, 1935-06-21
ROPER DENIES
CHARGES MADE
BY MITCHELL
Ousted Chief Treated
Every Rumor AS If
Were Fact, Head Of
Department Says

WASHINGTON, June 2l.-lP-
Secretary Roper went before the
senate commerce committee Friday
TO reply to charges made against his
administration by his depoSed as
sistant secretary of commerce.
Ewing Y. Mitchell.
The commerce department head
described Mitchell as a man Of
exceedingly suspicious tempera-
ment" and prone to treat every
rumor or unsupported statement as
true"
He took the stand after Mitchell,
In mis- third day Of testimony, had
made allegations Of bribery and
dry rot" in the steambot inspec-
ton service. He charged that
Steambot inspectors at San Juan
were paid "gratuities." and that
large amounts of fines assessed
against shipping companies for
violations Of maritime regulations
YER RENTED by the department.
Sweeping Defense
Secretary Roper made a sweep
ing defense OF his administration
while committee members Mstened
with a respectful attitude not char
HcteriStic Of their reaction to the
depoSed assistants testimony.
1T has been my aim" Roper said
TO carry out the viii Of congress
as expressed In the various enact
ments having TO do with the sew
era bureaus"
Mitchell Friday related to senate
Investigators a story Of alleged
bribery and dry rot" in the steam
boat inspection service.
Taking the stand for the third
consecutive day at q hearing by
the senate commerce committee in
to his charges OF graft and inef-
ficiency in government bureaus. he
cited the case OF the steamer Mar
saret LykeS, operated by the LykeS
B1dthers lines in the Gulf Of Mex
Mitchell told the senate COM
merce committee that at one time
It was permitted TO sail with only
two Of its four propeller blades in
condition, and that 1t repeatedly
had been passed by inspectors with
ar inspection of only three hours
when "a thorough inspection would
require five or six hours"
Has anyone testified" Senator
White R-Me) demanded, that 1t Is
unsafe TO sail with a two-blade
propeller? you know there are two
blade ~propellorS. three-blade pro-
penors and four-blade propellors."
Insector to Testify
Before Mitchell could reply, an
other republican committee mem
Der, Vandenberg Of Michigan, sought
from the witness information con-
corning charges Of repeated waivers
Of fines in the case Of the Pacific
Steamship Lines, Ltd, a Pacific
coast operator.
Among those in attendance was
Joseph B. Weaver, director of the
commerce departments bureau OF
navigation and chief OF the steam
ohat inspection service.
Weaver, with Secretary Roper,
wa expected TO take the stand dur
ing the day to answer some OF
Mitchelrs charges Of dry rot" in
efficiency, apparent corruption"
and graft" in the commerce de-
partment.
Despite demands OF committee
members that he disclose new
facts" not already made public in
various hearings, Mitchell continued
10 recite testimony brought out at
earlier hearings.
He declared that during q post
office department investigation 1t
was brought out in testimony OF
thu, first officer Of the steamer
NaAfgaret LIKES, a passenger and
fvfsiTht carrier, that the San Juan,
Puerto Rico, inspection in August
OF 1888 was incomplete.
"At the instance Of Secretary
Roper. the department Of justice
de .ailed a special agent TO investi-
gate," Mitchell testified. After ex-
aiming the records Of LykeS
BROTHERS at Galveston, Texas. the
special agent reported that out OF
IA annual inspections OF six vessels
made by steamboat inspectors at
san Juan, the record showed the
steamboat inspectors were paid
gratuitieS in six instances totaling
$500.
aIn four other instances. gra-
tuitieS amount TO $3.50 were paid
70 Jhe inspectors at San Juan"
Far less emphatic IN his teSti-
mony than during the first two days,
Mitchell for the most part read
from records.