The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-02-06
rNa;ijl{aqta,
Washington, ID.
UTILITY SENSATIONS

h
matter yet, but some hot sensations
are in store when the committee
digs into the do1lar-a-year-man ham
ding of the power phases of the war
production program.
For years one of the hottest issues
in Washington has been the power
lobby. It has been repeatedly inves-
tigated, and several years ago, aft
er fierce legislative battles, the fed
eral power and holding company
laws were enacted to curb the lobby.
The Truman committee has con-
fidential information that today this
lobby is more powerfully entrenched
in the capital than ever before.
For months, it has been operating
directly inside the government, for
mulating and running the power pol
icy of the OPM, which was until
last week the key war production
agency.
The OPM power division is not
only manned with utility officials,
but they are still on the payrolls of
private power companies. In other
words, while presumably working
for the government, they are actu-
ally paid employees of the utilities.
After being deluged with COM
plants that the utility-ruled OPM
power division was secretly aiding
independent rural power co-ops, the
house appropriations committee
questioned j. A. Krug, head of the
division, on these charges.
Krug defended his staff, but the
committee, unconvinced, ordered
him to submit a detailed report on
his dollar-a-year assistants, includ-
ing the amount of salaries they are
drawing from utility companies
while working for the government.
Two months have elapsed since
Krug promised to produce this inn
portant information and so far he
has not done so.
All the committee has received
was cagey letter from John Lord
O'Brian, former corporation attor-
ney who is OPM general counsel,
giving list of the power divisions
personnel, but has nothing about
their private salaries. However, the
little information O'Brian did dis
close speaks volumes.
It shows that no less than Is key
officials in Krug's division are dol
lar-a-year and "WOC'' without COM
pensation) men, who are still on
private utility payrolls.
Note: Appropriation committee
members estimate that the total pay
these men draw from power COM
panies is more than $3.50, 900 year.
War Production Chief Donald Nelson
has privately indicated he will
houseclean Krug's unit.
BAD FILMS FOR GOOD
NEIGHBORS
Young Nelson Rockefeller, who on
the whole has done a good job for
Pan American cultural relations,
has begged down badly on films for
our Pan-American neighbors. His
Museum of Modern Art, which was
supposed to do this, has been labor
ing for nine months at a cost OF
SIS, 900 per month to the govern
ment-and finally has brought forth
q mouse.
Rockefeller and Jock Whitney are
getting large dose of criticism
about this because they personally
are interested in the Museum and
have permitted an amateur group
to run the show-into the ground.
Without benefit Of competitive bid
ding or any system Of checks and
balances, amateur after amateur in
the Museum has tackled the job OF
deciding what kind Of films should
be sent to Latin-America. Here is a
cross section of the results so far:
Better Dresses Fifth Floor" "A
Child Went Forth, "The City," and
"Power and The Land"-an utterly
unsuited and without objective for
South America.
Some reasonably good CONNER
cial films have been donated, such
as ssU. S. Steel" Greyhound Bus"
General Electric Excursions in Sci
ence," and ''The American Can
Company's Silver Millions" Also
HOLLYWOOD has handed over group
of pictures, such as eyes Of the
Navy" Soldiers of the Sky" "The
Battle" which are the best pictures
that have gone to South America.
Meanwhile the amateurs continue
TO chatter and muddle over uplifting
the films for our Good Neighbors-
all at the expense Of Uncle Sam.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
d Navy Secretary Knox has q bust
of Theodore Roosevelt on his desk.
a Bakers in the army quartermas-
ter corps are experimenting with
"tomato bread" made by adding to-
mato juice or canned tomatoes (rich
in vitamins) to the baking dough.
d New York air raid wardens are
complaining that every order they
receive is countermanded five min
utes after it is given.
q E. B. Craney. Montana radio man
who is q close friend Of Senator
Wheeler, recently promoted, financed
| and successfully completed q Red