Evening star., 1934-01-25
Jury MAY REVIEW
DATA ON A|RMA|L
Chairman Black Believes In.
quiry Findings Warrant
Prosecution.

Testimony charging irregularity in
the award of marine and air mail con-
tracts under former Postmaster General
Brown. given before Senator Black S
investigating committee, may be re-
peated soon before a Federal grand
jury here.
Evidence characterized by the legal
minded Alabama Senator as showing
definite illegality' was being studied
today by the Justice Departments new
prospective prosecutor in the mail con-
tract inquiry, Carl l.. Ristine, who was
sworn in yesterday as a special assist
ant to the Attorney General.
Black, himself a former prosecutor
and Judge, is said to have expressed
confidence to Attorney General Cum
mings and Ristine that sufficient evi-
dence has been turned over to them
by the Senate committee to warrant
criminal proceedings against number
of prominent persons involved In the
contracts.
APPROPRIATION Increased.
Cummings and Assistant Attorney
General Joseph B. keenan,, in charge
of the departments criminal division,
are understood to have given close
scrutiny to portions of the committees
testimony before deciding the matter
was important enough to call for ap-
pointment of a special assistant to take
charge of the case.
In the meantime, extension by Senator
Blacks committee of phase OF the
hearings that previously had involved
the name of Brown in connection with
his craftsmanship Of the Hudson-M Man
haitian Railroad was assured by action
of the Senate late yesterday In ap-
propriating $4,000 additional to the
committee The Senate broadened the
scope of the hearings to include actlvi-
ties of any corporation or individual
connected with a firm holding an air
mail contract, thus giving the COM
mittee full authority to compel the
railroad to open its files to investiga-
tors. The road previously had refused
q request for its records.
To Resume Inquiry.
The committee plans to resume its
inquiry next Tuesday. Ristine has sig
nified his intention of sitting In on the
hearings for the purpose Of accumu-
lating additional evidence.
In an address last night over the
National Radio Forum. arranged by The
Star and broadcast over Nation wide
network of the National Broadcasting
Co., Senator Black declared that in
awarding contracts for both ocean and
air mail low bids have been denied and
high bids accepted" and that the
peoples money has largely gone for
high salaries, huge bonuses. wasteful
and extravagant management and to
enrich favored few
Contracts that are In default, he
stated, or that were secured "by fraud.
be Cancelled, altered or modified with
out legislation.
The time has come, he said, "to re-
ton to profiteering promoters, stock
manipulators, bankers and privileged
politicians"
Appropriations Maintained.
The House Appropriations Committee,
meanwhile, has maintained airmail ap-
preparations at the existing rate. pend
ing completion of the Senate's inquiry.
The committee" it was announced,
"has no means of knowing what the
right sum to appropriate may be. and
until the results of these studies and in
vestigations lead to a sound conclusion,
the position of standing on the present
rate of expenditure is adopted, even
though it may be arbitrary in char
acter"
The committee allotted $l4,0O0,0 900
for domestic airmail, a reduction of
81 100000 from last years fund, and
$37.500,000 for foreign air and ocean
mail, a slash Of 100000 OF the for
eign mail sum, 100000 Is for airmal.