The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-10-16

vested with so many opportunities
10 get himself disliked as the
comptroller has.
The post dates from shortly aft
er the last World war. At that
time congress wasn't accustomed
TO government spending at our
present. rate. However, the war
certainly had hiked the figure con-
siderably above anything that pre-
viously had been known, and the
lawmakers evolved the notion that
our executive branch was wasting
money.
Accordingly, they created gen.
eral accounting Office, with a comp
troller general at the head OF 1t
Among other items It was made
an essential part Of this function
ary's business to pass upon the le-
gality Of all financial claims made
against the treasury department.
It was fully expected that he'd
turn a great many Of them down,
leaving the claimants holding the
sack-with nothing In II. His au-
thority, It was provided, was to
cover everything from demands
for millions or billions OF dollars
down to individuals little pewee
expense accounts.
Oh. What Unpopularity!
Congress foresaw that. as soon
as he began acting under such a
mandate, he was bound to make
himself tremendously unpopular
among a vast number of disap-
pointed would-be bill collectors.
So it took steps to make him alb
solutely invulnerable. Initially, he
was to be presidentially appointed,
but after that he wasn't TO be an
swerable, in the slightest degree,
10 the White House. The president
wasn't TO be permitted TO remove
g hfm. Congress wasn't to be per-
mitted TO remove him, either, ex-
cept by formal impeachment pro-
ceedings, which anybody but an
outright crook would be practically
proof against. He was to serve for
Is years-long enough to make
lne position worth having But at
the Is years end he wasn't to be
reappointabie-in order to guaran-
tee that he wouldn't be influenced
by any hope Of continuance in Of
fee.
The set-up having been legis-
lated on the basis aforesaid, J.
Raymond McCarl became our first
comptroller general.
And DID he prove TO be hard
boiled, He did, and then some.
Fifteen Long Years
Comptroller General McCarl had
been secretary to Senator George
w. Norris OF Nebraska Consider
ing that background, 1t may seem
as II he'd have been lenient rela-
tive TO monetary claims from the
governments literally inspired
agencies, like the IVA, for In
stance. Not a bit Of it. He reject
ed EN- by the wastebasketful-
liberal and conservative indiscrim-
inately. Gosh! but he made the
politicians sore. The worst OF 1t
was, he was technically so correct
that they couldn't punch any salts
factory holes in his rulings.
Ray McCarl's IS years stopped
over into the New Deal era. It's
easy 10 imagine what Cain he
raised with New Deal ideas Of fed
eral spending. At last, though
THANK heaven" said the New
Dealers, his decade and a half
expired.
Assistant Comptroller General
Richard n. Elliott served briefly
as acting boss. Then Senator
Fred H. Brown Of New Hampshire,
whose senatorship was Just end
ing, was named for the chiefs
post Pretty soon he fell III and
had 10 retire, before the admins
tration had had time to ascertain
how manageable he'd turn out to
be-or otherwise.
Thereupon Dick Elliott became
acting" again. A few folk
thought he'd be named for the full
15-year period II was bad
guess. Dick had been educated
under the McCarl regime. He
clashed with the New Deal in brief