Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-15

FHsilSeF commissioner Dell HdN
dra fed and will send to Congress
early next week recommendations for
making bus compa MES pay c"nsid-
cradle amount toward maintenance a.
The streets they are helping wear ont.
This announcement was one Of the
high spots in the hearings before the
Gibson subcommittee. investigating
, municipal administration last night
| in the caucus room of the House Office
| Building. which will he continued at
| $50 O'Clock tonight. Other out
| standing features were:
The Rudolph & West Co.. Inc. Of
which Commissioner Cuno n. Rudolph
| is. according To his own testimony. &
one.t third owner, during the fiscal year
ended June 80. 1925. sold the District
of Columbia s1l.4"5.s1 of hardware
| supplies. while the nearest compel!
tor furnished only sl4.7l3.1o worth.
Records Ordered Produced.
William +. Richards. the District
assessor, was directed to produce Is
| year-old records in an effort To set
at rest a persistent report that after
| a Are In the Rudolph & West co. the
| record of personal property returns
| in the assessors Office had been
changed in the presence of the then
commissioners, Rudolph and Henry
! l.. West. SO as to conform with
claims for adjustment Of insurance.
| Chairman Gibson strongly intimate,,
that he did not expect to show any
corruption in the assessors office, but
that he believed the persistent rumor
should be disposed of once and for all.
Correspondence between the Pen
sion Office and Commissioner Fred
erck A. Fenning at the time he be-
came an Army officer during the
World War and at the time he be-
came District Commissioner was put
into the record by Representative
Bianton to show that Mr.. Fenning
acted with full knowledge in continu-
ing to practice s an attorney or guard
ian in prosecuting claims against Gov
eminent departments He also cited
several laws in support OF his conten-
ton that Mr.. Fenning is Federal
officer.
Claims Health Law Violated.
At the opening Of the hearing last
night MIR. Blanton quoted several tax
and assessment laws which he claim
ed the District Commissioners have
ignored. set aside and disobeyed." Adj
uTcSSlUE IllIilSSII ulIcCtlN ~
Commissioner Bell, Mr.. Blanton spoke
OF the Gilbert social disease bill, pass
ed by the last Congress. one provision
Of which has been set aside by the
District health officer. who said that
he acted on instructions from the
District Commissioner. Mr. Blanton
suggested to Col. Bell that he should
tell the health officer to enforce the
law as enacted by Congress.
Mr.. BlantOn put into the record GER
tiicates from the Navy Department
with photOstat copies of letters from
Mr.. Fenning. showing that he had
acted both as guardian and as attor-
ney in soliciting and receiving checks
from that department in three par
ticular cases, which he had fled in
the Supreme Court of the District
since his appointment as District
Commissioner These are the cases of
Lieuts. Frank r. Allen, Charles l..
Cunningham and Michael Flaherty.
Mr.. Gibson asked II Mr.. BlantOn
was securing similar records from the
Veterans Bureau and other depart
ments, and it was agreed that Mr..
Gibson, in behalf of the investigating
committee, should ask other depart
ments for similar reports from their
records.
MIR. Blanton added to the record of
the Gibson subcommittee investiga-
ton the. legal brief filed by Davis Ar
mold ,5sin.- charge of guardianships for
1.-THE Veterans Bureau. with the audi
tor OF. the: Supreme Court of the Dis
| tricte~i III 1.-THE Adolph~ Adler case, on
which law hriefs the decision of the