Evening star., 1951-03-14
Douglas Offers Rule of Thumb
ToGuurd Ethics in Government
Code Would Compare
To Thot Regulating
Judicial Conduct
By Martin S. Hayden
North American Newspaper Ailionee

By Mortin S. Hayden
North American Newspaper Alliores
Senator Douglas. Democrat, of
Illinois wants a set of official
rules of thumb" to help John
Citizen" spot a Washington rogue
when he meets one.
The Senator said today that he
soon would propose series of
amendments to the Administrative
Procedures Code to make it clear
when a Government official-or
Congressman - can legitimately
drink free cocktail, write a let
! ter, or take lunch without be-
ing shared in an influence" ring
| Specifically, Senator Douglas
wants for Congressman, and for
such uasi-judicial" officials as
Reconstruction Finance Corp. di-
rectors and Securities and Ex-
change and Interstate Commerce
commissioners, a formal set of
rules similar to the ethics code
regulating judicial conduct.
RFC Inquiry Emphasizes Need.
1T is generally recognized" he
says, that a judge shall never
handle a case in which he or
member of his family might
profit, shall not discuss matter
before him, and shall decide each
case only on the merits of argu-
ments and evidence introduced by
one side in the presence of the
other. Everybody knows those
rules and judge disobeying them
is automatically bad judge.
The current RFC investigation,
Senator Douglas feels, has shown
the need for transplanting the
Icanons of judicial ethics into the
executive and legislative divisions
VI
1--WE need comparable protec-
tive rules for these other officials, .
he says. ANY one can talk to an
RFC or SEC official or Congress
man. Any one can telephone them
and seek to influence them. They
can be lobbied, Wined and dined
and claim afterward that they
saw no harm in it,
Would Curb Business Deals.
! The Senator would have il
branded "unethical" for a Gov
ernment director or commissioner
to discuss his business except in
/ official surroundings. He would
require all litigantS and petitioners
before such boards and commits
sions to register all attorneys, pub
lie relations counsel or Others
working in their behalf, and re.
quire the listed counsel to ex.
plain under oath all fees, spill
!. fees, finders" fees, kickbacks o.
other payments arising from tht
official business.
He would bar any employe o.
officer of Government agency Of
board from doing business-for- hire
before that board for a period Of
two years after quitting the Gov
ernment payroll. He would SIM
ilarly require that all Government
loans or grants of official favor
be promised on a written pledge
from the recipient not to hire any
employe of the lending agency fol
a period of two years.
"On that last" Senator Dougla:
said, Il would propose one excep.
ton: The Patent Office. That il
an agency run on mechanical
rather than a judicial basis anC
forbidding its eX-employes II
practice patent law would be deny
ing their right to use their onl,
means of earning living"
Senator Douglas code woult
also define senatorial rights ant
restrictions.
Code Would Have No Teeth.
Il propose" he said, that i
should be specified that a legis
lator shall have the clear right t.
refer or explain a matter to al
Executive agency and to recon-
mend action. It will be specific
that neither he. nor any membe,
of his family. nor any close asso
ciate, should profit from his recon-
imendations and that he shall
neither threaten in the face 0,
unfavorable action nor promise
rewards to an administrative agen.
cy complying with his views
The Illinois Democrat admit.
that, tackled onto the Administra.
tive Procedures Act, his ethic.
code would have no formal teeth
and no official could be jailed OF
fined for violations.
1T would. however" he insists
/ give the press, the public or any
one else a clear basis for deter
mining official right from wrong
/ Note: The Senator believes re-
cent events have made it "un-
necessary to ban specifically nat
ural royal pastel mink coats al
| $9,450 a copy as items OF exchange
between Congressman and Gov
ernment employees and those with
whom they do business.