The Washington herald., 1911-06-07
HOUSE AUTHORIZES
PROBE OF DISTRICT
Rules Committee Report Is
Unanimously Adopted.
SCOPE WIDE; COST LIMITED
Committee Will SIT I'm
Washington and Report Result of
Efforts by observation-disclosures
johnson Promises Inquiry Will
Cost Not More Than 5000.

After drilling through. lodging around.
and climbing over points of order and
parliamentary quibhles raised by Minority
Leader Mann, of Illinois, and other Re-
publican members of the House, the reso-
luton calling for a sweeping investiga-
ton OF the District affairs OF administra-
ton was unanimously adopted by the
House yesterday.
The resolution reported by Chairman
Henry, of the Rules Committee, is a sub
stitrte for the instrument originally in
troduced by Representative Oldfeld. of
Arkansas The difference between the
two instruments lies chiefly in the
phraseology. but the disposal Of the Old
field resolution gave rise to nearly an
hour OF desultory wrangling before Mr..
Henry finally succeeded in satisfying Mr.
Mann In the matter Of proper procedure.
The resolution as finally adopted reads
as follows:
Resolved, That the Committee on the
District Of Columbia, or any subcommit-
tee thereof appointed by the chairman
OF such committee, be authorized to send
for and compel the production OF such
books and papers and the presence OF
such persons as they may deem neces-
sary for the purpose OF inquiring into the
operations and methods of the depart
ments OF assessment and collection Of
taxes Of the District of Columbia, and
such othcr departments thereof as may
be determined by them; as well as the
organization, capitalization. bonded, and
other Indebtedness and the management
and conduct OF any and all OF the pub
lie utility corporations doing business in
the District"
Personnel Up to johnson.
Chairman Johnson, with whom lies the
decision whether the investigation shall
be conducted by the full District COM
mittee or by subcommittee, has not
made up his mind on this point as yet
1t is considered probable the probe will
be conducted by q subcommittee and
that the first steps will be taken imme-
6iately.
Although many thousands OF dollars |
are being appropriated by the House to |
finance the nine departmental and spe-
cial Investigations now being carried on |
Il is doubtful II the promised District |
probe would have been made possible |
but for the assurance that IL would cost |
not more than $500 and prob |
ably not more than half that amount. |
Moreover, although its sessions are eX- |
pected to last until December and be |
In its work will be allowed no |
travelling or other expenses. In fact. It |
was made clear that the only expendi-
lures to be allowed except those for wit |
ness fees, would be for a stenographer, |
and a haif-promise was exacted that this 1
expense would be done away with by the /
of one of the regular Dis
trict Committee stenographers.
AL sessions will be held In Washington, /
T4H,
ton. When Mr.. Mann objected that the !
resolution did not limit the sessions to |
and that the members might |
90 junketing all over the country II |
they felt so disposed. thus running UP
bills which the House would
feel itself obligated to pay, Mr.. john
son replied: 'If the committee leaves
the District of Columbia while I am on
it, I'll resign"
To Quiet All Charges.
Speaking in support of the resolution.
Chairman johnson said: The House has
been hearing for years that irregulari-
ties have existed and do exist in the af-
fairs Of the District Of Columbia. The |
truth or falseness of these insinuations |
cannot be ascertained except through an
II there are any irregu-
larities, Congress is entitled TO know Of
them. If. on the othor hand, through all |
these years there have been no abuses
In Office nor any misapplication or misuse |
Of funds, the country should be so in
formed and keep quiet
'I have said from the beginning that |
know of no such abuses personally, but
I have been informed, on what I believe
to be good authority. that much money of |
the Federal government has not been
properly accounted for; that through
a system of auditing that is not correct
the government has paid out more money
In behalf of the District than 1t has re-
ceived credit for.
''Put this cofmittee to work and let us
see II IT can find any truth in these
charges. If the members can find some
thing tangible to report by next Decem-
Der, all well and good. If they can't find
by that time, let all this
clamor cease, once and for alP' Mr.. John
son spoke for ten minutes in support of
the resolution, reading from numerous
reports and going back to the charges
that followed the administration of the
asst mayor Of Washington.
Representative ]. Hampton Moore OF
Pennsylvania, was one OF those who
feared the expense would be too great
Mr. Moore insisted, moreover, that the
committee had nothing definite to begin
work on. and that 1t would be impossible
TO accomplish all the work authorized
and contemplated by the resolution with
put expending far more money than its
supporters anticipated.
Wide Variety of Fires.