The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
January 24, 1959 Honorable Josiah ft. BaileyUnited States Senate Washington, D. C. My dear Senator: I am advised by Mr. J. S. Daiger, Financial Adviser to the Federal Housing Administrator, that the following appeared in a recent letter from you to Mr, Stewart McDonald* ^There are some reasons t?hy I should keep out of the matter, but the main reason is that 1 know so little about it* I agreed to support Mr. Suiter without knowing him because he *?as so strongly supported by Mr, Eccles and I had good reason to believe that he would keep the institution out of politics and that he was an honest man, I considered him a candidate of Hr. Eccles rather than of myself and I think it Fould be well to advise with Hr. Eccles in the premises,tt Since I do not know Mr* Suiter and have never recommended him for any position, nor do I ever recommend people for positions in the government, I think most likely you have someone else in mind rather than myself. I might add that the files of the Board of Governors show that Sir. Suiter r-as at one time an examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and that he resigned in September, 193S, to accept a position v;ith the Federal Housing Administration in Horth Carolina. The files do not show, however, that he was recommended for such position by anyone connected with the Board of Governors. Yours sincerely, LC/fgr . S. Eccles Chairman J O S I AH WILLIAM BAILEY, N. C . , CHAIRMAN MORRIS SHEPPARD, TEX. CHARLES U MC NARY, OREG. HATTIE W . C / I AWAY, ARK. HIRAM W . JOHNSON, CALIF. BENNETT CHi f-JP CLARK, MO. ARTHUR H. VANDENBERG, MICH. JOHN H . OVERTON, LA. WALLACE H. WHITE* J R . , MAINE THEODORE G . BILBO, MISS. ERNEST W . GIBSON, VT. VIC DONAHEY, OHIO W . WARREN BARBOUR, N. J . JOSEPH F . GUFFEY, PA. FRANCIS T . MALONEY, CONN. GEORGE L . RADCL1FFE, MD. CLAUDE PEPPER* FLA. JOSH L E E , OKLA. LISTER HILL, ALAj JAMES M . MEAD, N . Y. A. HAND JAMES, CLERK ROGER WILLIAMSON, ASST. CLERK l&tnUeb J&encde COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE January 26, 1939 Hon. M. C. Eccles, Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Eccles: Thank you for your letter of January 24-th. The paragraph which you quoted had no reference to you. I was speaking of Mr. ^ccles of Richmond, v/ho is in some v/ay connected v/ith the Federal Housing Corporation," at least he v;as at the time when Mr. Suiter was appointed. I am sending copy of this letter to Mr. Daiger, in order that he may be advised of the facts. With every good "wish, Very truly yours, F E D E R A L HOUSING ADMINISTRATION W A S H I N G T O N , D. C. OFFICE OF THE January 30, 1939 FINANCIAL ADVISER Dear Marriner: The enclosed copy of a letter that I have written today to Senator Bailey may clear up the matter that puzzled us as it did you. There is no Mr, Eccles in our Richmond office, but Mr. Ellett may be the person with whom Senator Bailey discussed the matter in question. Yours sincerely } Enclosure Dear Senator Bailey: I -wish to acknowledge, -with thanks, your letter of January 26 enclosing a copy of your letter of the same date to Mr, Eccles. That part of your letter of January 21 to llr# McDonald, in which you suggested the advisability of talking to Mr. Eccles, was referred to me becaise I was formerly an assistant to Mr* Eccles on the staff of the Reserve Board* From inquiries I have made here in the light of your letter to Mr # Eccles, I think it robable that the person you have in mind is Mr# homas E. Ellett, of Richmond, Va#, -who was formerly with the Federal Housing Administration, first as a regional director and later as an assistant deputy administrator. ? Yours sincerely, John Daiger, Financial Adviser Honorable Josiah Bailey United States ^enate Washington, D# C* F E D E R A L HOUSING ADMINISTRATION W A S H I N G T O N , D. C. OFFICE OF THE February 1, 1939 FINANCIAL ADVISER Dear Marriner: I am enclosing a copy of a letter that I received today from Senator Bailey, and that he has asked me to bring to your attention. Yours sincerely, ©FY January 31, 1939 Mr« John LU Daiger, financial Adviser, Federal Housing Administration, Vfeshington, C* Dear Hr# Daigers Thank you for your letter * Xou are ri$it and I regret that I m$de the mistake. I should not have made it, Yshile I have never seen Ur* Thomas E # ELlett, I did knot? his father and 1 should have remembered his name* I hope I have not caused any trouble for Ecclos, arid I vdlll be &Lad if you trill send the attached copies of letters to With all good mshes, Very truly yours, JftB/s
@FedFRASER