Evening star., 1926-05-03

from the hospitaI He said he would
show the committee that this was
very unusual shipment of inmates.
Mr.. Gibson filed with the committee
a copy of the resolution adopted ny
the District of Columbia Department
OF the American Legion in approVal
Of the investigation in progress.
Mr.. Blanton called his witness, NJ
T. HiZer, who enlisted as fireman
under civil service examination OH
July |, 1915, and who as thlrd-cidsS
fireman is now receiving saiarE vi
s., 100 In reply to questions TINS
witness testified that he has not oeeh
fighting fires for the last seven years,
but is detailed as chauHeur loi
Commissioner Rudolph, He testiiied
that this car does not bear any letter
inc showing that il is "A District OF
Columbia car for official business only
He testified he had driven the car on
business which had no official con-
nection He testified that fremen
take pride i'm saving human lives ana
property and Drawing dangers III the
service of the people, but lhat ne
doesn't get many thrills of that sort
out of being a chauffeur. But ne an
swered in reply to a question that ne
had to obey orders.
Chief Watson Testifies.
Rodney X. Thomas, who has been
four years In the service OF the flre
Department and is now "a s., lOO-a-yedf
man. testified that for about two
months he has been detailed as Mr..
Jennings chauffeur. lie also testl-
fed that he was performing TINS WORK
because he had to obey orders tfom
his superiors. Mr.. Blanton, III
series of questions, put into the record
that an ordinary chauffeur gets ABOUT
500 a month. Mr.. Thomas testlhed
that he had, as chauffeur dflven
member of Mir. Jennings family on
private calls lie also answered that
he would rather he a fire hShter
In reply to a question from Mr..
Gibson as to how long tiremen have
been detailed as chaufteurs for the
commissioners. Mr.. Thomas said that
he had only known about il for the
last three years.
George s Watson, chief of the Dis
trict Fire Department for about Sin
wears testified that there are 500 men
on the force, including an increase OF
ia men about d year ago. In reply
to question from Mr.. Blanton, Chief
Watson admitted that members of
Congress knew nothing about firemen
being detailed as chauffeurs and was
tNaS'ehp''>NA
he did not inform Congress. He said
he tries to keep within the law and
wouldn't dare to do anything Con
gress did not authorize, He said it
had not occurred to him to acquaint
Congress with the fact.
Chief Watson also was questioned
regarding other details of tiremen to
assist at the repair shop, in fire pre-
vention work and for clerical work at
administration headquarters.
Watson Asked for Report
He was asked to prepare for the
record q statement regarding the To-
cation and personnel of the % engine
companies, 13 truck companies, rescue
squad, fireboat ana water tower.
Asked regarding suggestions look
ing toward laws for betterment of the
service Chief Watson told the com
mittee that the department is badly in
need of additional motor apparatus.
He was urged by Mr.. Blanton to
have his detail on fire prevention work
cooperate with the newspapers in
making the public understand the ne
cesSity for giving right of way in the
street to fire apparatus, thus prevent
ing serious accident leading to- loss of
life and costly repairs. Chief Watson
said he was getting very good coop
Grafton from the newspapers and the
Police Department.
Representative Gibson went on rec
ord as stating that Washington has
as efficient a fire department as any
city III the country and that the NOR
ale of the force is of the highest.
Questioned by Mr.. Gibson as TO how
long the practice has existed of de
failing tiremen as chauiteurs, Chief
Watson said he thought it was since
1918. There is nothing in the law
or regulations of the department aU-
thoriZing this specifically. Th1 detail
is not made until there is 4 reques,
from the District commissioners to
the chief engineer. Fireman Thomas
was detailed temporarily to Commits
sioner Jennings Office two months
ago at Mr.. Jennings request.
District Auditor Called.
w. Bissell Thomas. an attorney.
who testified Saturday morning in the
BroSnan case, was again witness
today and testified that he has been
a lawyer for 81 years except for a
period of three years while he was
in the Spanish War and two years
in the World War. He said he never
before had known of lawyer being
cited for contempt in court, and on
planned his purpose in getting two
members of Congress to accompany
him ip the Brosnan case so as to
safeguard against gh-handed pro
ceedings by any judge" This case
had been discussed at the hearing
Saturday morning, Representatives
Newton of Minnesota and Reid of Illi-
nois being the two members of Con
greSs referred to.
Maj. Daniel j. Donovan, District au
ditor, was questioned closely by Mr..
Blanton regarding a check.up he had
made OF unreasonable expense to the
District in 1922, occasioned by an au-
tomobile purchased in 1914 at $500 for
the use of DIR. j. Ramsay hewitt, the
District coroner.
Cost Declared Heavy.
Mr.. Donovan testified that between
October. 1914. and June 30, 1921, this
car. originally costing the District
$500, had cost the District for main
'enance and operation $6,732.55, or
more than 81 900 a year. He testified
that cost study from records in his
office shows that $4G0 a year is a rea-
sonable allowance for operation and
maintenance of a car of the type pur-
chased. He testified that there was no
question but that 81. 900 a year was
an unreasonable charge against the
District.
Stlll answering questions, he said
ne had notified the Commissioners
that this was an unnecessary expense
for part-time employe, when the
cost in one year had run up to about
Sl,10O. and he recommended that the
car be taken away from the coroner
and that he be given a monthly al
lowance to provide his own car. The
coroner now receives $26 a month al
lowance.
Mr.. Blanton also asked the auditor
to prepare foc the committee re-
port showing how many autopSies are
performed, how many inquests held
and how many public executions. by
years, there have been in the District