The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-08-18
Behind I he Scenes
Dirty Work Slows
Carson Nomination

Carson Nomination
Washington (LPA) A hidden
filibuster against the nomination
of John Carson to the Federal
Trade Commission is being con-
Quoted by the Senate Interstate
Commerce Committee, headed by
Senator Edwin c. Johnson Cd,
! COLI.
| Carson's nomination, strongly
backed by labor, farm and liberal
groups, was submitted to the SEN
ate four months ago by President
Truman. Chairman Johnson did not
even call hearings for two months
then after much pressure from
labor, liberal, farm and church
groups, he permitted the hearings
to proceed.
They lasted a couple of weeks,
! during which business interests
levied an attack on Carson as
| though he were a dangerous radi-
cal, because of his consumer view
point. 1t was even suggested by
one witness that the cooperative
movement was "subversive," and
the committee went into that
charge as though it were serious.
. Finally, the committee adjourn
ed the hearings and Senator War
rem Magnuson Cd, Wash.), who
had presided, announced he would
ask for vote by the committee
the following week. He said the
President has right to have his
nominations considered by the Sen
ate and was opposed to pocket
vetoes by Senate committees.
Friends of Carson took new hope
from Magnuson's statement.
But four weeks have dragged by
since the hearings and the COM
mittee has not yet voted. 1t met
last week and decided to "consid-
er" the Carson nomination August
24-which is two weeks hence. The
excuse for delay is that the hear
ings have just been printed and
Senators need time to read them.
Veterans around the Senate know
this is baloney. When Senate Com
mittees want to act they act. When
they want to delay, they talk about
the need for printed hearings and
waiting for Senators to read them.
Typewriter transcripts of the
hearings have been available for
month.
Opponents of Carson's nomina-
ton are fighting for delay, because
they know he has the votes in the
committee for approval. Committee
polls indicate that Carson can win
by at least a TO margin, and pro-
badly by more. But if the nomina-
ton can be held from the Senate
until shortly before Congress ad-
journs, then it will be easy to
block action on the nomination in
the closing rush.
Some observers believe the vii
lain in this story is Senator John
son-who obviously was respon-
sible for the original two months
delay in considering Carson's no.
mination. Johnson should be for
Carson, and he knows his consti-
tuents favor the nomination. But
for some reason Johnson seems
cool to the nomination-perhaps
because he fears Carson would
support the Federal Trade position
in fighting some of the monopolies
johnson has been defending.
If Johnson can stall off the vote
on Carson, he may be able to beat
Carson without actually voting
against him-thus serving the in
terests which want to beat the
nomination without putting him
self in vulnerable position.
Friends of Carson are combating
this by trying to point out john
sons responsibility for the delay. |
This filibuster is serving not only |
to jeopardize the Carson nomina-
tion, but also the nomination of |
Leland Olds to the Federal Power
Commission.