, 1935-08-12
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker

by Kay Tucker
Suspicious - Certain anti : Mani
congressman are quietly ~investigat-
ing reports that Herr Hitler viii
house and feed American competi-
tors in the Olympic games at Berlin
rext year. They viii holler against
this form Of propaganda If the re-
ports r verified.
They have heard that the War
Ministry, and not Germany's ath-
letic organizations, viii looks after
foreign entries. Herr Hitler's mill
tary men are understood to have
charge Of construction of the Olym-
pic village near Loeberitz. When
certain foreign military attaches
expressed surprise on a recent in
Spection visit. 1t was explained that
10 the German mind the soldier and
the athlete are identical.
This comedies with reports that
GermanyiS athletic groups are real
ly army training squads. And sew
eTai house members think they
detect a deep, dark design In the
arrangement for taking care OF our
milers, sprinters and high Jumpers.
Oversight-Toward the end Of
every session congress gets an OBJ
iect lesson in the need for a watch
dog OF the treasury" like Comptrol-
Ter General John r. McCarl.
The calendar at this period Is
clittered with private bills for the
reimbursement and relief OF govern
Ment officials who paid out funds
later held to be illegal or unwar-
ranted by the comptroller general.
Unless congress authorized reim-
bursement, the money would have
to be taken from the mems salaries
o. their bonding companies. Right
now there r pending from only
.wO Observation-Disclosures and war
measures requiring q 100000 ap-
preparation TO square these accounts.
The claims committees have
Strengthened out this situation only
I'D to December, 1888. Confidential
adviceS are that the sums will run
into the millions when the accounts
OF the New Dealers are scrutinized.
During their first year they forgot
that MI. McCarl was alive.
Discoveries-Mr. McCarl watches
every penny. It makes no difference
10 him whether the amount inYolv-
ed is SO cents or Sl35.O0 The prin-
ciple is the same" he replies when
you point out that he often collects
less than he spends on collecting.
Perhaps the most unusual case
involved legaliZation OF $4,000 pay
ment resulting from q system OF
padded payrolls and forged checks
on a Department Of Agriculture JOB
at Tallulah, La. II was eight year:
before the Treasury discovered that
a field official had been certifying
the salaries OF fictitious employee:
and forging their signatures. In that
time $500 checks were made out
to the takers.
Another strange arrangement wa:
the payment of 100 pension checks
to the daughter Of an old soldier
after he had died. The penSionel
Gied IN 1911 but his little gal COL
lected S2.048, through 1882. She ex-
plained that she thought she was
entitled to IL as next OF kin to the
deceased warrior. That happens lots
OF times.
Ageing-Good news for topersl
Liquor stocks are rapidly over
hauling consumption. The distillerS,
In a mad, competitive scramble 70
store I'D aged liquor for the finicky
trade. are still laying aside 10000 900
gallons of whiskey a month. In six
weeks there will be more than ZOO
ono 900 gallons of two-year-old spir-
its in stock. With an annual con-
sumption Of about 100000 gallons,
that will be aplenty. and prices for
gcod stuff should drop to 81 a quart.
Two-year-old LIQUOR, according to
government experts, will match the
bottled in -bond Of pre-prohibition
days. II you remember back that
far, the labels used to say bottled
tor four summers" 1t meant what
II said-"summers"-for there was
almost no ageing In the winter-time
The storehouseS were frigid. Now
they are artificiElly heated. and
two years ageing equals the heat OF
-four summers"
Scheme - Administration experts
| don't favor the OrMahoney bill for
setting I'D a new MIRA through fed
erol incorporation Of industries.
They have studied that possibility
carefully but have discarded 1t be-
cause 1t presents too many admins
trative difficulties.
They have what they think Is q
smarter scheme. The idea is tc
persuade states to require corpo-
rations doing business within their
boundaries TO take out a charter
These would provide for acceptance
or code prices. wages. hours and
working conditions. There would. OF
course. be many conflicts and dis
crepancies 10 harass the incorpo-
rated industries.
Then. II the scheme works out a.
olannAd. corporations would beg fol
a uniform, federal incorporation