Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
"SALE" OF US. Jobs
SCORED IN REPORT
Senate Post Office Committee
Asks Probe of Southern
Patronage Deals.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Pointing to evidence of the barter
and sale of Federal offices" in South
ern States, the Senate post ONCE COM
mlttee of inquiry yesterday placed its
final report before the Senate and re-
ferred it to the Department of Justice
for investigation.
The report, submitted by Chairman
Brookhart, dealt almost entirely with
patronage conditions in four States
Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina
and Texas. It urged the Government
to investigate further and to start
proceedings against all persons who
have violated the statute covering the
barter and sale Of public Offices"
Referee System Criticized.
The committee also recommended
abolition Of the present system in the
Southern States of dispensing Federal
oflces by the referee system and con-
demned this practice as most repre-
hensible"
A third recommendation proposed
that the corrupt practices act be
soliciting funds from a Federal ONCE
holder or Federal employe for political
purposes.
Senator Brookhart presented the re-
port of the l8 months investigation by
the committee without comment. He
said later he intended to forward it
to the Post once Department and the
Department of Justice. The report
summarized evidence previously made
public by the committee.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, Tennes-
see, also signed the report and added
supplementary report dealing with con-
ditions in Texas and South Carolina.
He opposed the reappointment of Dis
tict Attorney Hartman in Texas and OF
Internal Revenue Collector Roy Camp
bell. He also severely condemned the
administration Of ]. D. E. Meyer as dis
trict attorney for South Carolina. This
oficiaI recently resigned.
Senator Hastings, Republican, Della
ware, the third member Of the commit
tee, did not sign the report. He sub
mitted brief one of his own explaining
he had participated only in part Of the
inquiry. He, too condemned Meyer.
Senator Brookhart said the committee
had concluded its work, but he gave no
tice that If recent complaints made to
crat, South Carolina, of conditions In
that State deserved investigation, he
would ask the committee to make 1t.
Says Notes Solicited.
Discussing Texas. the Brookhart re-
port said:
1.-THE committee found that this or
ganization based its support upon the
solicitation of notes, in large majority
Of cases, from prospective ONCE seekers
at the time the organization started
under the direction Of r. B. Creager.
Later on, the majority Of the notes Sc
cured were from Federal employees or
those anticipating appointment to Fed
his Texas organization"
The report said testimony and am
davits indicated that practically all the
Federal ofilces in South Carolina were
placed on sale by J. W. Tolbert or
through his representatives"
Regarding Mississippi the report
said:
"Your committee feels that, notwith-
standing action taken by the trial
juries IN Mississippi, there Is an album
dance Of evidence In the record to
prove beyond . reasonable doubt that
Perry w. Howard g Negro and former
<ASokcbhKlb OkUSCu 0t0tCS &A0vO11Sy &fCh~
eral) was guilty of the sale and barter
Of public offlces In the State Of Missis-
sippi, and your committee condemns
such practice as most reprehensible
and In violation Of the Federal law.
Your committee recommends that such
method Of appointing public ofncials
should be abolished without delay"
Georgia Report Optimistic.
A more optimistic picture of condi-
tions In Georgia was reported by Brook
hart. His report for that State said:
your committee Is pleased TO report
that conditions have greatly improved
In Georgia and the new organization
handling patronage down there seems
to have met with success. We have
information from influential citizens
Of Georgia that the barter and sale
Of Federal ofiices has practically been
eliminated"
CHARGES THREAT OF VIOLENCE.