The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-31
COMMITTEE TO BEGIN ON
STATE ROAD PROBE TODAY
(Continued from Page onel

pathy and a smoke screen for his
son, j. Maxwell Mitchell, who he
charged held state roads subsidy at
the present.
Mr. Wilmer also declared that he
had made no statement which he
could not prove, and that if anyone
could prove the slightest misstate-
ment, he would publicly apologize to
the senator and to his family.
He declared that H. S. Swan, head
of a contracting company which he
said received $1,000,000 worth Of
road contract extensions illegally,
was not Republican as said by SEN
ator Mitchell, but man who worked
for the election of Mitchell to the
Senate.
Says Son Has Road Contract
After the session Mr.. Wilmer said
that Senator Mitchell had benefited
in the profits of the Swan company,
and that the court action against the
State Roads Commission and that
company in 1926 was brought be-
cause of illegal contract letting. He
also charged that the automobile
company owned by j. Maxwell
Mitchell, son of the senator, had the
contract for furnishing gasoline and
oil to all state roads trucks and auto
mobiles in Charles county. He said
he understood the gas was furnished
at retail prices.
Michigan Commission Praised
The Nelligan Commission was
praised for the work it had done in
its investigation of the roads COM
mission scandal so far, by all
members of the grand inquest COM
mittee at its meeting this afternoon.
Its members, Jonathan K. Voshell,
John J. Michigan, George NJ. Shriver,
and Edwin G. Baetjer, were given
the complete confidence Of the COM
mittee members on the report of the
hearing of the Tippett charges yes
terday in Baltimore.
However, Senator Levin asked that
this committee be asked to halt its in
vestigation and sit with the legis-
lative body. He said that this stand
was taken because of the inability Of
the Nelligan committee to force pres
ence of witnesses, to place them
under oath and to prosecute them for
perjury.
Only Body Not Attacked
E. Brooke Lee, speaker of the
House in opposing this move, de-
clared that the Michigan commission
was the only one in the state Sin this
era of mud-slinging" which has not
been attacked, and which has the full
confidence of the people, while the
Legislative committee on the floor Of
the House and by both parties, Re-
publican and Democratic insurgents,
has been attacked as a packed one,
for the purpose of withdrawing the
state administration.
He declared that the administra-
ton wanted, and asked, for a "com-
plete and competent investigation
and that the working Of both bodies
could bring this to a quicker con-
clusion, and that the investing Of
powers on the Michigan body to force
attendance of witnesses could be
delegated to it without taking any
power from the grand inquest body
He was supported in this stand by
Senator Beck, chairman of the COM
mittee and by Delegate Paul Ber-
man, Republican, Baltimore city.
Alexander Armstrong, former Re-
publican attorney general and candi-
date for governor, one of the coun-
sci for the joint committee, declared
that the legislators could issue an
attachment for any witness, forcing
him to attend the Nelligan meetings
and make him liable for perjury.
Mr.. Lees stand was supported by
the vote when the House members
of the legislative Commute, coupled
with three of the senators, voted for
the rejection of the Levin resolution.
To Meet With Commission
Following this, it was voted to ask
the Michigan Commission members to
meet with the legislative body to-
morrow afternoon.
Mr.. Lee, in outlining his plans for
the investigation of the State Roads
Commission affairs, said that the
Michigan Commission, Herbert R.
O'Conor, states attorney of Balti-
more, who conducted the grand jury
probe of the fraud charges, Haskins
& Sells auditors, who made the aud
it of the roads finances, would be
summoned to appear, along with the
others who might have any informa-
ton bearing on the subject.
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