Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29
Request Is Made on Behalf
of Nye, Opposed by
Administration.
PEPPER TAKES STAND
ON BAIRD TRANSFER
Declares He Had Nothing to Do
With Saloons Running
Wide Open.

BY the Associated Press.
At a short, swift session today the
Senate campaign funds committee
pursued still further the tangled trail
uf prohibition enforcement in Penn
sylvania, and received request that
il investigate slush fund charges in
North Dakota.
Senator Pepper, defeated for the
Republican denomination in the Penn
sylvania primary, took the stand and
made emphatic denial that he had
connived at any arrangement by
which the Pittsburgh saloons could
open wide just before the primary in
the Mellon.Pepper-F stronghold
of western Pennsylvania.
For a short time the committee also
heard testimony about the employ
ment of undercover men, some of
them discharged employees of the Fed
eral prohibition unit, in the enforce
ment of prohibition in the keystone
State under a special fund raised by
the Women's Christian Temperance
Union. Then adjournment was taken
until tonight, when George w. Wood
ruff, the Pennsylvania attorney gen.
eral, will be questioned about his con-
nection with the w. G. T. U. fund
and prohibition enforcement in gen.
eral.
Charges Made for Nye.
The charges of q slush fund in
North Dakota were made to the COM
mittee in writing on behalf of Sen
ator Nye, a Republican, and a candi-
date for reelection. The Coolidge ad-
ministration was declared to be back.
ing an effort to defeat the Senator.
and the committee was assured that
every suspicious circumstance that
may surround tomorrow's North Da-
kota primary would be reported to
it for study.
Committee members made no COM
ment on the Nye charges, but they
indicated that at the proper time con-
sideration would be given to any evi.
dence of excessive or illegal expendi-
ture.
Senator Peppers appearance on the
witness stand resulted from sugges-
tions in previous testimony that Pro
hibition Administrator Baird had been
transferred from Pittsburgh to Phila.
delphia on the eve Of the Pennsyl-
vania primary at the beheSt of admin
istration influences, and that imme-
diateiy afterward the Pittsburgh
saloons became bolder in their opera
tions at the same time that Pepper
Fisher banners were displayed in their
windows The Senator declared he
had nothing whatever to do with the
Baird transfer.
Witness Defends Baird.
Iz.o. - ,,.;.I ,oothor x,,;+,,oe, ~,
the stand, the committee returned to
the question of Baird's services as pro-
hibitiOn administrator. Formerly an
official of the Bessemer and Lake Erie
Railroad, the administrator drew a
salary from the road while he was in
the Federal service. The witness.
William B. Wright, special prose
cutor under the w. c. T. U. fund in
Pennsylvania, defended Baird's course
and his own under an attack by Chair
man Reed who said it was Illegal"
and contrary to good government for
public officials to remain on private
pay rolls.
Senator Pepper was the first wit.
ness today, and in the discussion on
the transfer of Baird he said: THE
removal was not done at my instance
or with my knowledge and any state
ment to that effect, If made here, was
made in ignorance of the fact, or as a
deliberate misstatement."
Senator Pepper told the committee
that William G. Murdock, director at
Philadelphia, had been asked to re-
sign, that he was advised of this, but
followed his usual practice Of not
interfering in prohibition matters.
Expresses Confidence In MurdOck.
"I had complete confidence in Mr..
Murdock," the Senator added.
He also called attention to testi
mony which he said inferred that he
had obtained the support of State
Senator Patrick Joyce, in Luzerne
County, by having q claim against
Joyce by the Internal Revenue Bureau
settled.
''The fact is" Senator Pepper said
Il never heard of the existence of
any such claim"
When Senator Pepper concluded
Chairman Reed told him the com.
mittee would call him later for ques.
tioning on a matter which had not
yet been inquired into.
The committee then returned to it's
inquiry into the use made of the
$3.50, 900 special fund collected by the
Women's Christian Temperance Unio n
in Pennsylvania for prohibition en-.
forcement. Questioning William B.
Wright, employed as special prose.
cutor and paid out of the fund, Chair.
man Reed developed that j. A. Tatro,
who was hired as an agent under
Wright, previously had been dismissed
from the Federal Prohibition Service
"for the good of the service"
Wright explained that Tatro had a
controversy with the district attorney
at Chicago and was dismissed as a