Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
8 FENNING REPORTS,
SIX CRITICIZING HIM,
BEFORE THE HOUSE
Continued from First Page.)

tice In illegal and contrary to law"
Second-As result of the great
number of his wards. Mr. Fenning did
not give them that personal care
and supervision which is the more
important function OF guardian or
| committee. The committee urged
that legislation he promptly enacted
to preclude any person or corpora
tion from acting as committee for
more than a limited number Of pa,
tients and that in the first insta nee
a near relative should be selected for
this service.
Third-The business relation of Mr..
F'enning with officials of St Eliza
beth's Hospital gave him preference
in seeking clientage among patients.
The committee reported that this
practice cannot be too severely criti-
ciZed and condemned and Congress
should forthwith enact legisla ton
which will forever correct this evil"
fourth-Mr. Jennings ha mixing con.
nection points to the building up of
n system and lis a further argument
against one person acting as commit
tee for so many unfortunates
Fifth Recommends that Govern.
ment officials should without charge
look after the estates Of insane ex.
soldiers. sailors and marines
Sixth The committee, while occupy
ing flduciary relation. should not
accept any pay other than by direct
allowance of the court.
Seventh. Condemns practice Of Dis.
trict officials buying municipal sup
plies from corporations in which they
are interested
Eighth. Congress should act prompt
ly upon remedial legislation.
Major Urges Removal.
Representative Ma jor. Democrat, of
Missouri. in individual views as the
ranking minority member of the sub.
committee, says that the usefulness
of this Commissioner in the District
Is at an end and that the interests Of
this Government and of the District
can best be SubServed by his imme
date removal by the only authority
that can remove him-the power that
created him--the President of the
| United States"
Representative Weller reviews the
| history of the District Of Columbia,
the nature and extent Of its powers
and Jurisdiction under the Consitu'
| ton. and decides that a Commissioner
| Of the District Is a civil Officer, per.
| forming the duties Of an officer OF the
| United States within the meaning OF
| the Constitution.
REPRESENTATIVE Montague. Demo
| crat. of Virginia. after criticizing the
method by which the committee re
port assembled or assessed the evil
| dence, saws. Il am compelled to con
clude that he is unfit for any official
| position of high trust and responsible
| ity.'
Representative Tucker, Democrat,
of Virginia, who was one of the sub
| committee of three to draft the report
| on impeachableneSs of Commissioner
| fleming. states positively that
| Commissioner of the District of Co
! lumbia is not an Improbable off1cer.
| Reviewing the whole evidence. he
| comes to the conclusion that Commits
sioner Jennings usefulness az An ON
Ger OF the District is at an end lie
recommends that "a copy of the evil
dence he sent with the committed s
report to the Attorney General. that
that high officer. in fulfillment of his
constitutional obligations. may take
such measures as will meet the re-
Quirements OF the case"
Says Committee Lacks Right.
| REPRESENTATIVE Kitchener. Rerub-
lican, Of Michigan Joins in the ma Jor-
ity decision that Mr.. Fennins Is not
an improbable officer. He does not
join in the remainder of the report.
arguing that "if Mr.. Fenning Is not
subject to impeachment. then any
thing that the committee might say IN
reference to his conduct as Commits
sioner of the District Of Columbia
would he obiter dictum and beyond
the scope OF its authority and would
be establishing an unwise precedent
in impeachment cases before the
committee"
| Representatives Dominick. Demo-
crat, of South Carolina and Weaver
report that positive action by the
House is imperative and we there
! fore recommend his impeachment
and removal from Office and that pro-
ceedings be instituted at once by the
| proper authorities to remove him
from his present position as guardia n
for these unfortunate wards and to
have all their estates audited: also to
recover hack to them the funds which
he has wronGfully collected from
them. and that the Department Of
Justice be directed to institute proper
l.