Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-25
FIRM MADE FORBES
LOAN WHILE BIDDING
FOR WORK, CHARGE
Contractors Also Paid for
Many Liquor Parties for
Veterans Bureau Chief,
Witness TeStifieS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24.-Princi-
pals Of the Thompson Black company
loaned $4,000 to Charles r. Forbes.
while he was director of the veter-
ans bureau, at time when the COM
pany was seeking a contract for the
construction of a government hospit.
al, Elias H. Mortimer, Philadelphia,
former agent fthe company, tes-
tilted today at the senate investiga-
ton of the veterans bureau.
Mortimer also told the committee
That the negotiations for the con-
tract with Forbes were marked nv
Il number of drinking" parties in
Washington, Atlantic City, PhiladeI-
phia and New York. He declared
the former director was a frequent
dinner guest at his hotel apartments
here and that he paid the expenses
of four-day party at Atlantic City
and also the expenses of two parties
at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphla.
Mr.. Mortimer said it was near the
end OF long negotiations for the con.
tract that Mr.. Forbes told him at a
hotel in Washington that Mrs.
fofpes had gone abroad and that he
was very hard up and desired a loan.
Inc witness said Forbes fixed the
sum at $4,000 and he arranged with
James w. Black and j. w. Thomp-
son. VINO then were at the hotel to
advance the money.
Mortimer said he personally de-
illVered the $4,000 to Forbes at q
party" in Chicago, and that Forbes
merely thanked him for it.
Il asked him for a note for tha
amount, the witness continued. .'bl1t
he just laughed"
The committee was told hv Dr
X. e. Chandler, officer in chares re
dehtal surgery in the bureau that
tpere had been 'innumerable" cases
IN which it was alleged that dentiste
mad charged the governments for
work which they had never per.
formed for former service men.
Senator Walsh, Democrat, Massa.
chusetts. said this was a broad as.
sert1on, and DR.. Chandler replied
that he could produce the records.
DR.. Chandler also told Of one case
where the bureau had purchased
gold brick" a batch OF metal
supposed to be gold and costing
them about $3.50, which had turned
out to be some other metal.
Major General Organ read into
the record a form card from an UNI
named dentist of Liberty, KY.
which he said had been mailed in
numbers to former service men and
which invited them to have dental
work done at government expense.
Never Paid Loan, He. Says
Questioned by members of the
committee, Mortimer said Forbes
never had given him any record to
show for the indebtedness nor had
he ever paid the loan. He added
that he had advanced money to
Forbes at other times, but did not
give the amounts.
Mortimer testified that he obtain.
ed an advance of $4,000 just before
he paid the money over with view
to using the second $4,000 to pay the
expenses of a trip he took with Mr..
Forbes to the Pacific coast. He
asserted that he paid all Of Mr.
Forbes expenses except railroad
fare, which was paid by the govern
ment.
The series Of parties the wit
ness said, took place between Feb
ruary, 1922, and June, 1922, and
during this time, he added, Mr..
Forbes had conferences with Mr..
Black and Mr.. Thompson concern
ing contracts and had promised that
their firm would be taken care of
in the letting of contracts, over
which he claimed he had absolute
authority.
Officials Of the company also were
given a confidential list Of the sites
where it was proposed to erect hos
pitfalls, Mortimer further testified,
and after an insr- ction they decided
they woU-I want to build the pro-
posed plant at Northampton, Mass.
The director then, according to
the witness, supplied them with
plans and specifications in advance
of the general distribution ito con-
tractors" Mr.. Mortimer said this
naturally gave his firm a tremen.
dous advantage.
Mr.. Thompson was told that If
any other bid was submitted lower
than that Of the Pontiac Construc-
ton Company of Detroit, tim.
would be made the essence Of the
Northampton contract so as to as
sure its award to the Pontiac CON-
pany
Coast Trip Cost $500
The cost of the Pacific coast trip,
made by Probes for the purpose of
inspecting government hospital sites
was estimated by Mortim at $5,-
400. He said there were a number
of parties" on the coast and that
drinking" started within an hour
after the Forbes party reached the
Fairmont hotel at Sar Francisco.
At Stockton, he continued, a
party was arranged for Trough and
Ready island" and it finally wound
up at the home of a woman friend
of Mr.. Forbes at Stockton. whose
name was withheld from the record.
The witness said the home referred
to had bar in it las long as this
room"