Evening star., 1934-01-23
.|CKES GIVEN POWER
TO PREVENT CRAFT
ON c. v. PROJECTS
Justice Department to Probe
Alleged IrreguIarity in
lob Giving.
SUPERVISOR ARRESTED
FOR ACCEPTING MONEY
First Inquiry Will Deal With
Brokerage Fees Charge
in Los Angeles.

President Roosevelt has clothed Sec.
retary 1ckes with sweeping authority to
act as he may see fit to prevent cor.
ruption in the public works program.
1t was disclosed today, coincident with
announcement Of Department of JUS.
tice investigation of alleged irregularity
IN apportionment Of civil works Jobs.
Joseph B. keenan, Assistant Attorney
General, in charge of the criminal div.
sion of the Justice Department, said
Harry Hopkins, c, w. A. administrator.
has referred to the department Several
complaints" alleging improper admin
lstration Of civil works projects in
various parts of the country.
The Justice Department was requested
by Hopkins, keenan, said, that when
Federal statutes have been violated,
prompt prosecution be instituted" The
division of investigation accordinely
Will conduct a series Of inquiries with
a view to institutng court proceedings
II Federal law regarding graft or other
forms of official corruption are found
to be involved.
One Arrested Here.
Several hours later police here an
nounced they had arrested Thomas z.
Archer. 47, of 1851 Euclid street, and
charged him with eXtortion after al
!eeeoly accepting a bribe from Civil
WORKS Administration employe engaged
In the District rent survey.
Arcner, supervising the survey along
upper Connecticut avenue. according to
pollce, had demanded money to main
tam nigh ratings of c. w. A. workers
helping with the survey.
The first Of the Justice inquiries has
been launched in Los Angeles County.
Calf, where numerous charges have
been made that brokerage fees have
been assessed for handing out Jobs.
State Probe Asked.
The South Carolina delegation in the
House today voted to ask Hopkins TO
investigate the C. W. A. in that State.
although the exact nature of the COM
plants was not divulged. The Pepre-
Sentatlves said they had arranged to see
Hopkins tomorrow.
lckes. who recently set up a nation
VIDE inspection and auditing system for
tne PUBLIC Works Administration, has
sta;loneo inspectors on several projects
WIN instructions to watch pay rolls and
pay windows to prevent use of the So
called 'kick-back" system of cutting
pay. Under this plan. worker is car
rleo on the rolls at salary in excess
OF that he actually receives in his en-
veIope but fears TO complain because
he might be fired
1t was learned today that in one
large Midwestern city the inspectors
had discovered such a system in opera
tlon and had forced the contractor to
discontinue the practice. In this case.
the contractor was using tax anticipa-
ton warrants which he purchased at q
discount and forced workers TO accept
at par
New York Work Held Up.
At the same time. 1t was revealed
that the sudden stoppage of funds for
the S42.000,000 tri-borough bridge in
New York was caused by discovery that
certain rent item in the project in
VOWED property in which an Official Of
the bridge authority was interested
personally. The funds were held up
after 100000 had been advanced to
the bridge authority This matter is
sui under investigation by public works
inspectors.
President Roosevelt has told Admin
lstrator 1ckes he may dismiss instantly
any one In the P. w. A. suspected Of
graft.
1ckes has adopted the plan of n-
SUNG SUNG IN small installments the big
allotments made to some projects, on
the theory that 1t will be easier for
inspectors ana auditors to check on the
disposition of small amounts of money.
Keenan, conferred at length late yes
terday with Jacob Baker, assistant
civil works administrator, concerning
the complaints against the c. w. A.
OfhcialS Of the latter agency are
known to have received many letters
containing a variety of charges, quite
number coming from Pennsylvania.
In the latter State, Hopkins recently
dismissed summarily the C. w. A. chief
engineer, c. E. Myers, charging he re-
celved commission as consulting en-
glneer for sewer project which was
approved by his office.
Archer, arrested here. was taken by
Detective Sergts. A. D. and o. w.
Mansfield in an apartment on upper
Connecticut avenue after the two off,
GERS had set a trap for him.
A worker, who. police said. had been
approached by Archer. was given a
marked SIS bill by the Mansfelds, and
the two officers, hiding in wait, saw
the supervisor accept the money. He
then was arrested and brought to police
headquarters for questioning.
Archers arrest was brought about by
a complaint to police from James Ring,
who is in charge of the survey.
Ring told Inspector Frank S. W.
Burke, chief of detectives, that several
c. w. A. workers had complained to
him that money was being sought by
supervisors on promises to keep up rat
ings and to prevent the employees from
being dismissed. Burke assigned the
Mansflelds to investigate the matter
and Archer was arrested.
Capt Bernard w. Thompson, as
sistant chief of detectives, questioned
Archer.
As soon as the questioning is COM
pleted, Inspector Burke said he would
send Archer to the United States at
torney's oflce for arraignment.
Clerks Are Arrested. ,t1g
In Southern California two Charts
were arrested last Saturday on cDii1-
missioners warrant In connection with
requisitions for trucks. n
It was said that some complaints
aimed at the c. w. a. do not appeal
to be the basis for criminal action
These have to do with allegations sci
political favoritism in employment ,Ioz
C. w. A. workers. Under the G. w. A.
employment system, the selection Il nl
workers in some States devolves upDs,
the State Board of Labor or snH1J
similar agency. The personnel Of boards
in one or two States has been de-
clared inimical to the employment Of
men belonging to one or another Of