Evening star., 1960-04-29
Dodd Praises
ConnoIe, Asks
RedppOintment
BY CECIL HOLLAND
Star Stan Writer

Reappointment of William
r. Connole as a Federal power
commissioner has been urged
by Senator Dodd, Democrat of
Connecticut, in letter to
President Eisenhower.
He has come to be known,
and rightly so, as the principal
defender of the public interest
and the principal protector of
the consumer on the Federal
Power Commission" Senator
Dodd wrote.
The letter was sent to the
White House yesterday. The
President told his Wednesday
news conference that he
thought he could find a better
man for the commission than
Mr.. Connole, but did not indi-
cate who would be named to
the regulatory agency.
Senator Dodd said the loss
of Mr.. Connole, a Connecticut
independent, would be "a seri-
GUS and tragic setback for the |
philosophy which contends |
that the independent agencies
should be masters and not the
servants of the public service
Industries they are charged
with regulating"
Notes Widespread Praise
The Senator had said earlier
that the opposition to Mr.. Con- /
mole should be smoked out"
However, he did not ask the
President for the reasons why
the commissioner, who was
named to the agency in 1855,
would not be reappointed.
THE work of Mr.. Connole |
on the commission during the |
last five years." Senator Dodd .
wrote, has inspired degree of |
favorable comment from con-
sumer groups, public commits
sions and responsible publica-
tionS that seems to me unprece-
dented."
He pointed out that seven
State public utility commits
sions have urged his reap
pointment. A national COM
mittee of Mayors, consumer
groups and "a host of news
papers" Senator Dodd said, |
have done the same thing.
Il have received large
amount of mail. some it from
heads of utility companies, all
Of it testifying to the splendid |
work of Mr.. Connole on the
commission" the Senator
wrote.
His diSsents from the COM
mission majority, pleading the
case of the consumer, have
been repeatedly upheld by the
courts. :"
COnnOle Comments
Mr.. Connole's term expires
June %. In a brief comment
after the Presidents news con-
ference remarks, the commits
sioner said:
Il believe I have discharged
my duties on the FPC credita-
bly,. President Eisenhower
has never indicated to any per-
son that I know, and certainly
not to me, wherein he has been
dissatisfied with my per-
formance.
Meanwhile, in another mat
ter bearing on the FPC, Rep
resentative Moss, Democrat of
California, said there is not |
a bit of evidence to link House
investigators with the re-
ported ranSacking of Commits
sioner Arthur Kline's desk.
2 QuiZzed in Ransacking
After Mr.. Kline reported that
his desk had been ransacked
but nothing was missing, the
House Legislative Oversight
Subcommittee, which is in
vestigating the agency, ques-
toned two of its staff men,
berS. Afterwards, Mr.. Moss,
a member of the subcommittee,
issued his statement.
The two staff members were
identified by the Associated
Press as Julius Eanet and Will
liam A. Brewer. Both denied
any knowledge of tampering
with the commissioners desk,
and Robert w. Lishman, sub
committee counsel, said: ANY
oOoy VINO says our men broke
into that office is a liar"
Mr.. Moss said it was up to
Mr.. Kline to establish that an
entity was made and that has
not been done"