The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-24


Auditing Department, recommended
further investigation by the incoming
Grand Jury.
Hints for Further
Roads Investigation
The September Grand Jury having
admitted that it could not complete a
thorough inquiry into the State Roads
scandal and recommended that the
next Grand Jury carry on, it appears
that the Michigan Advisory" Commit
tee, being still in existence and the
House of Delegates having Grand
Inquest Committee hand picked and
tuned up by the addition of the Speak
err himself, there is a possibility that
more may yet come out if that same
more cannot be successfully inferred
by the friends and benefciaries of the
State administration.
Aside from the construction con-
tracts, the legality of which has been
called into question by Richard B. Tip
petit, some investigators might find
something of interest by delving into
the expenditures for the Grain High
way celebration at Upper Marlboro in
1927. According to the meagre facts
that have been allowed to leak out by
the administration, not less than $751;
900 of the States money was expend-
ed for that shindig without any ap-
parent warrant in budget or other
legal instrument. We have it that
the Roads Commission books show
that the greater part of this total
was paid into the hands of two chair
men, one in Baltimore City and the
other in Prince Georges county. These
chairmen or whatever they may be
called, are supposed to have used the
money to pay the expenses incurred
by them in holding the celebration.
Now, in connection with this there
is a report that the committee or
somebody undertook to present silver
services to Governor Richie, Chair
man Mackall and Robert Grain on that
occasion, but that the plan miscarried.
The information that reaches me is to
the effect that when he heard of it
Mr.. Grain baked and communicated
with the Governor with the result that
he did not figure as a receiver of any
gift. But | am told that two silver
services or sets or something of the
sort were ordered and sent to Upper
Marlboro under guard of the State
police by reason of their great value.
But at Marlboro the hackers of the
scheme lost their nerve and did not
make the public presentation that had
been planned. So the silver was skid
ded back to Baltimore for a more aus
picious occasion and this was found at
a meeting of the Southern Maryland
Society. There, l am told, the silver
was presented to the Governor and
his chief road builder, presumably as
a subscription gift, but l am told that
in reality only few hundred dollars
were collected from the enthusiastic
multitude. The suspicion seems to be
that some of the Grain highway cele.
bration fund was used for these sill
verware sets, but l do not know that
to be the case.
However, the facts can be brought
out if the investigation committee will
call before it the two chairmen men
toned, one of whom is connected with
a Baltimore financial institution while
the other is active in race track poll
tics in Prince Georges county. There
is no doubt that these two men will
state the facts when called upon in a
proper way.
Plan Suggested for
The Roads Inquiry
Now that two agencies for investi-
cation of the State Roads admins
tration are in existence in addition to
the Grand Jury it appears that one
may get in the way Of the other.
There is the Governors Michigan Cad
visory" Committee whose functions
are limited to giving advice, and the
Ritchie-Brooke Lee Legislative Com
mittee into which Speaker Lee has in
sisted on projecting himself as a
member.
1t is my suggestion that the men,
bers of each committee attend the
meetings of the other committee as
spectators. The Michigan committee
has Edwin j. Baetjer as a sort of
prosecutor, while the Ritchie-Brooke
Lee Legislative Committee has Mr..
Baetjer's law partner, Charles Nc
Henry Howard, associated with JOS
eph C. France and Alexander Arm
strong. There are no second class
lawyers in this bunch, so that if they
are let go to work right and have the
time they should be able to get to the
bottom of things-a bottom not SEEM
ingly yet reached.
When I mention Edwin G. Baetjer
and Charles McHenry Howard 1 recall
Major Richard M. Venable, who used
to be the head of the firm of Venable,
Baetjer and Howard. Months before