The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-25

When 1T comes to temper, the
Senator from Tennessee SurpasseS
any other man on Capitol Hill.
Most of his colleagues remain in
awe of McKellar's lashing tongue,
some even in fear. They remem-
Der the occasion when Mcclellan
pulled knife, and charged col
league on the Senate floor, until
he was disarmed. They also know
the vengeance Mcclellan can wreak
on any colleague who opposes him.
For the gentleman from Tennessee
is acting chairman of the powerful
Appropriations Committee, where
he can kill the pet projects of
Senators who oppose him.
Probably it is partly the fear
of McKellar's hill-billy vengeance
that has caused the Tennesseean
to win the first important round
of his battle to turn the Tennes-
see Valley Authority into a Me-
'Kellar empire.
The 75-year old Tennessean,
during the past several years,
has seen TO It that members Of
his own family got lush rewards
from the patronage gravy. High
est paid Of them is brother Hugh
C. Mcclellan, who draws $1,000 .
year as postmaster at Memphis.
Another brother, Don Mcclellan,
is the senator's secretary in WASH
Washington and draws from the
taxpayers the not insignificant
salary of $4,000 year.
Finally, Mrs. Don Mcclellan is
also on the public payroll, draw
ing $4,000 as an assistant clerk
of the Committee on Post Of
fices and Post Roads, Of which
Mcclellan Is chairman. (McKellar
is stronger in regard to patron
age than any other senator, since
he's not only chairman of the
Post Office Committee, but also
acting chairman of tn Approprii-
ations Committee as the result of
Senator Glass lllness)
MORE MCCLELLAN GRAVY
Not content with this gravy
grab, however, Mcclellan now has
one Of the biggest patronage
schemes in the U. U. A. awaiting
approval by the House of Repre-
Sentatives. He has bull-dozed
through the Senate a proviso In
the Tennessee Valley appropria-
tons bill whereby all iva en-
ployes paid more than $4,500 a
year would be subject to Senate
confirmation.
This is just another way of
saying that Mcclellan himself
henceforth would pick all iva
officials drawing more than $4,-
500 a year-if the bill finally
receives House blessing.
The power of Senate confir-
nation is tremendous and gives a
Senator from the State affected
the virtual veto Of any apointee
to whom he may have personal
objections are, but gang together
to preserve theri long cherished
system Of keeping a throttle-hold
on patronage.
Mcclellan makes no bones about
admitting his political motives. He
tells friends that it Is necessary
to bring iva personnel under his
thumb in order to control David
Lilienthal, IVA chairman, who
long has refused to knuckle under
to Mcclellan.
The gentleman from Ten.
nessee IS more evasive when Il
comes 70 his cut-thrOat pro-
vision which would requier all
iva income to 90 back to the
Treasury and be voted out again
by Congress. This is the
equivalent Of forcing the Penn
splvania Railroad or Standard
Oil to pay all their rail receipts
or gasoline sales into the Treas
ury, then awaiting an Act Of
Congress to decide what railroad
equipment could be bought or
what pipeline could be repaired
with their own money.
Actually, the General Account
ing ONCE, which Is an army of
Congress, gives iva funds a strict
scrutiny every year and could far
better detect any irregularity. But
this makes no difference to Nc
Kellar. who wants the frozen fund
provision In the bill in order to