Evening star., 1934-02-28
SHOOTS SON HELD
Job WITH AIRLINE
WHILE AT U.S.POST
Former Clerk of Senate
Finance Group Represent
ed Western Express.
DESCRIBES ACTIVITIES
IN "CONTACT" POSITION
Mail Probe Hears of Bill for
$4,000 for Specific
Services.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Ernest w. Smoot, son of former
Senator Smoot of Utah, told Senate
airmail Investigators today that he
represented Western Air Express in
Washington in 1880 while receiving
S3,325 a year as clerk of the Senate
Finance Committee.
Smoot agreed with James G. Wool
ley, former vice president of Western
Air, that his job had been to keep in
touch with the controller general,
who had held up payment on a
transcontinental mail contract. and
to contact members Of the House
Post Office Committee.
you were in the employ Of the
Senate Finance Committee at the
time?" Chairman Black asked.
II think I was," Smoot replied.
Hired as Representative.
Woolley told the committee yes
terday his firm hired Ernest Smoot
as a Washington representative when
a contract was held up.
The Senator's son was retained,
Woolley said. when Controller Gen
eral McCarl held up payments on the
Middle Continental route contract on
the ground it was not let to the low
bidder.
After McCarl rescinded his order,
Ernest Smoot sent his bill for $4,000
for the specific services you in
structed me on November 13 to per-
form in Washington"
Woolley said Post Office Depart
ment officials had said the contract
would not be awarded without word
from Senator Smoot and Represent
ative Tilson.
Woolley also introduced a telegram
purportedly written to the company
by Ernest Smoot in which it was
said that "if nothing happens first
next week, my father and I will see
McCarl again.
Smoot, testifying In voice scarcely
audible at times, said he had also rep
resented E. D. Alvord, jr., and the
firm of Donovan & Bond before the
Customs Bureau. in 1890 He said he
thought he had resigned from his
Senate post at that time. but agreed
his salary was paid for the entire
year.
Matter Settled"
ct was practically assured the mat
ter was settled one way or another"
Smoot answered, questioned about the
telegram referring to the Controller
Generals decision.
Smoot asserted his father had taken
A letter purportedly written by
Senator Smoot to McCarl dated De-
cember IL, 1880, said certain of his
constituents had asked that a deci-
sion in the T w. A. contract be "ex-
pedited.'
Smoot agreed that the controller
general on January 10 reversed his
previous decision on the basis of addi-
tional facts. The unsuccessful bidder
had proposed rate of "a per cent OF
the maximum allowed, whereas T. w
AS bid had been 971a per cent, vari-
Gus witnesses had previously testified.
Senator Smoot refused to sign
letter to McCarl, drafted by Western
Air Express, which would have urged
the controller general to accept the
T. w. A. bid because it would serve
the interest of public safety"
Like Fathers Influence"
A letter from Woolley to young
Smoot was introduced, saying wed
like to have your father use his very
important influence"
Another said the company regarded
yourself and your father as one OF
our major assets
Earlier in the hearing Ernest Smoot
had told of several visits to assistants
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