Evening star., 1927-10-30

rectly through the recovery of its val
Oable naval oil reserves.
q Failure of Congress to provide funds
ut the last session for the continued
prosecution of the suits growing out
Of the Senate oil investigation has
put a decided Crimp in the personal
bank accounts of two prosecutors, and
has put the United States marshall $
office to the necessity of drawing upon
the Department of Justice for the fees
and travelling expenses of Government
witnesses called to testify at the trial.
Sans salary and sans expense ac.
count, to quote Mr. Pomerene. the two
Government attorneys, are finding it
hard to staVe off the landlord"
All their financial troubles in meet
ing the expenses of the present trial
are traceable directly to the legislative
jam in the last Congress, which smoth-
cred the deficiency appropriation bill
along with others.
When the Congress died last De-
cember there was remaining in the
special oil prosecution fund between
$4,000 and $4,000, which was suffl-
cent it was believed, to last until the
reconvening of the new Congress in
December. But the unusually heavy
expenses entailed ate up this fund and
a the end of the fiscal year. June 80
last, Mr.. Roberts and. Mr.. pomerene
found it necessary to draw on their
own bank accounts. An appropriation
of Sl0e.0 has been approved, but the
fund will not be available until the
passage of the general deficiency bill
In the next Congress.
Credit Policy Adopted.
Before June so the two Govern
ment attorneys could put in vouchers
for all expenses, but since the flow
of Federal funds has stopped it has
been necessary to get large amount
of the accounting and other routine
details done on credit. Just how much
the Government will owe its special
council before the end of the year
has not been reckoned, but it will
run into a tidy sum.
Fortunately for the United States
marshalls office and the Department
OF Justice, in view of these circum-
stances, the cost of the Fall-Sinciair
trial will be considerably less in the
Nay of witnesses and jury expenses
than the previous Fall-Doheny case.
Approximately $4,000 was expended
by the Government alone in meeting
these necessary expenses during the
previous trial.
Each juror gets 81 a day. Failure
to lock up the present jury. which
presented complications on account OF
the two women jurors. is saving the
Government quite little money. The
Fall-Doheny jury cost $76 a day, in
Guiding board and lodging" Board
expenses are saved the Government
at least during the present trial for
the jurors are permitted to go home
at the end of each day. But if it
Is necessary to lock up the jury over
night to reach a verdict, as was done
last year, the marshalrs office will
have to hire the entire floor of
hotel. There are no facilities at the
courthouse for lodging woman jurors
over night and it would be necessary
to separate the sleeping quarters by
q curtain. A woman guard would
have to be in attendance in event
the Jury is taken to hotel in addi
tion to the usual male attendant.
Witnesses Get 81 Daily.
Each witness called by the Govern
ment is paid at the rate of 50 day
whether he testifies or not. until final
iy excused by the court. In addition
TO this modest sum the witness can
put in voucher for his travelling ex-
penses, cents mile being allowed
to and from Washington.
Members OF Congress or any Federal
employe called as a Government wit
but II compelled to travel here. they
can at least put in a claim for ex-
penses. In this case Director II. F'os-
ter Balm of the Bureau of Mines. First
Assistant Secretary of the Interior +.
G. Finney and other Government Off
Gals had to give free testimony. But
II they are later called as defense wit
uesses they must look to Mr. Sinclair
ano Mr.. Fall for their witness fees.
Senator kendrick of Wyoming, who
hah to come here for the trial, will
get his travelling expenses paid by the
Government. Former Representative
Frank w. Mondell is a Federal Off.
cial and so is out of luck
Another prominent witness who has
put in claim for fees and expenses is
Harry +. Daugherty, former Attorney
General. Daugherty was here for two
days. but did not take the stand. Gov
ernment counsel having read his stipu.
lation in court. Then there is Col.
Theodore Roosevelt, who came down
from New York to testify for about
five minutes. He also has put in a
claim But the bill which hurt the
Government to pay was one for
$253.40. the amount received by Fairs
son-in-law, M. T. Everhart of Pueblo
Colo. After staying here II DAYS at
Government expense. Everhart refused
to testify when called upon to give
testimony which would tend to incrim-
mate himself, and in refusing to do so
was upheld by the court.
Department Aiding With Bills.
Fall and Sinclair will have to nav all
necessary expenses incidental to their
ORn defense a s the Government is do.
Ing. AS last a g claims are paid TO
government witnesses at the mar.
sshals office, the amount is drawn
from the Department of Justice. which
In turn must look for reimbursement
later from the disbursing officer of
the White House, custodian of the
special oil fund.
For the millionaire Sinclair the ex.
pfnses OF his present defense, outside
attorney fees. will be a mere drop in
the bucket compared with what he has
already paid out in fighting the civil
suits AT that. however. his expenses
in the present proceedings are con
sfderably lighter than those of Edward
T.. Doheny. Most OF the witnesses
hhie from the middle West and Colo.
rado and Wyoming. In the Doheny
case. California furnished a ma jority
of the defense witnesses. Then. 100.
Doheny empha sized the gossip of his
celebrated "million-dolar" defense
by maintaining an eating club in a
nearby Office building. at which a chef
from one Of the leading hotels catered
10 the appetites of numerous invited
GUESTS. Sinclair though he could
1Irobably buy out the wealthy Doheny
and still have enough To. live luxuri
oalsly for his remaining days. eats his
ltncheon usually at the same dngy
lfttle cafeteria, munching his baked
heans and sandwiches at a table only
a,' few feet away from the two Gov
arpu1ent attorneys and some of the