Evening star., 1939-04-30
Murphy's Reform
Policies AppIouded
BIZ ODen L. Scott.


is topping the field of cabinet officers in
ability to capture the public lisnelight.
Mr.. Murphy came to town at time
when the highest officials were finding it
difficult to get attention. Some New
Dealers were tired. Others were running
shows that had ceased for one reason or
another to excite the Nation.
Even President Roosevelt found that
in todays world good dose of war talk
is about the only real assurance Of space
on the front page.
In the midst of this sort Of competi-
make name for himself. He set out
not with the idea of creating some big
new experiment, but with the simple idea
of enforcing the law and of insisting that
absolute integrity should be prerequi-
site for public service, particularly in the
judiciary.
Results, to date, are encouraging to
Mr.. Murphy.
Two Federal judges have resigned un-
der fire. A few others are uncomfortable
in the knowledge that the Federal Gov
ernment's investigators are using mi
croscope on their records A start has
been made, in addition, in placing the
administrative arm Of the Federal courts
on civil service instead Of political
basis. Fee systems that are subject to
abuse are to give way to systems Of fiat
compensation.
IIndar tn fc fhnrH,,oy1, {y,uacf{-
cation Of receivership practices in the
Federal courts, with hints that startling
revelations may be made. Juiciest politi-
cal plums in all of the Government serv-
ice often are found in bankruptcy and
receivership cases. Mr.. Murphy proposes
to reform this whole field Of judicial
practice.
Senators with political debts to pay
find that the candidates recommended by
them to appointment to the Federal jul
dietary are now being subjected to the
closest investigation and are often
turned down. More and more Federal
judges have been coming from the ranks
Of professors of law on the direct recon-
mendation Of the Attorney General.
4 \
A Republican political leader in Michi-
gan is having an opportunity to explain
the sources of his income and a Demo-
cratic political leader in Missouri Is un-
der indictment for income tax evasion.
The Attorney General, to show wider
range Of activity, reports that a number
of antitrust suits are taking shape
against several of the Nations large in
dustrial corporations.
In word, Mr.. Murphy is out to do
job OF reform in the field of public serv-
ice-in contrast to the usual run of at
tempted New Deal reforms in the field
OF economics. The Attorney Generals
reform wave, rather dramatically, has hit
with particular severity in the field OF
Federal Government justice
More than surface Importance at
taches to this development.
1t is not lost on the White House that
Thomas E. Dewey, the youthful and Wig
orous prosecutor of New York City, is
standing high in the ranks of those who
are in line for the Republican presiden-
tlal nomination. Mr.. DeWey's standing
is based upon the fact that he has at
tackled political racketeers with unusual
success. He has succeeded in convicting
Tammany leader. His work contribut-
ed to unearthing Of the Coster- -Musica
case, with its ramifications in the Fed
eral judiciary.
But, essentially, the field Of Mr..
Dewey's operations is rather limited from
national point Of view.
Some one with equal vigor, operating
on national scale, might serve to over
shadow the Dewey operations and to
emphasize that crusading zeal in the field
OF honesty in public service is not con-
fined to the ranks of the Republicans
Mr.. Murphy is out to take the limelight
from Mr.. Dewey in this whole field.
Where the New York prosecutor is con-
fined to one city and its criminals, most
OF whom are operating in the field of
petty crime, the Attorney General of the
United States has the whole Nation as
his operating ground. In the Nation are
law violators of many stripes-often big
time operators.
The feeling of the political planners is
that, If the country is looking for
presidential candidate among men who
are determined to cleanse the public
service and who are not under the domi-
nation OF party politicians, they may
find Mr.. Murphy more attractive than
Mr.. Dewey
Both Of these men hail from Michigan.
Both are rather young. Dewey is 81 and
Murphy 46 years Of age.
The Attorney Generals range of ex-
perience in public service is much wider
than that of the New York prosecutor.
Mr.. Murphy, early in life, was an assis-
tant United States attorney; he served
as an Instructor in law; he has been q
judge; he has been Mayor of the City of
Detroit; he has served as a Governor
General OF the Philippine Islands-a post
OF great administrative responsibility
and he has been Governor of the State
OF Michigan. On top of that comes serv-
ice as Attorney General OF the United
States
In each of those public jobs, Mr.. Muir
ply met difficult problems
AS Mayor Of Detroit he dealt with the
problem of unemployment and of relief
IN a critical period between 1890 and
1888. AS Governor General of the Philip
mines hn onforood ~