Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-13
SLUSH FUND PROBE
MAY BRING REPEAL
Of HIGH COST FUND

K III IIlUn UUUI | UEVD
ST. LOUIS, July 10.-Repeal of the
appropriation granted by the last
congress to the department. of justice
to fight the high cost of living will
be demanded by Senator Kenyon on
the ground that it was used pri-
marily to boost Attorney General A.
Mitchell Palmer for the Democratic
presidential nomination; the sena-
| tor announced today
Senator Kenyon, chairman of the
senate committee investigating pres
idential campaign expenditures, which
is holding hearings here, said he
was convinced that little of this
appropriation was used to fight the
high cost of living"
Senator Kenyon will leave t"r
Washington for several conferences
which he said were secret, but very
important" Later he will go to
| Maine for a vacation, he said.
Hearings Concluded
Senator Kenyon pointed out that
the investigating committe was In
structed by congress to investigate
presidential campaign expenditures
by the Republican and DEMOCRATIC
nominees. Campaign activities OF
probably would be looked into" he
said.
He said he was convinced from the
testimony presented before the COM
mittee that the manner in which the
department of justice had used the
been "a great misuse of PUBLIC
funds" The appropriation totalled
around a half million dollars, Sena-
tor Kenyon thought. The SENATOR
statements were made in an informal
talk to newspaper men and were ont
to be considered as emanating from
the committee itself he said.
The committee concluded it's hear
ings here today wit hthe examination
of several minor witnesses among
whom was Miss Annie Laurie Nee.
han, stenographer at the Missouri
I'll. G. L." bureau, who told Of pre-
pairing what she termed a Demo
cratic program to educate the people
concerning the Democratic party"
She said she understood these pro-
grams had been mailed from the bu-
reau to many newspapers.
Questioning of a dozen witnesses
by the senate committee Investigate
ing campaign expenditures Friday
resulted in charges that high cost of
living bureaus established by the de-
enterprises" used primarily ito bring
about the nomination of Attorney
General A. Mitchell Palmer for presi-
dent dentant P fyon t the Democratic national
Witnesses also declared that Ed
ward Goltra, Democratic national
committeeman from Missouri. dis
tributed $3.50 checks to st. Louis
delegates to the state convention
which was instrumental in the, GUST
ing of Senator James Reed, of Mis-
souri,, from his national convention
seat. Goltra was declared by wit
nesses to- be a supporter Of Palmer
but a few also, admitted receiving
local capitalist, said to have been
a supporter of Governor Cox.
Talked Politics
The charges against the attorney
general and the department Of JUS
tice were made by Miss Olivia
Brueggeman, formerly executive sec
rotary of the Missouri high cost OF
| living bureau, who declared she twas
dismissed because 1 was a Repub-
| lican."
Mrs. John R. Leighty. chairman
| of the bureau, and Miss Mary Scott
it's publicity director, partly contra.
d1cted Miss Brueggeman's testimony
declaring that while its representa-
| tives had attended state Democratic
and Republican conventions partly
| at government expense. they did sc
to organize counties in the anti-high
SOSI VI living SiA1lpolSH
| Questioned by Senator Kenyon
they admitted that mo counties
were organized at these conven-
TONS" and that they also talked
. politics with the women there.
Miss Brueggeman, answering ques-
tions without hesitation, told the
committee that workers employed by
| the department of justice to educate
the people in lowering living costs,
confined their speeches to boosting
Palmer and generally the only time
: living costs were mentioned were
when the speakers would explain that
election of Palmer to the presidency
would mean lower prices.
1--WE are asked to include Palmer
publicity matter in our H. C. L.
way that it would not be quickly
detected as boost for him for presi-
dent. This was done. Such pub
licity was frequently mailed to 219
! Missouri papers.
500, 900 a Year
"It was used by only a few, how
ever, and this caused an investiga-
ton by Howard Figg, assistant attor-
ney general. 1t then came out that
| was a Republican and l was dis
missed. Mrs. Frank Hayes, former
chairman of the bureau, also was dis
| missed because she was Republican
when our representatives attend
| ed the state conventions the govern
ment paid their railroad fare and al
| lowed 81 a day extra. They went
apparently to organize counties, but
in reality to boost Palmer for presi-
dent
Miss Bruggeman said there were
eighteen "H. c. L." bureaus in the
country run at a cost of at least
100000 a year." and that she under
stood they also were used to advo-
cate Palmer's candidacy.
Miss Scott denied that any pub
licity matter in support of the at
torney generals candidacy had been
sent out from the bureau. Senator
| Kenyon asked her questions so fast
| that at times she seemed on the
verge of breaking down.
Before God, SENATOR we were
justified in using government money
in attending the conventions, for we
did government work." she said.