Evening star., 1934-11-17
HOPKINS PROMISES
TO ANSWER SOON
i'm R0S|CHAN CASE
Tells Transients He Will
Probe Charges Laid
Before Him.
PROSECUTIONS, GRAFT
| AND THREATS ALLEGED
Conference With Regional Super
visor Is Declared Neces.
sary Step.

Relief Administrator Harry L. Hop
kins told group Of disgruntled
transients today he would announce
Monday or Tuesday whether he would
comply with their demands and seek
the removal of Arthur S. Rosichan as
director of the local Transient Relief
Bureau.
These complaints of yours will be
given serious attention-immediat
attention" he told Lewis B. Smith.
spokesman for the Executive Com
mittee on Grievances" who led
delegation of 100 In a parade from the
bureau to the F. e. r. A. Building
this morning.
Il think you have got a perfect
right to kick about anything you want
to. any time you want to-
The Executive Committee had de-
manded an immediate shake-up in the
bureau. including the removal of
Rosichan and all Of his subordinates
Who have taken part in any movement
against the transientS. The group
also asked for an audit of the books
Of the transient bureau to prove
charges of graft in the administra-
ton.
Persecution Claimed.
Smith laid a variety of charges b.
fore Hopkins He claimed persecu-
ton by officials of the bureau, attacks
on the character of the members Of
the Executive Committee, an effort to
institute the Army court-martial sys-
tenn to punish transients and mall
treatment generally.
I'VE respectfully request that you,
Mr.. Hopkins, effect a remedy for
| this situation by Immediately remov-
| ing Mr.. Rosichan," Smith said in
conclusion.
Hopkins said he could not take
steps to remove Rosichan until he
had the full report of his regional
supervisor, Col. George D. Babcock,
earlier in the week into the COM
plants of certain of the transients.
"One of your chief kicks, as I see
it, is that they are calling you names"
Hopkins told Smith. Il sympathiZe
with you; I've been called a few
myself.
Asked for Specific Faults.
But you do have certain specific
objectives-one of them is the re-
moval of Mr.. Rosichan. I can't do
/ anything about that until I have the
report of Col. Babcock and can con-
fer with the District Commissioners.
Il believe what you people want
most of all is a job Next to job.
what do you want? Fair and decent
treatment, and you certainly are en-
titled to that"
The transients also asked Hopkins
to provide them with the Washington
Auditorium or some other hall in
which they could hold meeting to
AIR our grievances before the proper
officials of the Federal Government
and the public" The administrator
told Smith he could not give you a
hall. but the District can and
think you fellows can get hall If ycu
want one"
While the Hopkins conference was
| in progress, the Transient Bureau
issued figures to show that the 100
who took part in the grievance meet
| ing were only handful of the 478
| on the registration rolls of the bureau.
Rosichan himself expressed no con-
ecrn over the Hopkins interview and
said that reports he had received in
. dicated those responsible for the
agitation" constitute only a small
minority.
! Hopkins sat on the edge of a desk
! throughout the session, listening pa
! tiently to the kicks of one after an
other of the IL men who represented
the whole delegation.
Says He Was Threatened.
Merlin O'Brien was the first tram
| sient to make complaint after
Smiths Introductory remarks. He
charged Rosichan had theatened him
and others who took part in the griev-
ance movement.
Joseph Murray said a case worker
had accused him of being an "agitator
and resent that"
A man who said he had served in
the World War as majo complained
of graft, asserting he had been credited
in the books of the bureau as having
received suit of clothes. He said he
had not been given suit and that his
name was forged to the order.
| A Missouri farmer, who said he
came here with plan to cure the
| depression. told with tears in his eyes
that he was here for no other pur-
pose than to do good"
Before the interview with Hopkins.
the transients had mass meeting on
a lot across the street from the
Transient Bureau, then paraded down
Constitution avenue and up Eight
zenith street to the F. E. r. A. Build
ing. All but the IL men who con-
ferred with Hopkins. remained out
side the building under the watchful