The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-14
.sl5,OQ,ODO FAVOR
CITEDBY JEFFERS
AGAINST MELLON
Company AiaOrt THAT Ion
Fee Mysteriousl1 Raised,
Says AIabamian

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.--The Al.
minimum Company of America, owned
principally by Secretary Mellon and his
brother, X. B. Mellon Of Pittsburg," was
declared by Representative Jeffers OF
Alabama, In a statement tonight BY the
democratic national committee mot only
10 have been beneficiary of special Ia
vors through tariff legialatlon," but In
June, 1923, to have received IAN allow.
ance Of 915,5e0. 014.30 as settlement OF
an amortization claim"
"And this vast allowance which was
finally granted to Mr.. Melons COM
pany," Mr.. letters said, lis different
amount and, as a matter Of fact, great
deal larger amount tina n was first eBti-
Toated to be due to the Aluminium Com
many of America as amortization"
Charges Special Favors
Charging that the Aluminium com
many ',owned chiefly by the Melons, IL
the recipient and beneficiary of special
favOrs At the hands Of the present ad-
ministration," Mr.. letters added. 1t ID
nm improper state Of affairs where an
individual having claims against the
government for such vast amounts IL
himself at the head Of the department
which handles such claims. In so do
ing Secretary Mellon IL as devoid OF
ethics as would be judge sitting upon
case in which he had q personal in.
terest. And especially in department
where any favoritism in the handling
OF cases in that department is com
pletely surrounded and protected BY the
wall Of absolute secrecy which has COW
cred all transactions within that par
ticular department"
Mr.. letters also declared that the
Aluminium company has been granted
favors by the department Of labor be-
cause of the adminission, outside the i'm
migration quota, Of foreign workers in
large numbers to work at It's New York
plant across the border from Canada
when there were millions Of idle labor
ers in American"
Not ON First Claim
Referring to the amortizatioH~cla aim
he said y
"Several important and interesting
steps figured in this case before the
enormous allowance was finally granted
It was not granted on the basis Of the
first claim filed nor upon the first en-,
gineer's report which was filed. Amended
or supplemental returns figured in this
case, as did additional reports covering
alleged inspections made by engineers IN
the department.
"The result Of the long drown out pro
gress Of this claim through the bureau
Of internal revenue, WIS this tinal
amortization allowance of almost $780,
OOO, 600, an amount far more generous
than the amount originally claimed OF
estimated. Either the engineers re-
sponsible for the original amount esti-
mated to be due the company were ex'
tremely moderate and did not do the
company justice. or the engineers who
made the final allowance were extremely
generous to the Aluminium company.
II may say that believe that the
real truth Of the matter concerning this
amortization refund claim which wai
allowed is that it was never truly q
legal amortization claim. The stuff on
which this enormous amount was allow
ed could never have been properly
classed as coming within the scope ol
the legal meaning Of amortization"