Evening star., 1926-04-21
Fenning Hits Secrecy.

come down, treated as a plCkpocket
and griled for two hours"
Fenning Hits Secrecy.
Commissioner Fenning lodged his
protest with Chairman Gibson of Yer
mont in writing. II observe" he de
clared, that at the inquiry which the
subcommittee of which you are chair
man is now conducting. representa-
tiVes of the press have been excluded.
May I express the hope that when
am called before the subcommittee, the
hearing will be open to citizens and
to representatives of the press" Mr.
Gibson said today undoubtedly the
session tonight would be open.
The Fenning matter also broke out
for few minutes discussion during
the meeting today of the House Dis
trict committee, when Representative
Blanton, Democrat, of Texas, arising
to question of personal privilege.
vigorously replied to a resolution
adopted by the Northwest Suburban
Citizens Association and made pub
lie by a. 2. Seller in The Star yes
terday, and which asserted that Mr..
Blantons action in impeaching Com
missioner Fenning was :coWardly,
un-American and unpatriotic."
There is not a member on this
committee" Mr.. Blanton declared,
who will say that my action was
cowardly or un-American. You all
know that I acted from a sense of
duty"
Mr. Blanton's assertion led to gen
eraI discussion among several mem
bers of the committee, in the course
of which there were points of order
when Mr.. Blanton began to relate
testimony given by DR.. White of St
Elizabeth's Hospital at the executive
session last night of the subcommittee
BlantOn Denies Point.
Several members pointed out that
the subcommittee met in executive
session and that now what occurred
there was being revealed. Mr.. Bla nton
replied that he thought the Subcom-
mittee held an executive session, but
that what occurred seemed to have
come out in some way and that from
now on he wanted all the meetings
open.
Representative Mcleod of Michi-
gan moved that all future meetings
Of the subcommittee be open, but in
the discussion which followed the
motion was not acted upon.
With Maj. Davis C. Arnold, national
guardianship officer Of the Veterans
Bureau, on the stand before the vet
Grams committee today, Representa-
tive Rankin of Mississippi, Representa-
tive BulWinkle of North Carolina and
Representative Milligan of Missouri
sought to draw from the witness that
fees paid Mr.. Fenning for acting as
guardian were excessive"
In one instance, the witness de.
Clarpd. ''if the DreOniSn Won 10
it, is correct, then the fees are too
much" The premise was stated by Mr..
Bulwinkle, who assumed that Commits
Sloner Jennings work consisted of re-
ceiving a Veterans Bureau voucher of
his ward for which he charged 10 per
cent for services rendered" Sue
ceeding questions along the same line
concerning Mr.. Jennings receipt Of
checks, cashing them and posting
them in his books, went unanswered
by the witness. who declared he did
not know the facts in the case
The three Democratic members of
the committee, who put the witness
through a rapid fire of cross-examina-
ton, insisted on an explanation as to
why he did not look into the "exces-
siveness and reasonableness' of the
fees granted Commissioner Fenning.
Says Court Fixes Fees.
Maj. Arnold. in heated tones, stoutly
reiterated time and again that the
courts fixed the fees and commissions,
and that a minor employe of the bu-
reau could not challenge the action
of the court.
"As to whether the services rem
dered BY Mr.. Fenning were reasonable
or not" he declared, II cannot tell YOU
because / was not present at the hear
ing to tell what services he has rem
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