The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-11

S6HhtOr Mchels
lar proposed that two or three other
dams be built on other locations To
give the same amount Of power for
about the same amount OF money
and at the same time avoid the up
set Of pea canning as usual" nc
wrote q bill TO build LIS" dams and
he nearly, but not quite, slipped It
through as On amendment TO other
legislation.
But the case for Douglas Dam
was we'll prepared by smart young
David II. Lilienthal, chairman OF the
Tennessee valley Authority. Doug
les Dam was presented as o receS-
sary item OF national defense. II
was shown how the dam could be
built economically and quickly as a
duplicate OF another iva dam TO
provide the power needed for in
creased aluminium production. iva
wanted II. The old OPM wanted II.
The President wanted II. Everybody
wanted 1t except Senator Mcclellan.
The senator had TO back down and
take his licking. Douglas Dam ap-
preparation went through.
WHETS HIS KNIFE
Ever since then the Honorable Ken.
meth Mcclellan from Memphis has
been o changed man. Never o New
Dealer In the ilarroweSt sense, he
was yet O good party man and he
went along with the administration
most Of the tiine-particularly the
powerful southern bloc. After the
battle for Douglas Dam, however,
the distinguished senator from Ten
nessee began TO look through In
stead OF over his spectacles OF new
appropriation bills. In the manner
OF a southern gentleman at his best,
he began to 90 rebel. Cut some Of
his pet projects from under him,
would they2 Well, maybe he could
do @ little cutting Of his own.
He was In On excellant position
to wage war. He completed 80 years
In Congress, and he knew oil the
tricks. He didn't have 10 run for
Office again until i047. He was
chairman Of the Senate Postofilce
Committee, which passed on post
rnastershlps. Any congressman with
o pet patronage postmaster to get
appointed had to see Kenneth--and
O favor granted Is o favor gained
In the code Of logrolling congress-
men.
Moreover, McKellar was ranking
member and most active senator on
the Senate Appropriations Commit.
tee. Garter Glass was chairman, but
Mcclellan did much Of the work.
And the committee passes on oil
bills granting money TO federal
agencies. On top Of that, Mcclellan
was named O member OF the Con.
gressional Joint Committee on Re-
duction Of Non Essential Federal
Expenditures. Senator Harry r.
Byrd was chairman Of that com.
inittee, but again Mcclellan was
ranking member. Armed with this
double-baTeled shotgun, Kenneth
began blasting.
WOULD TIE UP
GOVERNMENT TRAVELLERS
He tok o number Of potshotS OF
the ONCE OF Civilian Defense. he
began firing ct the National Youth
Administration and the Civilian
Conservation Corps and he intro
duced o bill which would In effect
abolish them both by transferring
their useful functions TO other OK.
listing agencies.
He started Scrutinizng travel ex-
penSes OF oil federal organizations
and he came up with the amazing
revelation that the travel expenses
Of the government today, while only
q small part Of the grand total Of
oil present expenditures, are O sixth
OF what the total cost OF govern-
inent was when Mcclellan came to
Congress In 1911.
McKellar's cunning apparently
has Just begun. His Bill 10 abolish
NYA and Geo probably won't get
any place, no publicly admits. But
before the hunting season Is over,
the Memphis sharpshooter will
probably blast out OF the federal
budget the equal cost OF q couple
Douglas Dams. And, boy, 10 no lay
Ing for Dave LAlienthalI Kill his pet
bills, will hel