. Thorp, brilliant young economist, as Patterson's chief assistant in the Monopoly Probe, in which the Commerce Department partici- pates.
 In naming Thorp, Patterson brought the young man back to a department from which he was busted six years ago with the sec- ret connivance of Secretary Dan Roper. Thorp was the Presidents first selection as director of the Foreign and Domestic Bureau, was making an excellent record