Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-24
pERsEcUTEp TO MAKE PoLlTi.
CAL CAPITAL

pERsEcUTEp TO MAKE PoLITi.
CAL CAPITAL
Under the cumbersome machinery
OF our government, with all the red
. tape and delays. injustice may be in
fiicted on the citizen when mono ID In
tended. But the thought that this
machinery Of government IL being
used deliberately to injure another II
repugnant to all sense Of fair play.
Indeed many would assume that 1t
would be impossible to do this. They
should read the Senate proceedings In
the Congressional Record of January
II. They would be enlightened. dis
iiiusioncd and disgusted and II they
did not. feel their gorge rise could
hardly be susceptible to wrongs In
hicted on others.
Senator Wadsworth was speaking
on a bill to reimburse one Louis Lea
witt in the sum of $e20.623.33. Here
10 a report Of part Of the proceed
ings:
"Mr. President. in the early sum-
mer of 1919 the War Department had
In its surplus stocks a large amount
OF bacon. II was offered for sale to
the highest bidder. Bids were sub
mitted to the War Department au-
thorities, but all were too low in the
judgment OF the officers In charge OF
the sales. Mr.. Leavitt. who was
citizen Of Brooklyn. N. Y. offered
2SM cents a pound for the bacon:
and, In round figures. there was sold
to him by the War Department and
delivered to him n million and a half
pounds at that price. for which ne
paid completely. The bacon was de-
livercd to him In warehouses IN or
near the city of New York.
"The bacon was Mbeled. and the
Department Of Justice put seals on
tho door of the warehouse. and. Of
course, Mr.. Leavitt could not get his
bacon. He was indicted five times.
The first four indictments were fol-
lowed by demurrers brought by his
attorney. which were sustained by
tho court. Finally. in desperation.
when the fifth indictment was
brought along, this citizen said to his
attorneys: Let us go to trial on It.
He went to trial. and the jury, with
out retiring into the jury room;
brought In a verdict OF innocence.
with a scathing rebuke to the United
States prosecuting attorney for ever
having INDUCED In such practice.
In tho meantime months had gone
by, The bacon spoiled. 1t turned
rancid. The man had been utterly
helpless through II all. His good in
tentions as to disposing of this bacon
in such a way that no one could ever
charge him with being n hoarder
were evidenced by the fact that be-
fore the government libeled the bacon
and put the seals Of the Department
OF Justice on the warehouse doors he
had already sold $4,000 pounds. and
he had practically completed sales for
n great deal more OF II. but the ac-
tual completion OF those sales was
prevented by the action Of the United
States district attorney and the ac-
ton Of the Department Of Justice In
libeling The bacon.
MIR GERRY. May ask the Sena-
tor at what price he made those
sales, II the Senator kpows?
Mr.. wADSwORTH. Something like
like 81 or 81 cents n pound.
Mr.. GERRY. And he bought 1t at
2S cents n pound?
Mr., wADSWORTH. But he never
contaminated the sales.
Mr.. GERRY. He bought 1t. how
ever. ut 2S cents n pound? =.
Mr.. wADSWORTH. He bought II
at 2S& cents n pound and had all the
expense Of paying interest charges.
storage charges, advertising expense.
and organizing a business OF selling
bacon: so the profit, even at SO or
81 cents a pound. would not have
been very large. That. however. is
not the point.
Mr.. SMoOT. What wanted to
ask the Senator was whether. or NOT
the bacon was sold at any price AT
all? eI
Mr.. wADSwORTH. It was.
Mr.. SMOOT. At what price?
Mr.. WADSwoRTH. Three and a
half cents a pound. what was left or
II. by public auction, under the aus
pices and with the help Of the Quar-
termnster General Of the Army. The
War Department. Of course had noth-
Ing to do with this transaction after
Il delivered the bacon to this ctttzen:
,ut when It found this citizen In such
a homeless pred,cament. and upon
learning that he finally had been &C
quilted OF this ridiculous charge. the
war Department generously onered 20
help him sell what was left OF II: ano
the Secretary Of War instructed the
then Ouartemaster General to super.
wise for this man the sale OF what
was left of the bacon at public auc.
ton. The Quartermaster General ano
his assistants did their best TO ges
for this man all the money that could
be gotteh. 1t was sold to rendering
company for and a fraction cents
pound. He had paid 2sS cents q
pound for II. He had carried q
heavy interest burden. because ethe
money with which he purchased II
was borrowed. These notes are stilI
carried In banks. IL my Information
q correct: and the man was put to z
bet loss. not including interest charg-
"a, Of $630.ooo.
The War Department has audited
the figures from top to bottom. The
Nouartermaster Generals ONCE knew
all about the transaction and certified
to the Committee on Claims that
these figures represented an abSo-
lutaty accurate portrayal fthe tran
saction. The Judge Advocate Gener-
n Of the Army had passed upon the
legal side tit. 10 far ~ the War De-
partment was concerned. and testified
20 the committee that In legality was
entirely clear. Tho Attorney General
Of tho United States was then called
upon to pass upon the legality OF all
these transactions and the legality Of
the claim % fAr as the government
. Of the United States In general was
claim was q inst one. ana no renorted