Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-04-27
Logan-Walter
Bill Faces
Hard Battle
Ry CHARLES =. STEWART
Central Press ColllmnlSt

BY CHARLES =. STEWART
Central Press Conlmnlst
washington, April 27.-Because
the administration turned thumpS
down on it. the so-called Logan
Walter bill has had hard Sleuuiils
in congress for more than Il year
The bill now goes TO the senate tne
house having recently passed IT, ~. 80
4 measure which hasn't been iilUIii
advertised until lately, although ~
broken somewhat into the new" -,
Gently, due to its paSsag" ny 'i'e
house Of representatives,. ~
highly important piece OF Proposes
legislation, however, when deserves
10 be well understood. A.
Its purpose is to give cItIzelS tlie
right of appeal to the courts llo5t'
decisions Of the numerous lndepenu-
cnt government agencies, Oh Wliicii
more than 100 are operating Iooay III
Washington and, through local ST.
bordinates, throughout Inc Whole
country.
CONGRESS- has a habit of creating
one Of these agencies, Such DIS lile
Federal Trade commission: lhe pc
curitics and Exchange COMMISSION
fine Interstate Commerce commS-
sion. the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration, Ell celefa, every
now and then to regulate naliohal
economics down TO details that con-
press itself hasn't time TO pother
with. by the passage OF SPECIFIC laws,
There are SO many OF them now
that pretty much everything IS regu-
lated by one or another OF lheni-
more or less. They regulate not
only big business, but just ordinary
folk, too.
Virtually Absolute
Their powers vary. but good
many Of them are virtually apso-
lutte. They make rules, ana IL thelr
rules are broken they assess penal
ties. Offenders may have thelr
property cOnfiScated. lndlVldual
culprits may even be slammed INTO
iaii. And these corporations, firms
or persons get no trials before any
impartial court. The agency that's
after them may grant them near
ing. but it's its own prosecutor:
jury and judge.
The American Bar ASSOCIATION
and numerous others took the view
that companies, or Just American
citizens, should be entitled to APP
peal from their various particular
agencies ukases TO a regular court
OF law.
Acco,.dinely. the late Senator
Marvel NJ. Logan Of Kentucky and
Representative Francis E. Walter
of Pennsylvania (both Democrats
introduced in congress bill TO thal
effect. It was a very complicated
bill, but that was the nub OF It.
President Roosevelt expressed
himself in the bills favor. 1t passed
the senate unanimously. Then the
president changed his mind. The
administration came out against II.
Thereupon the senate took its in
itial verdict. calling for a chance
to vote again. In the meantime, the
bill had gone 10 the representatives,
who held it up persistently-ap-
parently rather friendly to it, yet
hesitant to overrule White House
wishes.
This meant that the senate still
was on the fence. Passage by the
Representatives was deemed likely
But the senate remained uncertain,
despite its previous unanlmlty.
Governmental Jealousy
It's understandable why, upon
mature consideration, the admins
tration decided it didn't like the
Logan-Walter bill.
Il probably didn't care so much
about the older agencies. like the
Interstate Commerce commission,
which have been functioning so
long that they're accepted as a mat.
ter of course. But it has a lou Oh
New Deal establishments in opera
ton now, and was opposed to having
their authority semi-hamstrung by
plenty of delaying litigation 49,,
On the opposite hand, the ollls
supporters have contended that gov
eminent by appointed (not electeo)
agencies is long step toward total
tarianism-such as Germany's. The
president, these reasoners argue
names the various agencies person
nels, making him virtually DICTATOR
they say. That is, proxy DICTATOR
through his appointees.
It can be counter-argued, OF course
that congress shouldn't have createo
the agencies in the first place. I'm
doubtedly it was Sinking zeal Oh
its legislative duty in doing So Ger.
tainly it tried to deputize deal OF
tic 1oyy,oo y l-ioo law work.