Evening star., 1926-06-20
Committees Powers Broad
en- as Candidates Expense
Accounts Overlap.
TOTAL OF $2,50O,OOO
HAS BEEN REPORTED
Politicians Will Contend That
Funds Were Justified in
State Primaries.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Taking a new tack in its quest for
complete information regarding the
expenditures In the recent Pennsyl-
vania primaries. the Senate investi-
eating committee has issued sub
poenas for John S. Fisher, successful
candidate for the gubernatorial nomi-
nation on the Pepper Fisher ticket,
and for Edward +. Beidleman. the
gubernatoriai candidate on the Ware
Beideman ticket. The committee
hearings begin again tomorrow at 10
am. in the Senate Office Building.
The Senate resolution creating the
investigating committee provides for
inquiry into campaign expenditures
made for senatorial candidates. But
the witnesses appearing before the
committee have made it clear that
the funds raised and expended were
jointly raised and expended, except
in the case of Gov. Pinchot, who was
the lone wolf of the three -cornered
race, hunting alone.
Contest Defense Prepared.
The defense of Mr.. Ware. if his
right TO a Senate seat be challenged
following his expected election. or of
Senator Pepper. should any move be
made against him in the Senate. will
be that the huge sums of money ex-
pended were for the entire tickets of
which they were members and not
for themselves alone. On the Pepper
ticket were Fisher. candidate for gov
ernor: Smith, candidate for lieutenant
governor, and Woodward, candidate
for secretary of internal affairs. On
the Ware ticket were Beidleman. can
didate for governor: James. candidate
for lieutenant governor, and Wood
ward, candidate for secretary of in
ternal affairs.
The claim that the money was ex-
pended legally, under the Pennsyl.
vania election laws. will also be ad-
vanced, and it will be urged that with
the primary system in a State having
a population approximately 10000, 600.
the expenditures are not excessive.
Members of the Senate committee
and other members of the Senate
however, do not take this view. They
contend that an election in which
more than 10000 paid workers in
Allegheny County alone cast votes
for two of the candidates for Senator
and two of the candidates for
governor and for lieutenant governor,
on its face shows corruption. One wit.
ness, a Pinchot supporter. appearing
before the committee estimated that
the number of those paid workers in
Allegheny County was $4,000, although
the representatives of the Pepper and
Ware tickets have stuck to the lower
figure.
Hearing Postponed Yesterday.
The Senate committee held no ses-
sion yesterday, owing to the fact that
it's members were compelled to at
tend to Legislative business of the
Senate and to the fact that some of
the witnesses were not on hand.
The list of new witnesses called be-
fore the committee includes, besides
the two gubernatorial candidates,
State Senator Max G.. Leslie, political
boss of Allegheny County, who sup
ported the Pepper. Fisher ticket: w.
Harry Baker, former chairman of the
Republican State committee. but,
recently denoted and made secretary;
Joseph Armstrong, county commits
sioner of Allegheny County, who also
supported the Pepper Fisher ticket;
T.. V. Babcock, county commissioner
of Allegheny County, another sup
porter of the Pepper Fisher ticket;
Albert NJ. Greenfield. a real estate
operator in Philadelphia and the
angel of the ware campaign as
Joseph r. Grundy was the angel
for the Pepper Fisher ticket.
The committee also has on it's list of
witnesses 20 be heard Judge Frank X.
OConnor, Pepper supporter in
Philadelphia, who, according to testi-
mony given before the committee, said
on primary day that he had been Of
fered S150,000 to swing over to the
Ware camp and to give up his candi-
dacy for Congress from the district
now represented by Mr.. Ware. Judge
O'Connor has denied that he made
such a statement.
Wheeler to Be Heard Again.
On the dry side of the investiga-
ton the committee still has to COM
plete it's examination of Wayne B.
Wheeler, general counsel of the Anti
Saloon League, and to examine repre-
sentatives of the Pennsylvania w. c.
r. u. Mrs. Ella NJ. George of Beaver,
Pa, president of the W. c. 7. u, who
Continued on Page 4, Column a.
III H III