/
Washington
D ige st
National Topics Interpreted
By W IL L IA M BRU CKART
NATIONAL PRESS BLDG
WASHINGTON, D C
Washington.—Some weeks ago
when the Treasury was parading a
lot ot names of
Finding well known indi-
the Goat viduals before a
joint congression
al tax committee, I discussed
the purposes of the investiga
tion and reached the conclusion
that the whole affair was staged. It
X remember correctly, I called It a
vaudeville stunt, designed by the
Treasury to save its face for having
made bad guesses as to tax collec
tions. The tax collections, as ev
eryone knows, were much below
New Deal estimates and somebody
had to be the goat. So, it was nat
ural to make rich men the goat by
calling them tax evaders.
At the same time, I reported to
you the fact that there was a differ
ence of opinion among Treasury
subordinates. Some of them wanted
to make a great show of names of
individuals who had resorted to
practices not prohibited by law in
order to reduce their taxes.
I did not know at that time how
serious the disagreement was with
in the Treasury. It has only lately
come out into the open. As a result,
two important Treasury officials
have quit their jobs and have gone
back to private life. I refer to Mor
rison Shafroth and Russell I. Ryan,
chief counsel, and assistant chief
counsel, respectively, of the bureau
of internal revenue. These two men
know more about tax evaders and
tax avoidcrs than anybody else in
the Treasury but they had one
grievous fault. They wanted to be
honest about the whole situation.
That was a fault because being hon
est did not make possible a flam
boyant display of hatred for taxpay
ers who had employed legitimate
means to pay as little tax as the
law permitted.
As far as I can ascertain, Messrs.
Shafroth and Ryan wanted to co
operate fully with the higherups in
the Treasury in so far as a tax in
vestigation by a joint congressional
committee would point the way for
Improvement of the law.
They
knew, ns many others know, that
the internal revenue laws have
holes in them. The smart lawyers
and smart taxpayers naturally have
taken advantage of these holes in
the law because they are human
despite the fact they are rich. So,
the chief counsel and his assistant
proposed to Secretary Morgenthau
and Treasury General Counsel Her
man Oliphant that the investigation
be made along lines of a scientific
character, that close study be given
to some of the methods that had
been employed to avoid taxes. In
other words, Shafroth and Ryan
were anxious to develop legislation
on the basis of the experiences
which they had had and loopholes
they had found to be in common
use. But their fault was honesty,
as government officials would not
be denied the vaudeville perform
ance and the columns upon columns
of publicity which Mr. Morgenthau
and Mr. Oliphant, not to mention
President Roosevelt, desired to see.
•
•
•
I stayed through all of the hear
ings before the joint congressional
committee. They
Stooping ran for fourteen
Low
days.
Each day
the Treasury trot
ted out another official as the wit
ness before the committee and he
was armed with a prepared state
ment which he read for some two
hours to a committee that sat back
in easy chairs and smoked cigars in
comfort—while newspaper
men
avidly wrote stories about rich men,
some good and some bad, who had
committed the heinous sin of paying
as little tax as the law permitted.
The resignations of Shafroth and
Ryan rather convince me that the
Treasury stooped to about the low
est level it has reached in recent
yfears. Of course, it was not the
first time in our history that income
tax has been used for political in
timidation. Reprisal is a strong
word to use about government of
ficials but I cannot escape the feel
ing that the Treasury used that in
vestigation as a method of reprisal
against many men who had opposed
the New Deal.
I reach that conclusion on the
basis of a review ot the names
which Messrs. Shafroth and Ryan
refused to parade before the com
mittee but which the IVeasury itself
used ss the principal actors. Not
more than three ot the eighty-odd
names presented to the committee
had contributed to the Democratic
national campaign fund a year ago.
The tactics were not far from those
employed by the late Huey Long in
enforcing his will upon the people
ot Louisiana.
I can add to this a statement of
the fact that Under-Secretary
Magill, who had charge of present
ing the so-called evidence before the
committee at the capltol. believed
the Treasury was not following an
entirely wise course In the methods
it employed But Mr. MagiU went
along with the scheme and there
were many of the correspondents
L O W E R BIG BEND
MISS FLORENCE RUSSELL
li
WéfÆM
covering that hearing who felt he
tried to do the job fairly.
So now Morrison Shafroth and
Russell Ryan are back in private
life and in their places are men
picked by Mr. Oliphant, men who
are likely to obey orders regardless
of the whims of Mr. Oliphant and
Secretary Morgenthau.
• • •
Another instance of official ac
tion that seems to indicate a bad
trend in govern-
Indicates
ment lately has
Bad Trend occurred. This in
cident was propa
gated by the federal power commis
sion, one of the numerous federal
agencies that Is supposed to be
largely judicial in character but
which is equipped at the same time
with administrative powers.
The facts are these:
There was a group of men who
served as directors of the Associat
ed Gas and Electric company.
These same individuals were direc
tors for numerous corporations that
are subsidiaries of that same com
pany.
The federal power act provides
that the commission may require
directors of one power company to
divest themselves of connection
with any other power companies—
one of the strongest features of the
law. The commission is empowered
to make its own investigation of
these interlocked directorates and
then on its own motion may require
such directors to appear and give
the commission satisfactory reasons
why they are holding places on the
boards of more than one corpora
tion. This also is a sound provision
of law and undoubtedly works to the
benefit of all consumers of light and
power.
Before I proceed further, let it
be definitely understood that I have
not a great deal of respect for the
Associated Gas and Electric com
pany. Its record does not warrant
my respect as an observer. Un
doubtedly, however, its manage
ment complies with the terms of its
corporate charter but as a great
public utility it has obligations to
the public beyond the terms of its
charter and it is my opinion that
the moral obligations are such that
this age demands full observation of
them.
This brings us to the crux of the
power commission action. Late in
September Vice Chairman Seavey
of the commission had ordered the
group of directors referred to above
to show cause why they should not
be compelled to relinquish various
positions on other boards of direc
tors. A hearing date was set A
few days before the hearing date,
the directors in question resigned
the positions to which the commis
sion objected and then their attor
ney issued a statement which said,
in effect, that they had resigned
because they were convicted in the
minds of the commission before the
commissioners had heard the case.
He used rather strong language,
perhaps too strong in expressing his
views.
Upon publication of the attorney's
statement. Vice Chairman Seavey
promptly ordered him to appear be
fore the commission to give his
reasons for the statement and to
defend himself against disbarment
from practice as a lawyer before
the commission.
Now, lest I be midunderstood, I
do not know the attorney, Mr. Pax-
son; I know nothing about the mer
its of the case in question. But it is
significant that an agency of the
government suddenly decides that it
can prevent a man from earning his
living because he criticized mem
bers of that agency.
• • •
Occasionally, situations develop in
national politics that provide a real
laugh.
On« of
Ju»t a
them is not at
Big Laugh hand. It results
from the nasty
controversy that swirls around the
head of Hugo Black of Alabama,
newly appointed associate justice
ot the Supreme court, who is
charged with being a member of the
Ku Klux Klan.
Terrible as is the charge and
worse if it eventuates that Mr. Jus
tice Black still is subject to the oath
of the Invisible empire, there is hu
mor in the way a lot ot senators
and other government officials are
running to cover. It has been al
most a scramble among Democrat
ic senators to let the public know
by issuing statements that they
would not have voted for Senator
Black's confirmation as a member
of the court if they had known he
was a klansman. It makes one
laugh again when one recalls how
carefully the majority of the Demo
crats In the senate refused to hear
evidence or hold any sort of e hear
ing concerning Mr. Black's qualifi
cations. They did this by voting
down a motion for hearings.
It is not pleasant to contemplate
how the senate so many times
passes an judicial appointments
with the carefree abandoa ot e bay
his way home from school.
Mr. and Mr s Joe King left at six
o'clock Monday m cm ing for the
moun ains above Unity to hunt deer
They will stay week. Mr Ketch-
em is taking care of things while
they are away.
Mr. White was taken to the On
tario hospital last week following
i stroke.
Miss Rose Christiansen was visit
ing old friends in the neighborhood
Sunday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Stradley re
turned Wednesday from a visit with
their son Elmer and family in Ar
cadia.
Mr. and Mrs. Rawlelgh Hardman
and infant daughter ot Ontaric
visited with their aunt and uncle,
Mr and Mrs. Joe King one evening
last week.
Mrs. Edward" Abbl and Mrs. Roe
Milter were Ontario visitors Thurs
day morning.
The Jolly Janes met with Mrs
Luit Stam Thursday. A very pleas
ant afternoon was spent sewing.
Myrtle, Helen and Fern Hatch were
hostsses.
Mrs Harvey Russell and
daugh
ters spent Saturday in Nyssa with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Ser
ve ss.
Junior Lowe o f Nyssa spent the
week end with his aunt and uncle
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Russell.
Mrs. M M. Greeting and Mrs. Roy
F. Perry were busiess callers Tues
day morning in Big Bend.
A large number of Big Bend high
school students took the bus to Nys-
sa f : r the Freshman reception last
Friday night.
A new house is now going up on
the J. W. Scott place where the old
one burned down.
Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Young and
boys and Mrs. Clara Young of On
tario spent Sunday with Emma
Young.
Misses Mae Belle, Dorothy and
Carl Pond are on the sick list this
week.
Mr. George McCart is having a
sale Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Teter and Dale were
visitors at the Russell home Tues
day.
KINGM AN KO LO N Y
By MRS. C. E. ELLIOTT
Mr. and Mrs. Page of Council,
Idaho, have been visiting at the Al
len Curtis home. Mrs. Page is a
sister of Mrs. Curtis.
The booster program which was
given by the grange was well at
tended Thursday evening. One of
the high lights of th program was
a talk by Mr. Larson, county agent,
on the work that the various
granges are doing in connection
with farming. He also spoke on sev
eral phases of present day farming
Ice cream and cake were served at
the close of the meeting.
The Tom Ooodiers were surprised
this week by a visit from their
friends who live in Calamay, Neb
raska. They were Mr. and Mrs. Clay
Pitklns, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Lynes.
Mrs Joe McClure and Mr. Smith.
Mrs. Pitkin is a sister of Mrs. Price
who lives In Kingman and they
visited there also.
Kingman Sunday School has
grown until It has become necessary
for the teachers to divide several
of their classes until there are now
seven al together.
A joint birthday dinner was given
In the Winters home Sunday, hon
oring Mr. John Gowey and Marg
aret Winters.
The 4-H club leaders and several
,-thers are planning to give a home
talent play about the
middle of
November.
The Olrl Scouts are giving a play
also. Theirs, however, will be ready
about the middle of October.
Wade, Owyhee and Kingman will
hold a Jclnt 4-H Achievement Day
program, Friday evening, November
5th with everyone Invited to at
tend.
The Junior Sunday School class
held a party and weiner roast at
the sand hill Saturday. Mrs. Lane
had charge of the party.
A 4-H Health club was organized
in the 5th and 6 th grades by Miss
Bra ton this week
Officers are
President, Dudley Kurtz; vice presi
dent, La V cm Glascock; secretary
and Treasurer, Virginia Mae Jar
vis. Twenty-nine members enrolled.
Among those wha attended the
State Officers
meeting of
the
grange were Mrs. Conrad Martin;
Mrs. Lee Thrasher, Mr and Mrs.
Perry and Mr. and Mrs. M. M.
G reeling.
The Robert Overstreet, Jr., family
of Boise spent Sndiy in the R-bert
Overstreet home here.
kírs. C. C. Co ton and Mrs. M. M.
Greeting attended the Health club
meeting of Malheur county Thurs
day. They also enjoyed the 12
o'clock luncheon given at the Moore
Hotel in Ontario.
BIG BEND NEWS
By MRS. E. H. BRUMBAC1I
Mrs. C. E. Elliott of Kingman,
President of the Club Leaders Coun
cil of this county visited Bend
schocls during the week. She an
nounced that 4-H Achievement Day
would be celebrated November 5 at
Kingman Kolony.
Mrs. Bob Welsh attended 4-H
leaders council in Ontario last Sat
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cartwright
were Caldwell visitors last Tuesday
J.Ir. Wright returned home with
them for a visit.
Mr. Wade, State scale inspector
spent Wednesday in this vicinity on
business connected with his office.
Vernon Parker has been under a
doctors care the past week for an in
fection on his neck and was unable
to attend his work at Eder Store in
Adrian.
R. G. Larson, Cousty Agent of On
tario was a business visitor in the
Bend Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Basil Poe and
daughter left Monday for their old
home in Misosurl having spent the
past year working in this vicinity.
Mr. and Mrs. B. G. Roberts enter-
taned their nephew, Mr Place and
family of Wyoming during the past
week. They were on their way to
California to visit other relatives.
M rs Clyde Riggs of Parma spent
Friday visiting her mother Mrs. B.
G. Roberts.
Mrs. Luit Stam entertained the
Jolly Janes at her home Thursday
afternoon.
The two Bend school nines had a
double header Thursday afternoon
in which the lower Bend school
proved winner. In the girls and boys
mixed team the score was Bend 2,
Wade 0. In the boys game Bend 8
Wade 6 .
Miss Wilma Coldwell spent the
week end with friends in Boise and
Caldwell.
Mr. and Mrs. John French of
Roswell, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne
French of Boise and S. G. Tuning
of Roswell were callers in the Lester
French heme Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Brumbach
and Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Welsh were
guests of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Case
of Arena Valley Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Baldridge
and children of Emmett were Sun
day guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Lee
Baldridge.
* I ;
Mrs. M. M. Greeling of Kingman
spnt Tuesday in the Bend in the in
terest of Christmas seals.
The Edson Stansell ranch which
was rented by C. E Pond has been
sold to a Mr Baldwin o f Nebraska.
Mr and Mrs. Grant Rinehart and
Miss Lucille Rinehart of Nyssa and
Mr. and Mrs Vem Shoemaker of La
Grande were week end guests in the
R. L. Haworth home.
Mrs. R H Hatch and Mrs. B. O.
Roberts attended the grange school
of instruction at Bculevard Hall on
' Monday, at which time State Master
Ray Gill and other state, district
and county officers were present.
Mr. and Mrs. Will Van de Water
of Wilder were guests in the Ha
worth home Sunday.
The friends of Mrs. M Maxwell
cf Orchard Tract were grieved to
hear that a fall caused her to break
her shoulder blade. She is under
the care of Dr. Cole of Caldwell.
Wade P.T.A. held a very inter
esting meeting at the home of Mrs.
R. L. Haworth Friday afternoon.
Twenty three members have signed
up so far, among them several new
ladls who have moved into the Bend
during the past year.
A pie social and Halloween party
is planned for Friday evening, Oct
ober 29 to which all are invited.
The County Ccunicil meets at
Ontario October 23.
Mrs. F. A. Miller will be hostess
for the November meeting. A dainty
lunch was served by Mrs. Haworth
and her mother Mrs. M. E. Rogers.
SUNSET V A L L E Y
MRS. L. E. NEWGEN
L. B. Landreth got a $5 prize at
the Nyssa Sale Yard Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Case made a
business trip to Nampa Saturday.
Ed. M ortis'n spent Sunday at the
Newgen home after an early morn
ing pheasant hunt with Bill Boli ho.
Shorty Black has a new well
finished Saturday.
Mr. and
Mrs. Adrian Cox and
family of Talogo, O kla, are visiting
Mr. and Mrs. Morty Wixen. They
expect to lccate here. Mr. Cox is
Mrs. Wixen's brother.
Ed Mortison went with Will and
Don McGinnis, Don Linville, Ted
Newton and Cecil Smi h to Steen's
Mountain deer
hunting. They
brought back feur deer.
Mrs. Bill Bolitho called on Mrs.
Leslie Ditty Thursday afternoon.
Joe Glenn and Melvin Given had
supper Sunday evening with Jake
Kollen.
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Ditty made a
business trip toWalla Walla, Wash.,
last week. The trip was too much
for Mr. Ditty and he has been con
fined to his home since their return
He is reported some better at this
writing.
Mr. and Mrs. Grover Cooper of
Oregon Trail spent
Sunday with
the L. B Landreth family.
Mr. and Mrs. Terra called Sunday
afternoon at the Newgen home.
Ellis Givens spent Saturday night
with Bob Newgen and visited Sun 7
day with his many friends of this
community. He is being adopted by
Mr. and Mrs. Ctoper of Oregon
Trail and says he is very well pleas
ed with his new home.
L. E. Newgen attended business
in Ontario Monday.
District Attorney Biggs of
On
tario met with Mr. Newgen, admin
istrator, Mr. Wilson. Mr. Roberts
and Mr. Kollen, appraisers, at the
Givens ranch Wednesday to arrange
a sale for the perse nal property
there. The date of sale will be an
nounced later.
Mr. and Mrs. Morton Urixcn and
Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Cox left Sun
day for California where they expect
to work during the winter.
Mr. and Mr s Paul Ransom were
business visitors in Ontario on Sat
urday.
On Monday Mr. Ransrme started
cuiting clover for Mr. Terra.
Mr and Mrs. Chas. Schwelzer and
Mrs. C. A. Abbott of Nyssa went to
Boise on Saturday.
The infant son of Mr. and Mrs.
Kollen who has been under the care
cf Dr. Belkna pof Ontario is im
proving rapidly.
On Monday evening such strange
noises came out of the Roy Rook-
stool barn that M rs Rookstcol fear
ing that her husband had met with
an accident and was in agony, drop
ped everything and rushed out to
do what she could to relieve him.
She found Roy practicing a new
yodel.
Subscribe to the Journal at $1.50 a
year.
Riverside Tires
Knobby Tread
Power Grip
Guaranteed
16 x 6 :0 0 -$10.80
Naturlube (bulk) Oil
At a bargain
O. K. TIRE SHOP
Ed. Wild
Rex
This Week
Only
IO Per Ceni;
Advice To
The Road-Worn
O ff
HH Hh HH
E. V. PRUYN, Auto Repair
Nyssa, Oregon
Gentlemen:
I am thinking seriously of sending
for some c f
Dr. Snozzleburg’s
“Youth Tablets” for lost energy.
The advertisement says that one
of us run-down cars can regain our
lost energy in three days with doses
of these tablets.
I'd sure like to regain my youth
What do you advise? I ain't been
getting by very well lately.
Very truly yours,
Squeaky Klutch.
— on all Bed Springs and Mattresses
-----------------------------——------------------ »-■
STU DIO CO U CH ES
$29 to $39 50
Just Arrived— Coal Ranges Priced to Sell
Dear Squeaky Klutch:
It's your funeral. But since you
ask us, we suggest that a monkey
wrench and a screw driver will do
more for you In three minutes than
Dr. Snozzleburg's “Youth Tablets”
will do in three days or three years.
Sincerely yours,
.
E. V. PRUYN, Auto Repair
E. W. Pruyn
Hotel
$39.50 to $88.00
\\ e have a few pioces o f Used Furniture at
almost your own figure.
Nordale Furniture Store
PHONE 94
Auto Repair
Phone 56F2
Nyssa
NYSSA
:
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OREGON
Sat. Midnight
SUN-M ON-TUES.
It tops “One In A Million’
AMERICA'
Yes Sir Folks, No One Barred
Don’t Forget the Merchandise Awards
W e ’ll Have . . .
COW S
W e’ll prove that
there’s life in your
old clothes!
We’ll
clean them,
press
them, make minor re
pairs and return them
t o y o u in tip-top
shape.
Nyssa
Tailor Shop
PIG S
The best in the market
That will be money makers.
Farm Equipment
That will save you money
IF YO U W A N T TO SELL AN Y TH IN G — BRING IT IN
Nyssa Sale Yard
Col. Bert Anderson, Auctioneer
Fox & Son, Managers