Evening star., 1940-04-16

pOWtl. AaWLeHCc.
The Logan-Walter bill, which
seeks to install fair procedures in
governmental commissions, is being
fought by the bureaucrats who want
No limitations whatsoever on their
authority. They do not want Con-
gress to prescribe how hearings
should be conducted or what steps
shall be required before regulations
having the force of law are pro-
claimed They want the right to
continue to issue rules and regula-
tions irrespective of the power given
by Congress
1t is interesting to see how the
bureaucrats have succeeded in be-
Jogging the question of a fair deal
for the citizen by crying out that
the purpose of the Logan-W Walter bill
is to create delays and Illustrate
justice. The truth is governmental
commissions in recent months have
manifested regrettable arbitrari-
ness which makes it impossible for
the citizen to get justice in the
courts. The independent commits
sions have the final say as to what
are the facts and anything from
hearsay to inference can be in
troduced as evidence so that on
such facts" the commissions reach
final conclusions which, under the
terms of the law, the courts are
powerless to overrule.
Product of Rar Study
The Logan-Walter bill is the
product of years of study by the
American Bar Association. 1t has
been delayed and sidetracked by
certain New Deal interests which
are afraid to give the public
measure that will insure a fair deal
No better issue could come into the
forthcoming campaign than the i'm
plications of the controversy over
the Logan-Walter bill. A roll call
vote on the measure will be simple
thing for the citizens to understand
those who vote against it lining
themselves up with the totalitarian
concept which has obsessed some of
the younger groups who have taken
hold of key positions in govern
mental commissions.
There are many instances in which
governmental commissions nowadays
violate the spirit of a fair trial by
insisting on acting as judge, jury
and prosecutor. Because many of
these hearings are technical, the
public does not know of the grave
injustices being perpetrated in the
name Of the Federal Government.
Even the President, who cannot
possibly follow the details Of these
measures, has been given a wholly
biased impression of the Logan
Walter bill So subtle is the influence
of the bureaucrats in government
that, If they can prevent the passage
of such reform measure, their hold
on governmental powers will be more
far-reaching in the future than the
past.
Class Combat Enters Picture.
Some of the commissions are pre-
sided over by lawyers who ought to
know better than anybody else what
constitutes a fair hearing. But the
political atmosphere and the zeal OF
class combat gets into their veins
and they often become vindictive
and petty. The record of one hearing
in particular last week shows puni-
tive spirit which in itself makes II
desirable for Congress to consider
carefully the lobbying yehich is being
done by the commissions themselves
to prevent any check on theil
authority.
The whole subject of independent
commissions is coming to the fore a.
one of the big issues of our times
Originally Congress felt that some
of the tasks that it had to delegate
to others to administer were too i'm.
portant to be put into bureau tt
be handled by political cabine1
officer. 1t was desired to secure pro.
lection for the rights of the minority
by having a bipartisan board. Blu
little by little the New Deal ha
frustrated the will of Congress b,
appointing members Of one class ant
viewpoint, thus destroying an,
chance for a minority viewpoint t
be expressed.
Muffies Minority.
Lately under the so-called execu
tive reorganization law, efforts hav,
been made to take all the indie
pendence out of these commissions
which were originally creatures O
Congress, by putting them unde
political cabinet officers This mean