The Inquisitors

Government by Inquiry proceeded last week in the U. S. Senate as follows:

Oil. Inquisitor Walsh of Montana (Committee on Public Lands) traced remnant tentacles of the Oil Scandals (see p. 10).

Power. After long debate, despite anxious protests from potent lobbyists, the Committee on Interstate Commerce voted that an inquisitor and four aides should proceed, as urged by Inquisitor Walsh, to explore the character and practices of light, gas and power corporations doing interstate business or controlled by holding corporations in other states. Political as well as financial practices were in Inquisitor Walsh's mind, "to determine whether these have been other Insulls." Many a State's attitude toward the impending Power Probe was voiced by Governor Alvin Victor Donahey of Ohio, who said: "The people of Ohio will resist any effort by Congress to usurp their rights in utility regulation."

Indians. The Senate approved without even debating a resolution to let the Committee on Indian Affairs conduct an Inquiry to see if any Indians need any new laws. Senator King of the Committee on Indian Affairs reported that 4,937 persons are at present employed by the U. S. to disburse 25 millions among 225,000 Indians, or one official to every 45 Indians.

Coal. Hiram Johnson is in the Senate to represent California, but his eyes squinted with emotion, his white crest shook with vehemence, as he asked last week for an investigation of bituminous coal mining in Pennsylvania (see col. 3).