Evening star., 1934-02-21
Former Postal Head Gets
Support in Probe of Mail
Tampering.
DECLARES CONTROVERSY
OVER PIONEER EQUITIES
Witness Admits Authority for
Their Consideration Was Elm.
mated From Law.
By the Associated Press.

More details of how the Hoover ad-
mlnlstration made irmail contracts
were heard by Senate Investigators to-
day, with former Postmaster General
Walter F. Brown on the stand for
the third straight day.
Before the investigating committee
turned to contract awards, however,
Chairman Black assured Brown Of
the committees cooperation in in
vestigating Browns charge that three
letters addressed to him had been
opened between the time they were
sent from Washington and he re-
ceived them.
Brown told newsmen yesterday the
New York postmaster had confirmed
his suspicion that two of the letters
had been tampered with.
Disagreement on Equities.
Brown again denied charges that
the 1880 conferences of airmail oper-
ators developed a controversy over
dividing up routes. He said the dis
agreement was merely over pioneer
equities" in existing routes.
Questioned closely by Black. he
agreed the airmail law as finally
passed eliminated authority for him to
consider pioneer equities" In award
ing route extensions. but said language
was substituted to carry out that intent
by placing limitations on the bidding.
Lets be fair about this" Brown
told Black after the latter had charged
the operators made claims" to certain
routes and could not agree.
The language finally put in the law,
Brown said, limited awards of extern
sions to operators who had operated
on fixed daily schedules for six months
over routes of $50 miles or more and
fixed the rates.
Cites Congress Intent.
''Mr. Brown. you're a lawyer, aren't
you?" Black asked
II have been for 40 years"
Black then asked Brown if the in
tent of Congress obviously had not
been to preserve free competitive bid
ding in mail contracts.
Brown did not answer directly.
He denied that the equities" clause
not included specifically in the final
law had been drawn by him. and
said some of the starving" passenger
operators might have helped.
Ocean Pact Testimony Due.
A virtual certainty that President
Roosevelt will take some action on
ocean mail contracts added interest
today to the committees questioning
Of Brown.
Whether he would reach that point
in his testimony was problematical.
President Roosevelt today sat on the
receiving end of three separate inves-
legations into the ocean mail question.
He himself says he would like to
change the present system, probably
along direct subsidy lines.
Secretary Roper promised an "in-
teresting program" along this line.
The Commerce Department head went
over the contracts one at time with
Mr.. Roosevelt yesterdse, delivered
preliminary report and indicated more
to come.
Offer to Join Inquiry.
Post Office inspectors have been at
similar work for months. The COM
mittee headed by Black, which Brown
is facing, probably will continue one
of its own.
Brown volunteered he wanted to
correct any impression from his
remarks yesterday that the Investi-
eating Committee had any connection
with the alleged mail tampering.
II was a little tired or little edgy
yesterday after the hearing" Brown
said.
II haven't the slightest idea that
you (Senator Black or any other
member of the committee had any
thing to do with it."
Chairman Black said he did not
interpret Browns remarks yesterday
as indicating the committee was in
volved and added:
$50 far as I'm concerned I'll be glad
to join you in an investigation"
Meeting on Equities"
Brown caused a ripple among late
stayers yesterday with a statement
that his mail had been tampered with.
Black promptly informed him that
none of his committee investigators
had done such a thing
Under questioning, Brown said the
now famous meeting of aviation COM
pany representatives here in 1880 was
to determine their equities" in mail
routes.
Wasn't the determination of equi-
ties to determine also who would get
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