Evening star., 1936-10-27
HOPKINS ASSA|LS
MANDAMUS SUIT.
FORW. ?. A. FILES.
Terms G. O. P. Action "Friv-
olous, ScandaIous, and for
Political Purposes"
ANSWERS FILED IN COURT
JUST BEFORE CLOSING
Attorney General Assistant Says
Technicalities Bar Hearing
Prior to Election.

The Government has characterized
the mandamus suit brought last week
by a New Jersey Republican group to
compel disclosure Of w. p. A. records
as frivolous, scandalous and imperti-
nent, and solely for political purposes" !"
The answer was filed just before
closing time yesterday at District
Court. John s. j. Yost. special assist
ant to the Attorney General, said he
doubted that the litigation would
reach a hearing much before election
day because of preliminary legal tech
nicalities which must be met.
Such delay would defeat the object
of the suit since the information
sought was to be used to inform the
electorate of the true status" Of relief
administration.
Assertions by the Republican petit
TONERS that w. p. A. Is vital issue in
the current presidential campaign
were termed irrelevant in the Govern
ment answer. The Republican group,
headed by former Senator Walter Z.
Edge, had asserted that all facts con-
corning the disbursement Of the huge
relief appropriations should be avail
able to the voters in order that they
might intelligently exercise their
franchise.
Breach Of Trust Alleged.
Charging the administration with
O breach Of trust" in using w. P. A.
statistics while denying them to the
Republicans, the petitioners asked for
q writ of mandamus to compel Admin
istrator Harry l.. Hopkins to give
them access to the files.
This was answered by q direct
denial, Hopkins asserting through his
attorneys that President Roosevelt
and his supporters had not been fur
nished any information except that
which Is available to any one for the
asking.
Charges that w. p. A. officials were
guilty Of gross waste and extrava-
gance" were termed malicious
innuendoes."
II the petitioners have a right to
inspect the records, SO has any citi-
zen, it was asserted, and an audit or
inspection Of the records necessarily
would tie up large number Of Gov
ernment employees and impede the
efficiency Of the organization.
All proper information concerning
administration of w. P. A. funds
already has been made public, it was
asserted, but neither the petitioners
nor any one else has q right to data
concerning individual employees, their
addresses and salaries. The Govern
ment expressed the fear that such
information might be used for "po-
litical solicitation and coercion"
More AfHdavits Offered.
Shortly before the answer was
filed JUSTICE Joseph w. Cox denied
a motion on behalf of Edge and his
associates for permission to file ad-
ditional affidavits supporting the suit.
He ruled that the afiidavits might
be entered as evidence at the hear
ing. or the original petition could
be amended to include them, but they
could not be merely tackled on to the
petition at this late date
Both afiidavits were executed by
former New Jersey w. p. A. workers
and contained allegations that ex-
cessive salaries were being paid; that
appointments were made for politi-
cal purposes; that far more admins
trative workers were employed than
were necessary, and that published
figures do not show the true cost Of
administration.
The afdants were Ernest 8. Hol-
land, former assistant in charge of
the New Jersey division OF ONCE
management, and Daniel J. O'Haire,
former chief accountant at the New
Jersey headquarters. O'Haire said the
administrative cost in New Jersey
was nearly IS per cent. rather than
1.6 per cent, as asserted by Hopkins.