Evening star., 1953-01-15
The Political Mill
The Political Mill =
Test of Fitness in Office
Is Honesty, Not Poverty
Success Of q Millionaire
Should Prove Qualifications
By Gould Lincoln

Is q millionaire businessman eligible
for Government office? And If not,
why not? These are q couple of ques-
tions the Senate. whose duty it is to
"advise and consent" to appointments
to high Federal Office made by the
President Of the United States, will
soon have to answer. President-elect
Eisenhower has picked nine men for
his cabinet, who have been more or
less facetiously described as eight mil
lionaires and one plumber" Certainly
the members Of the new cabinet are
in the high. high income tax brackets.
It seems incredible that men of great
ability and "know-how" in the business
and industrial field should be barred
from serving in Government Office.
Particularly Is this true at time when
efficiency and economy in Government
are vital. both to national defense and
to national economy. Why, for ex-
ample, should lawyer or a profess
sional politician be put in an office
which could be better filled by busi-
neSSman who knows the answers to
production problems?
Big Spending Program.
The Department Of Defense and its
Army, Navy and Air Force branches
will spend something like $50 billion
this year. Charles e. Wilson, who has
been head Of General Motors, will be
Secretary Of Defense. Three other OUT
standing businessmen have been Sc
lected to head the Army, Navy and
Air Force Departments. Should they
be allowed to head Government agen-
cies which must purchase and make
contracts for huge supplies of motors.
oil. textiles, aircraft, steel, ETC.? Some
Senator's contend that only by divest-
ing themselves of all interest in the
companies and corporations with which
they have been associated should they
be permitted to hold Office. That
would include stockholdings. Others
say that If they have resigned as
officers Of these companies and corpo-
rations and have taken themselves of
all directorates, they will have done
enough. and that it would not be in
cumbent upon them to sell all stock
and other securities in such companies.
Indeed. the sale of stock. if held in
large amount. might bring about
heavy financial loss-perhaps through
the operation of the Is per cent capital
gains tax.
Honesty Is Test.
A test of mans fitness for public
Office is honeSty-whether he be a
millionaire businessman or q man of
moderate means. If he is honest,
cabinet officer will not use his influence
to get contracts for any concern,
whether the concern happens to be
one in which he holds stock or not.
Except in the case Of the Secretary
of the Treasury and the Treasurer Of
the United States, there are no re-
Strictive laws on the business or hold
ings of Federal officials. Propriety
rules, however. Men appointed to high
Federal Office have felt 1t incumbent
on themselves to retire from businesses
which might have contracts with the
Government Presumably the Eisen-
hover appointees will be judged by the
senatorial committees handling their
appointments, with a rule of reason
as the measuring rod. They have
been described as men Of high char
acter as well as ability.
Law Many Years Old. 81
Restrictions were placed on the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury and the Treasurer
Of the United States in the very early
days Of the Republic. The law pro-
vides they shall not be engaged di-
rectly or indirectly in carrying on
trade or commerce.; that they shall
not own or purchase any sea vessel:
that they shall not purchase for them
selves or for another party any public
property, or be concerned in the pur-
chase or disposal of any public secu-
rites of any State or of the United
States. Infringement of the law is
punishable by fine of $4,000 and dis
miSsal from Office, with proviso the
guilty man shall not be eligible for any
public Office thereafter.
Secretaries of the Treasury have been
scrupulous to obey this law. It will be
recalled that the late Andrew Mellon,
Pittsburgh millionaire, when he was
appointed Secretary Of the Treasury
by President Harding. divested himself
of all his big business interests.
George M. Humphrey. Cleveland. Ohio,
industrialist in several lines. has been
preparing to take over the Treasury
Department ever since he was tapped
for the cabinet by Gen. Eisenhower
shedding his many business connections.
There is no law yet. however, that
man, to take public Office must get rid
of his property.