MOBLEY'S COMMENT
Mobley, Radford E.
MOB LEY'S COMMENT Power Trust Moves. R(He Regulation. Paying Professors. Politics at Capitol. By RADFORD E. MOBLEY WASHINGTON, D. C—The vomt Trust donned a new and spectacular disguise before the...
...By RADFORD E. MOBLEY WASHINGTON, D. C—The vomt Trust donned a new and spectacular disguise before the Federal Trade Commission last week, that ; of defender of the American public from "the...
...The trade commission also announced that it will begin the financial phase of its utility inquiry on February 4. This will include an investigation of the complicated holding company system, now almost, completely removed from regulation of any form...
...This information is the first step the senate Interstate commerce committee has taken toward including a study of the power company in its present hearings, which look to the creation of a regulatory commission on communications for radio, telephone, telegraph and electric power...
...The entire defense the utilities made • before the Commission, from the first move to "pin the label" on President Wilson, was pitched on an uninspired plane...
...REGULATION OF RATES IN THE MEANTIME, the Power Trust has been faced with a much more flesh-and-blood adversary of which it should take notice if it wants something real to be frightened about...
...But even the game of "waving the red flag" seems to be a little stale now...
...Senator Couzens, Mich., asked the trade commission to ascertain the amount of power distributed in interstate commerce, and the commission ' has already complied with his request by sending out questionnaires to utilities in every state...
...Unless justified by unknown facts, this would seem a long time to settle a problem of such great importance...
...POLITICS AT CAPITOL SURFACE POLITICS are getting lively in Washington as the spring j primaries approach in many states, i Jouett Shouse of the Democratic na-I tional committee, and Claudius Hus-i ton...
...This is* now said to have been repaid, or at least settled out of court...
...from the Peoplet.'/ Legislative Service, the National Popu-.' lar Government League, and similar' organizations, express approval of pub-j lie ownership of public utilities...
...Steps toward this end were taken during the past week...
...Huston...
...One of them was the $80,000 ,. suit brought against him by a friend' who alleged that he tad made a loan of t that amount to Mr...
...The question is ' ' understood to have been referred to the 1 ethics committee, of which Prof...
...helmsman for the Republicans, ar« : finding it necessary to : ake more and i more fonce-building trips, j Shouse has recently been invading the ; midwest with a series of tariff speeches...
...Commissioner McCullough refused to allow the material to go into the record as pertinent to the inquiry...
...This is federal regulation of its rates and set-up along scientifically devised lines in the interest of the general public and not primarily for the already wealthy holding companies...
...Utility representatives offered the1 commission as evidence a list of clippings and letters culled from every conceivable sort of liberal or radical organization...
...victory rid him of Ul* problem...
...I The utility representatives told the ! commission in the recent hearings that i they would gladly abide by a decision | of the American Association of Pro-1 fessors...
...The Pittsburgh case, however, was of recent occurrence...
...W. B. Monroe, of Harvard University, is chairman...
...Look at this," the power magnates seem to say...
...The fact that private utilities paid professors in leading colleges was brought out before the Federal Trade Commission in 1928, and called to tha ! attention of the association soon thereafter...
...It was obviously of the redbaiting sort, and aimed at convincing only those who can be stirred by such tactics...
...New and startling evidence of treason...
...Senator La Follette's...
...The action of the association recently at Andy Mellon's University of Pittsburgh in protesting the dismissal of i student instructors participating in a Mooney and Billings meeting gives hope that it will soon make a report in the pending case...
...Nearly all of them expressed great disapproval of the methods of the private utilities, revealed to the trade commission's1 inquiry...
...Reactions by his attack on the pending bill are said to have pleased Democratic leaders here...
...PAYING PROFESSORS IN MAKING ITS "DEFENSE" before the commission, the Power Trust disclosed a very interesting fact about the American Association of University Professors, the organisation which recently made a decision pleasing to all Progressives...
...Huston has recently had two problems to distract his eye from the political field, but these have now been , removed...
...Playing its last, card before the Commission in defending its propaganda activities, the utility combine feigned great rage, jumped up and down, and shouted "Beware of the Socialists" at the top of its lungs...
...The other distracting problem was Huston's activity in connection with the fight on Senator La Follette as a member of the senate finance committee, j Huston served as emissary between the i Old Guard and "those close to the Whlt« House...
...red menace...
...The representatives of the utilities stated that the problem of ethics involved in the subsidization of college professors by private corporations has been pending for decision before the association for a year...
...Not to be outdone, the utility propaganda bureau here sent every newz- , paper man in Washington a ccmp'ete ' set of the documents, accompanied by i a statement protesting McCuilouph's I action...
...Many of the clippings presented by...
...the utilities as comin...
...It was taken up promptly and acted upon with expedi-' tion...
Vol. 1 • January 1930 • No. 8
