Evening star., 1934-01-23
Pennsylvania Rail Agent Says
Brown Promised Award
to His Line.
TESTIMONY ON OCEAN
PACTS OPENED IN PROBE
Former Postmaster General Wanted
Correspondence on Agreements
Kept Secret, Ball Says.
BY the Associated Press.


A. j. Ball, general freight agent O,
the Pennsylvania Railroad, told Senate
investigators today Senate filibuste,
was conducted on March / to enable
awarding OF an ocean mail contract tc
company he represented.
Ball testified he had had an agree.
| ment with Walter F. Brown, former
Postmaster General, that his company
the Philadelphia Mail Steamship Co
would get the contract provided the
filibuster prevented action on a resolu.
tion to hold up the proposed contract
Balls testimony was the first regard
ing ocean mail since the inquiry opened
several weeks ago. The committee is
investigating the award of both ocean
and airmail contracts under the
Hoover administration.
Ball said filibuster conducted by
Senator Reed, Republican, of Pennsyl-
Vania, delayed a resolution to hold uu
mall contracts while bids from the
Philadelphia line were opened.
Promise Definite"
He said Brown had definitely" prom
lSed the contract provided the Senate
resolution was delayed
Ihe Senate resolution, passed at
II 81 o'clock March 3. 1888. was held
up until 30 minutes after bids were
opened, Ball testified.
The Shipping Board, however, re-
fused to approve the contract. Ball
added.
Ball identified correspondence in
which it was asserted that Brown
wanted his connection with the con-
tracts kept confidential.
Ball said his line reached an agree
ment with the American Hampton
Roads Line at the instance of Brown.
who had told him no mail contract was
forthcoming unless rivalry between the
lines was honed out.
He described meetings with Brown
and Chairman O'Connor of the Ship
ping Board in Washington hotel and
elsewhere.
The contract sought was for carrying
mail to the United Kingdom. Ball said
the proposed Philadelphia Mail Steam
ship Line was to be formed by the
Pennsylvania. Reading and Baltimore
g. Ohio Railroads. with citizens Of
Philadelphia. 1t never was actually or
ganized, Ball said.
Atterbury Testifies.
Ball said the contract would have
amounted to Sl.000OOO a year if So
voyages had been made.
Ball was followed on the stand by
w. w, Atterbury. president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. Atterbury tes-
titled that his road had a direct in
terest in the Baltimore Mail and Ameri-
can Scantic Lines and had guaranteed
a loan to the american Export Line
Atterbury. explaining the relation be-
tween the Hudson Manhattan Railroads
and the Pennsylvania, said the Penn
SylVanla owns not one share (of stock
and never has" The Hudson -Manhat-
tan was put together" originally by
Senator William G. McAdoo. Demo-
crat. of California. he said.
Atterbury said the Hudson -Manhat-
tan leased Pennsylvania Railroad prop
erty for its lines from New York to
Jersey City.
correspondence from Arthur Bris-
bane to Atterbury, suggesting that the
Pennsylvania make an investment in
the Hudson Manhattan was read.
DIUWH OW0cC StOCk.
Atterbury. consulting records. testi-
fed former Postmaster General Brown
bought $50 shares of PENNSYLVANIA
stock in 1925 and 1923 but did not still
hold 1t. The stock probably was sold
in 1929. he added.
Also scheduled to take the stand
today was John Orgill, Cleveland at
torney
The first legislative proposal to grow
out of the investigation was advanced
yesterday by Senator McCarran. Demo-
crat, of Nevada, in a resolution to
create permanent Senate Committee
on Aeronautics
McCarran said the proposed new
standing committee, which would con-
sist of IL members, had been shown
necessary by disclosures in the inquiry
so far.
He cited aviation's military and COM
mercial importance as a further reason
for its formation.
The Senate Post Office Committee
approved the resolution of Senator
Black. Democrat, of Alabama. to ap-
propriate s25 1000 additional for the mail
contract inquiry and broaden the In
vestigating Committees authority.