Evening star., 1936-08-23
NEWLAW INVOKED
|NLAB0R INQUIRY
Measure to Speed Commit
tee Procedure in Contempt
Action Used by Senators.

wv ivSeNH'S " w OViitSiiiHk
Action Used by Senators.
BACKGROUND .:.
As result OF frequent and
lon0-stGndino charges that indus
try spies on labor and tnterfres
tn numerous Days Nth the ctptI
liberties OF employees, the Senate
last Spring authorized an inuesti-
cation OF the basis OF these re-
ports and appropriated $4,000 to
finance the inquiry. Senator La
Foilette. Progressive, OF Wisconsin,
is chairman OF the Investigating
committee, OF Uhich the other
member is Senator Thomas OF
Utah.
after Deeks OF quiet inrestioa-
tion of the Burns and Pinkerton
Detective Agencies and OF the
RailDdy Audit & Inspection Co.,
La Toilette ordered officials OF the
latter company to appear before
his committee last Friday.
A new weapon in the hands of con-
gressional investigating committees
drew public attention for the first time
yesterday as the La Toilette Civil Lib
critics Committee of the Senate. start
ing immediate prosecution Of six ON
cials of the Railway Audit g. Inspec-
ton Co.. invoked novel law passed at
the end of the last session.
The new act gives congressional
committees the right to proceed auto
matically in legal action for contempt
of Senate or House without referring
the troubles to whatever branch may
be involved, or waiting to get the ap-
proval of the full House or Senate as
the case may be- Thus, 1t becomes
possible for the first time to insti-
tute immediate criminal proceedings
against recalcitrant witnesses at COM
mittee hearings during periods when
Congress is in adjournment.
At the same time, 1t was revealed
yesterday by an official IN immediate
contact with the machinery of Con-
gress that a technicality appeared to
stand in the way Of the bill becoming
a law at the time Congress adjourned.
The official minutes had to be per
fected" or altered in order to make it
possible to send the bill to President
Roosevelt for his signature.
Garner to Get Record.
In compliance with the procedure
set forth in the new act. the COM
mittee is sending to Vice President
Garner this week end q copy Of the
transcript Of Fridays committee hear
ing. As soon as Garner certifes the
record. a matter in which, under the
law, he exercises no discretion, the
United States attorney here must
bring the facts before the grand jury
for action.
The maximum penalty for con-
tempt Of the Senate, one year In Jail,
will be demanded by the La Toilette
committee for the officials Of the
Railway Audit Co. Rush action will
be asked to bring about their indict-
ment this week. not only for failure
to appear before the committee Fri
day in response to subpoenas, but for
destruction OF subpoeaaed records
which the committee wanted in its
investigation of espionage by indus
trial plants into labor organizations.
The Railway Audit Co. Is q detec-
tive agency which. according to the
committee. is in the employ Of many
managements Of industrial concerns.
Committee Investigators offered In
evidence Friday torn records Of the
detective agency which were recovered
from waste paper baskets, showing the
watch kept on workers.
Mysterious Technical Errsr.
As it was explained In an ofncial
quarter yesterday. there was no doubt
about both the House and Senate ap-
proving the bill which has become the
law permitting quick prosecution for
contempt. But mysterious technical
error with regard to the labelling OF
the bill placed 1t in jeopardy. After
Congress had adjourned, this error
was rectified by changing the ofiicial
minutes. The bill was thereupon sent
to the White House and received
presidential approval July l3.
The bill originated in the House
and was reported to have grown out
of the hearing at which DR.. Francis
E. Townsend defied q House COM
mittee.
The following of1icials Of the Rail-
way Audit Co. are charged by Senator
La Toilette with "the grossest and
most flsgrant contempt of the SEN
ate: W. w. Groves. president; w.
B. Groves, vice president; L Douglas
Rice. vice president and general man
ager; Robert S. Judge. former coun-
sci. and J. C. Boyer. an employs Of
the company's Pittsburgh office.
In connection with the contem-
plated contempt proceedings. q law
yer for the committee said: TT Is the
most open and shut case the Senate
has ever had. see no way out for
them"
Subpoenas Ignored.
The detective agency officials did
not obey SupoenaS 10 appear mere FIJI
day and their attorney. Leonard
Weinberg. sought to Justify them by
presenting a show-cause order in pro-
ceedings which he had just started
in the District Supreme Court to en-
join the committee. No injunction
had been issued.
According to the committee inves-
tigators, there also Is complete cause
for contempt action In the attempt
to mutilate supoenaed records. Per-
tinent evidence. they charged. was
torn into pieces and dumped into
waste rooms.
(Copyrisht 1885, BY the New York
HerAld-Tribune) q.
Girl Ic E0liNn nEAn