The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-03
PROBE COMMITTEE BEGINS ITS WORK Several State Officials Be-
 fore Body SPRING A SENSATION Former Secretary of State Says Con- fessions Have Failed to Bring
 About the Grand Jury
 Indictments
SPRING A SENSATION

Montgomery, March 2-(Speclal. )-Sev- eral state officials appeared before the joint Investigating committee If the legis- iature this morning end testified coacern- ing the operations of their departments
 Among the witnesses summoned before the committee were: John H. Wallace, Jr.. state game and fish commissi 1ner; Henry P. White, associate member yf the tax commission; Cyrus Brown. former sec- retary of state; Cato D. Glover, United States land agent: T. Kirkman Jackson. vice president of the Exchange National bank, and others.
 Evidence of a sensational nature .as given by MT. Brown in his testimony re- garding the arson cases at Dothan s.y- eral months ago. MT Brown told the committee that notwithstanding one con fession obtained by his department, ,he grand jury had failed to indict anyone for the crime He said the insurance de- partment had spent several hundred dol lars in the employment of detectives to bring about the conviction of the guilty persons.
 Commissioner Wallace laid considerable stress on the enforcement of the game laws by his department, maintaining that they were enforced as well as any man made laws on the statutes, and asserting that they were held in more respect and that they were held in more respect and laws.
 Henry White member of the tax com- mission. in response to a question from MT. Merritt, admitted that Judge A. E. Evans associate member of the commits sion, did not spend more than one-third of his time in the office.
 Afternoon Session
 The afternoon session of the committee was taken up by a careful inquiry into the state military department. General Bibb Graves, adjutant general under ex- Governor Conner, and Maj D. w. McIver were the witnesses before the committee.
 The committee examined General Graves and Major McIver at length, the for Tner being called upon to explain the cost of operating the department as tar back as the Spanish-American war.
 Major McIver testified concerning the operation of the department during the years he was connected with the office. t.e referred to his connection with the department during the first two years of >ne former administration, stating that it took the former governor two years to learn that he was in the office.
 The committees investigation of the military department is for the purpose of obtaining information relative to the cost of operation. Should the committee de- eide that the department is not receiving enough money it will recommend an in- crease in the appropriation, and if it finds that any of the funds are misused it will recommend that the appropriation be cut.
 The investigation of the state depart ments will continue throughout the week. AS indicated in today's Age-Herald, the committee Is not proceeding in any special order. I he departments are being investi- gated as they are reached. and in the order In which their heads appear before the committee. All officials will be sum- uoned before the committee.