The Washington times., 1935-05-14
TWO AFF|DAv|TS,
j. s. RECORDS
PRESENTED
"SWindIe" of Government by
Contract Change Claimed
BY "Kingfish"
CONTINUED from Page ~


davit from Mrs. Helen Hum.
phreys, a former confidential tele-
phone operator for the Stewart
firm, in which she stated she was
employed to tap" the telephone
of Harry D. Watts. a Stewart
partner and friend Of Mr.. Farley.
She swore she overheard Mr.. Far
ley discuss the court house con-
tract with Mr.. Watts.
Senator Long declared docu-
ments sent the Senate Post Office
Committee by Secretary OF In
terror IckeS subStantiated his
charges that there was fraud on
the New York courthouse. He
admitted the Government CORE
spondence failed to involve Mr..
Farley but called attention to the
affldavits of the two former EN-
ployes of the Stewart firm which
did involve the Postmaster Gen
eral. .
Before reading the reports OF
Green, the New York agent, to
Louis r. CLAWS. director of PWA
investigations, Senator Long said:
Before you put this alabaSter
coat of white on this man
(FarIey)-befOre you get ready
to WhiteWaSh him, let's see
what the Government Itself
SAYS about him. Here Is . copy
of what I'm going to read.
Here are q lot of uninterrupted
comics. ANY Senator who wants
one can come here and get one.
Let's look at it,"
Then he read the reports.
Reads Letters
On June 81 Mr.. Green wrote
Mr.. CLAWS the following letter:
Dear Mr.. CLAWS:
referring to mine OF the
nineteenth instant, am in
formed that the principal
change from the contract draw
ings and specifications, which
has been made by the Treasury
Department since the award Of
the contract to James Stewart
and Company, Of New York city,
was the substitution Of Vermont
marble for the marble specified
(said to have been known under
the trade name of st. Gene
vieve') and that for this change
James Stewart and Company
allowed the Government but
$4,000, whereas the actual diff
ference in cost was about
S55O,OOO.
at is rumOred that worry on
account Of increasing talk in
the trade of the above and
other questionable transactions
in connection with this project
was the direct cause Of the
very recent death Of the archf-
tect for the project, MIR. Cas-
Gilbert.
""WhiIe this operation Is not
within jurisdiction Of the PWA,
I feel the above should be
brought to your attention be-
cause of the adverse criticism
which it will cause the Admin
iStratiOn in case these rumOfS
Of irregularities become public
property.
"AprOpos of this case, At
tached are copies Of statements
which have been turned over
to me-"
In a statement attached to his
letter, also dated June 81, 1884,
Mr.. Green reported to Mr.. CLAWS:
"GOssip is prevalent that
James Stewart & Co. made
saving Of from $500, 900 to $780,
600 in the substitution (of mar
bleS)."
In a report to Mr.. CLAWS. dated
July 81, 1884, Mr.. Green said:
"The close contact between
Stewards organization and the
procurement division Is to my
mind indicated by the fact that
Stewart knew from Washington
that this court house investiga-
ton, which was stopped as
stated, because of orders from
Washington would also be re-
Sumed for the same reason. In
both cases Stewart had the i'm
formation here before we did"
Senator Long had both Mrs.
Humphreys and Miss Koch sitting
in one of the galleries. He an
nounced both had come to Wash.
ington at their own expense to
volunteer as witnesses in a Sen
ate inquiry,