Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-28
STATE BOARD,
0VERAWED BY
WEIDENFELD
Former Accountant Referred
to by MayfieId as "Prussian
Egoist, ," But Continued
on Payroll.
From a Staff Correspondent.

Lincoln, March 27.-In his testi-
mony before the legislative commit
tee investigation of the board of con-
troll today, Commissioner Mayfield
referred to George Weidenfeld, for
mer accountant of the board, as !
"Prussian egotist."
"Weidenfeld," said Mayfield, mot
only exceeded his authority as an
employe of the state, bug he violated
the ethics of good citizenship"
In explanation of these charges
Mayfield said that when Weidenfeld
went to Geneva to check out Miss
Lydia Nc Mahon, deposed superin-
tendent Of the Geneva Industrial
School for Girls, and to check in
Paul S. McAulay, he seized and read
letter that had been mailed to Miss
Mcmahon. He then offered to fur
nish the contents of the letter to
the members of the board as evil
dence against Miss Mcmahon.
Was Horror-Struck.
II was horror struck at this act of
rascality," said Mayheld, "and ] ex-
pressed to him my adherence of his
tender. Gerdes also stated his po-
sition on the matter in no uncertain
terms. | think that .Weidenfeld
should have been sent to prison for
this one act"
Mayheld charged Weidenfeld
with having written a letter to the
press at the time of the sinking of
the Lusitania, in which he made the
statement, IF Americans want to
keep from being sunk they should
keep off the high seas"
"He was obsessed with Prussian
egotism," said Mayheld. IF he had
been in my private employ would
have discharged him in Is minutes"
"Why didn't you shoot him out
when you learned that he was dis
loyal?" inquired Senator Houston.
Because he was in a position
that he could not hurt the state of
Nebraska. ] was afraid of him all
of the time" explained Mayheld,
but | was only one member of the
board and outside of his Prussian
egotism, he was a good accountant"
Senator Neal, chairman of the in
vestigating committee, shot a ques-
ton of the same tenor to Mayheld,
who said in reply that his only in
formation as to Weidenfeld's pro-
German tendencies came from re-
ports that had been given to him
by newspaper reporters and that no
formal charges had been filed
against the accountant.
Asked, in regard to the. use Of
funds appropriated by the state leg
islature for buildings for state insti-
tutions, and also the use of funds
for PURCHASES of supplies for the
state, Mayheld said that the board
applied the "rule of reason"
Laws Must Be Flexible.
Emergencies arise" said he, "in
which the Judgment OF the board as
to what will be best for the states
interest must be used. The war
was responsible for much of this.
Appropriations must be flexible
and the laws must be flexible.
Take the of a superintend-
ent sending n a requisition for a
gallon of ink Under the strict con-
struction of the law governing the
purchase of supplies, this item
would have to be advertised for in
three state papers for 10 days and
bids solicited. This would cost $l8
and create delay. If the law in re-
gard to advertising for bids for all
supplies were fully carried out it
would require a special legislative
appropriation of 100000 to enable
the board to comply with the law in
this regard"