The Hoover Week

Last week President Hoover parted with his closest, ablest private secretary. George Akerson departed for New York to take his $30,000-per-year job with Paramount-Publix Corp. White House newsgatherers gave George Akerson a farewell present: a large engraved cocktail shaker.

P: Signed by President Hoover: the First Deficiency Appropriation bill, first of the eleven annual supply measures which must be enacted before March 4 if an extra session of Congress is to be averted.

P: In a long statement to the Press, President Hoover defended his advocacy of Red Cross Drought Relief over the Senate plan for direct feeding of the needy by the Government. Excerpt: "This is not an issue as to whether people shall go hungry and cold. It is a question as to whether the American people will maintain the spirit of charity and mutual self help." But the President showed this much willingness to compromise: "If the time should ever come that the voluntary agencies of the country are unable to find resources with which to prevent hunger and suffering, I will ask the aid of every resource of the Federal Government. . . . I have faith such a day will not come." Later President Hoover did compromise with Congress on Drought Relief (see p. 13).

P: On occasion of the annual dinner of the New York Real Estate Board President Hoover sent its chairman a telegram: "I will be obliged if you will express my cordial greetings and best wishes for an inspired meeting." Present was New York's Democratic Governor and Presidential aspirant, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Observed he: "I take it, on the strength of this, that Mr. Hoover will be a candidate for re-election."

P:President Hoover last week began to flex "injustices and inequalities" out of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act. On the recommendations of his new Tariff Commission he cut the rates on woodflour (33 1/4"% to 25% ad valorem), pigskin leather (25% to 15%), straw hats ($4 per doz. plus 60% to $3 per doz. plus 50%), maple sugar (8-c- to 6-c- per lb.). Upped were the rates on woven wire fencing and netting (45% to 50% and 60%). Explanation of the Commission's celerity in investigating these rate cases was its use of foreign invoice values on imports as a basis for tariff equalization.

P:President Hoover last week wrote to Senator Thomas David Schall of Minnesota flatly refusing to nominate for a Federal judgeship Ernest Michel. St. Paul law partner of Senator Schall's strongest political backer. The President's refusal was based on objections by Attorney General Mitchell, also of Minnesota, to Lawyer Michel's legal ethics (TiME, Feb. 9). President Hoover did not have long to wait for expected "reprisals." Blind Senator Schall turned upon Attorney General Mitchell an angry accusation that, as attorney for Mary Hill, widow of "Empire Builder" James Jerome Hill, Mr. Mitchell had juggled her estate so as to deprive the U. S. of a $1,000,000 tax. Senator Schall declared it was "grossly improper" for Mr. Mitchell, as Solicitor General (1925-29) to appear before the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals as a witness for his deceased client and help obtain a reversal of the Federal District Court which had ordered the Hill estate to pay the tax. And why, asked the Senator, had Solicitor General Mitchell never appealed the case for the Government to the Supreme Court?

P: To the Washington Community Chest, President Hoover contributed $2,000. Calvin Coolidge used to give $100 or less.

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