Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-18
.BLANTON REVIEWS
ATTACK ON BROWN
Texan Charges 100000
Machine Ordered by e.
ficiency Expert Is Useless.

The House was notified by Repre-
| sentative Blanton. Democrat, OF Texas.
! that in an executive session of the Glib
! son subcommittee of the House District
committee Yesterday. Herbert d. Brown,
| chief of the United States Bureau of
| Efficiency had admitted TO him that
he tMr Brown had purchased for the
Veterans Bureau a tabulating machine,
which cost 100000. which has been
stored in the basement OF the Veterans
Bureau because four successive dircc-
| tors of the bureau have found 1t I'M
! practical TO use.
This speech by Mr. Blanton included
a portion of the reply made by Mr.
Brown to series Of questions asked by
Mr.. Blanton through resolution re-
ferred to the civil service committee
| after Mr.. Brown had refused to give
the information personally to Mr.
! Blanton when he had asked him for 1t
This included an admission by Mr.
Brown that he had received S7.8os
from the du Pont company over
period of IL years for work done out
side OF hours Of employment with the
Government.
Holds Machine Worthless.
In his new attack upon Mr.. Brown
in the House late yesterday Mr.. Blan-
ton said in part:
This chief OF the Bureau OF Eff
cheney will tell you that he recommends
constantly for the departments OF this
Government both Federal and District,
the purchase of certain important
valuable machinery and supplies from
various corporations. II you will ask
him he will tell you that for the
Veterans Bureau he purchased tab
ulating machine which cost the tax
payers OF this country over 100000.
and II Is stored there in the basement
OF the Veterans Bureau. and has never
been used by any one. and there have
been four different directors in there
since it was purchased. and not one OF
them has ever used it. because 1t Is
not practicable TO use 1t. II Is abSo-
iutely worthless. so far as four different
directors of the Veterans Bureau have
determined.
He will tell you that he helped TO
draw up the specifications for the pur-
chase OF machinery for both the Fed
eral Government and the District gov
eminent. II you ask him he will tell
you that he drew up the specifications
for the machinery that made here In
the District the last automobile tag
numbers. and he will tell you that he
not only drew up the specifications.
but he afterward recommended 10 the
District Commissioners that they buy
this machinery from the firm from
which 1t was bought. Oh, how easy
It is TO be employed when a man can
draw up specifications for machinery
furnished by certain corporations. and
when he Is In a position 10 recommend
its purchase for those corporations TO
come 10 him and offer him employ
ment that pays him large sums on the
outside!
Aided In Brown Defense.
II have not altogether lost confidenc"
In Mr. Brown yet. ! believe he VIII
quit this practice. When came here
he was one OF the most efficient men
that We had In the Government. When
! came here had as much confidence
In him as had In any other Govern
ment official here in Washington.
When ! came here / believed that he
was doing as much for the taxpayers
as any other ofIicial in the Govern
ment.
Il have stood here on this floor time
and time again when he was attacked
and defended him. and I have helped
your chairman. Martin Madden. defend
him I was one OF those who helped
Mr.. Madden and Mr.. Woods commit
tee increase his salary 70 $500 a year.
But ! was expecting him 10 give nil
OF his time 10 the people OF this Gov
eminent and not 10 accept employment
from corporations on the outside"