Evening star., 1926-06-10

George E. Alter was running for the
Republican nomination for governor
against Pinchot the returns showed
10000 votes for Alter and so for
Pinchot. In the November election.
he said, when Pinchot was opposed
by Democrat, the same ward re-
turned 80 votes for Pinchot and 49,
900 for the Democrat
Senator Reed asked Col. McGovern
about the employment of workers at
the polls aside from the watchers.
The witness said that there were
petty political leaders in the pre-
cincts, all Of whom were on the city
or county pay roll and that all of
these leaders received expense money.
He was unable to say how much.
however
Col McGovern told the committee
that he was controller Of Allegheny
County under appointment of Gov.
Pinchot two days ago at a. salary of
IS, 900 a year. He said that the three
and one half years previously he had
served as chairman of the Board of
Registration Commissioners of the
county also under appointment of
Gov. Pinchot at a. salary of $4,000.
Before that he said he had been chief
of detectives in Pittsburgh and for
10 years he had served as a member
of the Board of Aldermen. He said
that he had been in politics and in
a position to observe the conduct Of
political campaigns for 80 years.
Charges Registration Frauds.
Col. McGOvern said that he had re-
ported to Gov. Pinchot before the re
cent primary election that there were
some 1000 fraudulent registrations IN
Pittsburgh. This. he said. was based
on an actual comparison Of the regis
tration lists with the assessment and
tax books and on an estimate Of the
increased number OF registrations this
Spring over registrations in the past.
He said that the examination Of the
lists had shown that there were $500
persons registered who had not either
been assessed or paid taxes. AS they
must be under the law to he regis
tered.
How could they be registered?
asked Senator Reed.
I'm these cases they presented
fra udulent tax receipts" answered the
witness. He said that in past years
Spring registration has run around
5000 more new names than were
added to the registration list OF the
Fall before. This Spring. he said the
number jumped to Is. 900 new names.
Col. McGovern complained that the
appropriations for the registration
commission had been SO curtailed that
it was impossible for the commission
to make a proper detailed check of the
registration. He said that under the
law the commission had to subpoena
persons whose registration is Chal-
lenged. He said that they had been
able to subpoena about 500 and that
a bout $50 of these were stricken from
the list. Frequently, he said. they
brought lawyers into the case and de
manded hearings before the court.
Says Interest Was Low.
Col McGovern charged that the
registration books had been taken
from the registration commission by
the county election commissioners
several days earlier this year than
ever before in order to keep the com
mission from purging the election list.
Senator Reed asked if the big in
crease in new names added to the
registra ton list might not have been
due to the great interest in the cam
paign. Col. McGovern said no that
there was less interest IN the election
than in the mayoralty fight of the
'
that he had worked hard to purge the
registration lists for long time and
that he had struck names off by the
hundreds of thousands.
Then these lists have been
regularly padded asked Senator
Reed
Yes" was the reply.
Have you ever sent any one TO
Jail for false registration?
Many Were Arrested.
NO" was the reply, but have
had them arrested by hundreds. In
no case that can recall has even any
person been jailed in Pennsylvania
for this offense.
What was the reason
THE district attorney was the
county chairman" replied Col McGov-
ern. He added that the chairman
was a supporter of Senator Pepper
in the recent campaign. He said
that he had no sympathy from this
official nor from the courts.
Senator Goff wanted to know
whether he could not appeal to. the
attorney general OF the State. The
witness said that he had preSente the
facts to the attorney general and to
the governor Of the State. but that the
attorney general had TO be called upon
by the courts under the law.
Has the governor no power to re-
move the district attorney"
He has not replied the witness.
He must be impeached.'
Went to Wrong Court.
Col McGovern said that he had a
hundred persons indicted in the