Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-10
Mas, in Formal Statement,
Challenges Explanation of
st. Paul Post Office.
GLASS EXPRESSES VIEW
DEAL WAS FRAUDULENT
Provision in Bill to Withhold Up.
keep Funds Retained by
Upper House.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Formal statement charging Postmas-
ter General Brown with deliberately
attempting TO mislead the Senate" with
respect to the leasing of a post office
building at st. Paul, was issued today
by Representative Mas, Republican, of
Minnesota.
Mas statement was in answer, it
said, to Browns statement yesterday
that his only connection with the leas-
ing of the building was that of insur-
ing that it was safe for occupancy.
las a matter Of fact Mas said, 1.-The
Postmaster Generals connection with
the lease was far more intimate"
The statement continued that Brown
sent Assistant Postmaster General
Coleman to make an investigation of
the condition Of the building last Oc-
tober, while the Government was at
tempting TO condemn the building and
vacate the lease.
Claims One Side Heard.
Coleman with Browns knowledge
held an ex-parte hearing in the post
office in st. Paul, calling in only wit
nesSeS for the owners" Mas state
ment said, adding that this evidence
alone was given out,
1t was a strange way for a client
the Post Office Department-to assist
his counsel, the attorneys in the con-
demnation procedure" Mas added,
and every other bit Of help the Post
Once Department has given has been
just as strange"
The Senate today voted to retain the
provision in the post Office appropria-
ton bill Stipulating that no funds shall
be paid during the forthcoming fiscal
year for upkeep of the station in st.
Paul. The vote was IS to Is.
Discussion of the st. Paul post Office
lease in the SenaSe resulted In a reso-
luton by Senator Blaine, Republican,
for a general investigation of post Of
f1ce leases. Blaine and Senator Nye,
Republican, North Dakota, charged that
fraud" Previously Mas had asSailed
the st. Paul lease In the House.
The statement continued that Brown
permitted insertion in the appropria-
ton bill of an item of $4,000 for rent
on the st. Paul building, though the
st. Paul authorities had already con-
demned the building"
Mas said later Brown appeared be-
fore the Senate appropriations COM
mittee and asked that the amendment
be stricken out.
Report on Building Hit.
Several weeks ago the Postmaster
General asked the Treasury Department
to make still further investigation of
the condition Of the SITE" the statement
said.
THE Postmaster General chose the
higher appraisal" Mas assehter, lin
face of the fact that a commission
appointed by a Federal court in the
condemnation suit has recommended an
award of $4,000"
Although the property had been con-
demned, Mas said, the Post Office De-
partment occupied it until two weeks
before final action by the court. Then,
he added, report on the Treasury De-
partment'S investigation was issued,
declaring the building SO per cent
sound. This report stated, he said, that
the building adjoining the post Office
substation was in danger of collapse.
The two buildings had one wall In
common, the statement said, and the
report recommended piling furniture In
the post Office against the walls to pre-
vent its collapse.
yet the report declared the post
Office SO per cent SAFE" the statement
said.
The Postmaster General then sent
Representative Sproul, Republican, nli-
nois, letter to be read into the Con-
gressional Record, appraising the prop
erty at $678,000," the statement as
serted, although there were ir the Post
ONCE Department filed estimates Of its
own postal inspectors, placing the value
at $405 ,000."
Senator Glass, Democrat, Virginia, ex-
pressed the view in the Senate that the
lease for the commercial station in st.
Paul was grossly fraudulent
Senator PhippS, Republican, Colorado
explained that the Government has not
paid any money on this lease since
March, 1928, when a grand jury re-
ported the lease was tainted with
fraud"