Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-29
Suggestion Made by Repre-
sentative Reed During Inves-
tigation of District Affairs.
AWARD OF ASH CONTRACT
is SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
George Killeen Declares District
Officials Disseminated Against Him
Because of His Politics.

Representative Reed Of New Hamp-
shire declared today that there must
have been an understanding somewhere
when James w. Bean, the District ash
contractor, received his contract from the
District government. Representative
Reed, after listening to the testimony OF
Deputy Auditor Daniel j. Donovan, said
the various alternates, specifications and
other technicalities Of the contracts make
1t possible to figure out trick pro-
posals.
The testimony and the entire hearing
before the district of Columbia committee
was extremely involved, but the main
idea advanced by Mr.. donovan was that
the District of Columbia saves $3.50 a
year by accepting James w. Beams pro-
posal as against George Killeen's bid
Several members of the committee were
strongly Of the opinion that there could
have been way under the contract and
proposals to accept a portion Of Killeen's
bid and portion of Beans and still save
money.
Killeen's bid was lowest for the terri
tory in the congested section Of the city,
and Beans was the smaller for the SUBJ
urban section, the amount being SO small,
1t was stated-$1, ,2OO-that he never
unless the entire job for the whole city
was given him.
George, Killeen told the committee that
a District of Columbia official had told
him, In effect, that he did not get the
contract because he was a democrat.
Objects to Published Statement.
fSxyA Y0h H.
ment today to the effect that the account
of yesterdays hearing as published in
The Star put the committee in wrong
light
Il do not think it out Of place to call
the attention OF the committee, as some
Of them may not have seen 1t, to the
very misleading statement in The Star of
yesterday afternoon, Mr.. Johnson stated
THE article in The Star was but con-
tinuation Of so stating the proceedings Of
the committee and So coloring them as
to put the committee In a bad light before
the public. The committee was made to
appear yesterday as having denied to Mr..
White, Mr.. Garges and Mr.. Donovan q
usual or customary right, az The Star put
IT. Of being permitted to have the testi-
mony or statement Of an opposing witness
4
cross-examining the Witnesses. That Ii
not, / believe, a custom In any court of
our land. II you were to follow the
course that every time witness was
called his testimony would have to be
taken down in shorthand and then tran
scribed and turned over to whoever might
want to cross-examine, II there were q
large number of witnesses, the trial would
never come to AN end.
Discusses Complaints Against Courts.
Now. there is great complaint In the
District of Columbia that some of the
judges here are so tardy that 1t
amounts to a practical denial of justice
to the citizens of the District Of Column
bia, and different members Of the bar
and a number of other people, both orally
and In writing, have expressed desire
that that conduct of the courts may be
looked into and a report made OF 1t to
Congress. The bald assertion is fire.
quently made that their conduct amounts
to a denial of justice in the District of
Columbia. But, with all that, I am sure
that no court would think Of having
taken down the testimony Of every wit
ness that came before the court and
having t.Iat testimony Transcribed and
submitted to whoever might want to
cross examine the witness.
1.-The committee in declining to accede
to that request simply followed the
whole world in all OF its legal tribunals,
because If we were to accede. the COM
mittee would never get through even with
this one efature of its investigation. AS
said at the beginning. this coloring or
peculiar way of stating what the COM
mittee did Is but a continuation upon
the Fart of The Star Of its practice Of
misrepresenting the committee.
Committees Rights Asserted.
clude the representative Of any paper
that will persist in doing that, and il that
continues 1 will ask the committee to ex-
clude the representative Of any paper
that will persist In misrepresenting the
committee. Throughout all this matter
The Star has taken on the attitude Of
being the apologist Of the benefciaries
of official misconduct, while the officers
who are certainly guilty OF either ineffi-
cheney or corruption have been to GER
tain extent championed and defended by
The Star.
Il do not refer in making these re-
marks to this particular feature of the
investigations: l refer more particularly
to the conduct of the assessors office.
and l also refer in a limited way to the
Office Of the corporation counsel in ref
acquiescing in what seems to be. at least
to me. a most unusual way of securing
juries, as well as Witnesses
Mrs. Terry and Mr.. Mandler. who had
made complaints against the opening"
of 41st street, appeared again to make
supplemental remarks. Mrs. Terry said
she believed Assistant Corporation
Counsel Smith is still representing the
Chevy Chase Sand Company"
George killeen. who complained he had
been wrongfully done out Of an ash and
refuse contract. was questioned by Will
liam Henry White who lately rendered
counsel.
Mr.. White referred to John F. killeen
and James H. Cation. who were the bid
ders on the contract. Cation. 1t was
testified. has become insolvent. and
under questions from Representative
Johnson, Mr.. Killeen said that if Cation
had not been Disseminated against he
would not have gone into bankruptcy.
John Kileen is. or was, a saloon keeper
and Representative johnson asked n
obtaining saloon license is not predi-
Gated to some extent on the applicants
moral character.
Mr.. Killeen said 1.-The District govern
ment was against me for years-on ac-
count of my democratic proclivities
They wanted to break me down."
Man Named Hunt His Informant.
There was man in the District NJ
Columbia building named Hunt who told
me the reason. or one of the reasons. for
me not getting the contract was because
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