Evening star., 1935-10-30
OEHMANNCHARGES
PILOT TO GUST HIM.
FOR EX-ARMy MAN.
Building Inspector Says He
Has Been Deprived of
Authority.
OFFICERS IN DISTRICT
JOBS ARE CRITICIZED
Charges and Answers of Official
Are Heard by Allen and
Wheatley.

Declaring the District government
has been packed with former Army
officers, counsel for District Build
ing Inspector John w. Oehmann as
serted today charges of improper ad.
miniStration of his Office are the re-
suit Of a deliberate attempt to get
Col. Oehmann to make room for an
other ex-Army officer
This charge was made by Attorney
W. Gwynn Gardiner as Col. Oeh-
mann appeared before District Com
missioner George E. Allen and H.
Winship Wheatley, president of the
District Bar Association, to submit
his defense to the nine formal charges
brought against him.
Attorney Gardiner his left hand
still bandaged from fist fight with
another lawyer in District Supreme
Court several days ago. declared Col.
Oehmann has been virtually deprived
OF all authority by the appointment
Of former Army officers to superior
jobs.
Col. Oehmann," he said, has been
continuously
since 1910, except for a brief period
OF duty overseas. But as the result
OF an effort to get him out of the
job. starting in 1882, other positions
have been created in the District
government and Army officers, edu.,
Gated with Federal funds, have re-
signed their service positions TO take
these jobs. They have been thrown
on the taxpayers Of the District at
double the salaries they received in
the Army.
Questions Authority.
Capt Hugh P. Dram is now over
Col. Oehmann as director of inspec-
ton.
Where" Gardiner shouted, "is the
authority in law to pay his salary? I
defy you to show it to me-"
The attorney also mentioned the
Engineer Commissioner, his three as.
sistan.- and Capt. H. c. Whitehurst.
Although making it clear he in.
tended no criticism of the present
Board of Commissioners, Gardiner
declared this is the second attempt
to get COL Oehmann."
He cited an order of the District
Commissioners of January %. 1882,
approving the appointment Of Harold
w. Baker, brother-in-law of the
then Assistant Engineer Commissioner.
Donald Davidson, as director of cons
struction at salary of $4,000 a year.
Orem, he continued, receives s6,500
annually, while Capt. Whitehurst Is
paid $500. Oehmanns salary. he
added. is $500 a year.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Eli
wood Seal interrupted at this point
to demand that Gardiner state
whether he intends to prove these
officials directed the building inspector
to DO the things on which the charges
are based. Gardiner objected to this
and was sustained by Commissioner
Allen, who said I'VE feel We want all
of the facts"
Gardiner then pointed out that
Oehmann, in 1882, was brought before
Commissioner Luther C. Reichelderfer
on somewhat similar charges.
DissenSion Charged.
Those charges were dismissed
the attorney said. and since that
time there has been dissension and
wrangling in Col. Oehmanns Office,
Investigators we're sent to the homes
of employees of the Office to see what
they could get on Col. Oehmann. As
result. we have these charges"
All available seats in Commissioner
Aliens Office were occupied as Seal
began reading the nine charges against
the District official The charges are:
l. That the Office of inspector OF
buildings on April 9, 1885, issued to
Ransdell, Inc, a permit to tear down
five brick dwellings, at 20l0 E street
and at 2oo2, 20O4. zoos and zoos
Greens court, without charging the
fee prescribed by the Commissioners.
Gardiner pointed out this fee was only
s7.13 and said the failure to charge
it resulted from Col Oehmanns mis-
taken belief that the buildings had been
(See OEHMANN, Page A.