Evening star., 1934-02-25

being delivered were Substantially
correct"
But then this testimony parted
company.
/ Brown said he had complained to
Farley about the assignment of postal
inspectors to the airmail investi-
cation.
Il have absolutely no recollection of
! any reference to the postal inspec-
tors" Farley said earnestly. las you
know Senator, this department has
always co-operated with the COM
mittee."
Denies Critical Remark.
Even before McCarran asked the
/ direct question, Farley assured him
! that Il certainly said nothing deroga-
| tory about Chairman Black or any
other committee members"
did you say you had no sympathy
with political Investigations" Nc
/ Carran inquired
Il did not" Farley replied. II
wouldn't consider this a political
/ investigation"
Let me say" he continued. that
I didn't enjoy Mr.. Browns confidence
and he did not enjoy mine Certainly,
I would be unwise. to say the least
to make any remark, or remarks, such
as he had inferred" "
Did you make any statement of
( personal nature about Senator Black
or any other committee member
which you asked Mr. Brown not to
/ disclose?" McCarran inquired
Il absolutely did not" Farley
answered vigorously He added he
did not recall making any remark
about "SportSmanShip' or hitting be-
| low the belt" as Brown testified
/ In the Senate committee Blown
| called Farley's letter in which he gave
reasons for canceling the airmail
contracts "a most extraordinary doc
ument"
Il think probably it should have
been addressed to Farley and signed
/ by Black" he said
You don't infer Senator Black
wrote the letter." McCarran inquired
We'll, somebody who didn't know
anything about the airmail wrote it.
Reviews Letter Carefully.
Deliberately. Austin reviewed Far
ley's letter to Black announcing can
collation. of the airmail contracts and
/ dwelt on meeting last year at which
airmail operators were called in to
| talk about a necessary reduction of
service because appropriations were
limited. This was after Farley be-
came Postmaster General
Ai1ctip 10 eh rir
stances at this meeting. called by the
Post Office Department, were similar
to that in May 1890.
The events at this 1880 conference
during Browns term as Postmaster
General furnished the lever for the
order which threw out existing do
mestic contracts.
For your information and the in
formation of the committee" Farley
/ replied, I'VE were not giving the op-
orators money. We were taking it
from them. We had no choice in the
matter. The contracts for about Sl9,-
600, 900 had been signed and Con-
gress had appropriated only about
$4,000, 0,000"
Then you don't think there was
anything fraudulent or collusive in
calling these operators together to
talk to them?" Austin inquired.
NO." Farley said
'In view of the fact that you held
conferences with the airmail opera
! tors" Austin inquired, would you call
such a meeting as occurred in 1890
the calling of a group of men together
evidence of collusion and fraud?"
Defends Accusation.
"If a crowd of men got together
and agreed what mail contracts they
we're to receive" Farley said, Il would
! call that collusion"
| "YCu can't escape your responsible
ity that way" Austin shot back.
What responsibility" Farley asked.
"The responsibility of cancelling
these contracts" Austin said vigor-
ously The responsibility of taking
the lives of our young men"
Isn't the experience of week
enough to cause you to change your
! mind?" Austin asked.
That is an unfair question,
think" Farley replied.
WCA, OOu yOu Cllulh ooiiCViAAie
ought to be done about it?"
Admits Deep Concern.
"I am vitality concerned" Farley
replied earnestly, with the safety of
the men who are carrying the airmail
I am vitally concerned, as said. We
are doing everything we can to put
the industry back on sound basis B"
Don't you think it would be in
the public interest,"" Austin asked,
ito give these airmail operators a
full hearing with a view to restor-
ing their contracts?"
'As fast as we can," Farley re-
piled, with the facts before us, we
will do what we consider right and
just. We will bear the operators in
mind"
In House debate on the emergency
airmail bill, Republicans made fire.
quent reference to the Army's as
signment as "legaliZed murder"
The Democratic answer. as voiced
by Chairman Mead, Democrat, of
New York, of the Post Office Com
mittee, was this:
They're all going down in these
storms.
Cites Missing Airliner.
Il have in my hand the latest edi-
tion Of a paper, and 1t says that
one of these commercial planes, with
all the equipment we are hearing so
| much about, is missing with eight
passengers.
Forget, II you will, for a moment,
partisanship. Give us this bill now,
| and well come along later with
| another, and between the two we'u
| cut down on disaster"
Before the bill was passed in the
House amendments were inserted to
assure compensation at wartime
rates for injured Army pilots or de-
pendents Of pilots killed. thus clas-