The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-06-25
APPOINTMENT OF HAIR
Threatens A SCANDAL
Coal Division Resorts to Sharp Practice in
Denying Registration of Co-operatives and
In Pushing Appointment of Harr As Con-
sumers' Counsel

Washington, d. Glow little in
terest or concern there is in official
Washington over the welfare of con
lsumers of bituminous coal was made
apparent here this week by two incl
dents.
The senate committee on Interstate
| Commerce without hearings reported
favorably on the nomination of Luther
Harr of Pennsylvania to be con-
sumers' counsel under the Guffey coal
act. Then Senator Joseph F. Guffey
of Pennsylvania tried to rush the
committee report through the senate
only to discover that a small-sized
scandal had been brewed over Harris
nomination and the senate baked.
Harr, it is now charged, had en-
tered into an agreement to accept the
appointment but would not collect
any pay from the federal government
He is now an official of the city of
Philadelphia where his salary is $12,-
900 year. His job ends next Janu-
airy and Harr, according to the
charges, proposed to keep that job
and salary in preference to taking
the federal salary of $4,000 year.
If Harr were party to any arrange
ment to hold both jobs, it is obvious
that he had little concern or interest
in the tremendous job which con-
fronts a sincere consumers counsel.
But more than that, the law specifi-
cally prohibits a consumers counsel
from holding any other position and
the arrangement would be in out
right violation of the law
The expose, forced by Pittsburgh
newspaper unfriendly to Guffey, may
prevent Harris appointment to the
federal job although with Guffey and
his administration friends determined
to put this job into Guffey's hands,
opponents of Harr will have difficulty
in preventing confirmation. The plain
the part of the politicians in establish
ing or supporting adequate repre-
sentation for the consumers. Guffey
has participated in more than one
deal where the consumers rights were
not only ignored, but also treated
with contempt.
It is now also revealed that Guffey
succeeded in rushing the appointment
the senate committee with a
story that it had to be confirmed by
the senate before June 10, the day the
counsel again became an
agency.
AS this was written, several sena-
tors were planning fight to send
the nomination back to the senate
committee with an order that Harr be !
called before the committee and put |
under oath to testify as to all of the |
facts concerning his appointment and |
his plans. Until this situation de-
favorable reports had been |
heard concerning Harr. 1t was be- |
ieved he would be confirmed despite |
the very obvious fact that Guffey /
was naming the consumers counsel 1
and that Guffey was the man who
sponsored the coal law for the bene-
lit of coal producers. Thus again, the
councils independence
was placed in question.
The second happening was revealed
by a close reading of the order of
he coal division in which Midland
Wholesale of Minneapolis
vas denied registration and the right /
o continue in business as a distrib-
Itor of coal. The coal division, the
,rda, ohouro ,.aoorfad tn Gonna vary
Continued on Page Four