The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-01

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 Attention is chiefly focused on three elections in three key sec- tions of the country-the East, Midwest, and Pacific Coast. Each is contest of liberal Democrat against an entrenched Republican regime.
 In the East the battle-ground is rockribbed Republican Phila- delphia, where Judge Robert E. Lamberton, hand-picked candidate of Joseph Pew, oil millionaire boss of the local COP, is opposed by Democratic City Controller Rob- ert c. White on a reform plat form backed by some independent Republicans. Many years of ma chine rule have bankrupted the city - last year it had to hook its municipal gas plant to raise operating funds and White is demanding new deal in local af- fairs.
 The major Midwest contest is in Detroit, between Republican Mayor Richard Reading and Edward J. JefferieS, a new young Democratic crusader. Thirty-six years old, son of a prominent Democrat who sat on the state bench for 30 years, Jefferies led Reading by better than 5-to-2 in a non-par- tisan primary early last month. Jefferies is personable and dy- mamie, and is being groomed by state Democratic chiefs to go af- ter Senator Arthur Vandenberg'S scalp next year.
 The important West Coast fight is in San Francisco, where vet eran Mayor Rossi is being chal- lenged by Representative Frank Havenner, one-time water power crusader, one-time secretary to Senator Hiram Johnson, and a staunch New Dealer. Havenner has the backing of all labor fac- tions plus reform elements.
 NO NUT
 For several days William Parish, president of giant Standard Oil of New Jersey, had listened to independent producers and retail- CTS tell the monopoly committee about their difficulties with the big oil corporations.
 After one particularly hot ses- sion, Parish remarked to SEC Commissioner Leon Henderson, "When you going to stop putting those nut witnesses on the stand?"
 "Nuts?" grinned Henderson. Some of them may have been nuts but one of them wasn't"
 "Why nOt?" demanded Parish.
 Because he's got $2,OO0,O0O. And, MT. Parish, you wouldn't call anyone who can make that much money 8 nut, would yOu?" MOUNTAIN JUSTICE"
 The openly hostile House conl- mittee Investigating the National Labor Relations Board has held no public hearings as yet, but al- ready it has given the agency a taste of the mountain justice" 1t can expect when the proceedings do get under way.
 One of the first things Edmund J. Toland, general counsel of the committee, did was to seize the files and records of the union NLRB employees. An indepen- dent organization, the union made no complaint, although it has nothing to do with the affairs of the board. But after a month had rolled by and its papers and books still were unreturned. union officials found themselves in an embarrassing situation.
 They couldn't pay bills, act on grievances by members, or trans act any other routine business. Toland had their files and flatly refused either to release them or allow them to be photostated.
 Finally, in an effort to obtain 8 few dollars for some pressing accounts, George Koplow, union treasurer. asked to be allowed to draw a $15 check. After some wrangling, W. J. Shaughnessey,