Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-05
YEAR BOOK PLAN
LACKS AUTHORITY
Bell Says No Approval Has
Been Given D. C. Employees
to Solicit Ads.

The District Commissioners have
forbidden employees associations con-
nected with the District Building to
enter into any enterprise for which
money would be solicited from the
public without first securing their
official approval and no authorization
has been given for solicitation of ad-
Nertisements for several Year Books"
Engineer Commissioner Bell told
Louis Rothschild, acting director of
the Better Business Bureau, in a let
ter received today.
Maj. Bells letter was in reply to
conversation last Saturday,, and later
a formal letter, in which Mr.. Roth
Nchild said the Better Business Blu
feau had received a number of letters
from Washington firms complaining
that the higher officers of the Dis
trict Building had been used to OBJ
tain paid advertisements for the
Year Books" The proceeds from
publication of these books, Mr.. Roths-
child added, We're supposedly to en-
rich the associations. but inveStiga
ton had indicated that the publishers
and solicitors. claimed the lions
share"
Sends Copy of Order.
In reply to this information Maj.
l;cll sent Mr.. RothSchild II copy of an
order issued by the commissioners
some months ago. in which il was
specified that no publication. athletic
event. entertainment or other activity
viii be conducted 10y District employees
except with the consent of the Com
miSSioneTS.' The order further pro
vided that in the case of publications
having formal approval solicitations
Tor advertising must be accompanied
with definite explanation that the pro-
posed book has no official status.
Two books definitely referred to by
Hr. Rothschild. Maj. Bell added, have
not been approved by the Commission
erS and no one is authorized to rep
resent any District official in soliciting
FUNDS for them" When the order was
issued. however. it was pointed out
contracts had already been signed by
associations for two books. Maj. Bell
told Mr.. Rothschild he had been in
formed that the publishers have a
legal right to proceed according to
their contracts. and that for these par
tiCular issues the associations must
abide by their written agreements.
Employees Get Little.
In his letter setting forth com
plants the Better business Bureau
had received AR. Rothschild said: 1T
i notable that from the funds re-
ceived for so-called advertising in
most of these publications the lions
share goes to the solicitor and the
publisher. while the employees receive
a negligible amount. We have no
question but that the business men of
Washington would be pleased to con-
tribute to any movement that renders
a real help to District employees.
However, we do not believe it is fair
Cor the business interests seemingly
10 contribute tC an employees Organi-
cation when most of the money goes
10 private parties.
There are two organizations at the
present time that we know of under
contract for the publishing of such
year books. The first is the Immediate
Relief Association CT District En-
ployes. who hold a contract with G.. Is.
Hunter for the publishing of 4 book
in 1926 and 1927. All the orsa nizatton
gets out of this publication is $50,
which 1 believe to be very small when
compared with the total paid in for
so-called advertising"
The Better Business Bureau holds
copy of this contract, according TO
Mr.. Rothschild.
The second organization is the
City Employees Association, whose
year book is headed Official Year
Book and Manual Mr.. Frank j.
Bresnahan. president of this organiza-
ton, has refused to inform me as to
the amount of money netted to the
organization. He did say that % per
cent went to the solicitor. James L.
Feeney. who holds the contract for
publishing this volume, informs me
that the salesman receives as high as
% per cent and that the contract is
one whereby the publisher is on a
cost plus basis"
Figuring the publishers cost and
profit, after the deduction of the sales
mems commissions, the Better Bust
ness Bureau believes the remainder
turned into the Employees Associa-
ton is very small. Mr. Bresnahan re-
fused to state the publishing costs.