Evening star., 1939-06-03
W.P.A. investigator
Charges Forgery in
Park Application
Committee Also Told
Lake Projects Roised
Privote lond Values

The w. P. A. in Tennessee spent
1929 900 on park project for which
the application was forged by q
w. P. A. engineer; put up build
ing for an orphan asylum which
was privately owned and built lakes
which increased the value of pri-
vately-owned land by the lakes
the House Appropriations Commit
tee heard yesterday.
T. H. Reavis. an investigator for
the General Accounting Office, told
the committee that H. E. Richards,
then the w. P. A. engineer in Da-
wilson County, forged the names of
two members of the Nashville Park
Commission on an application to
the w. P. A. for project aimed at
Improving five parks. The names
signed were those of j. Glenn Skin
ner, fiscal agent for the commission,
and Charles McCabe. commission
chairman.
Project Went Through.
The w. P. A. went ahead with
the project, which was subdivided
into five projects-one for each park
even after the forgery was dis
covered. Mr.. ReaviS said The ap-
plication was submitted in the fall
OF 1885. Mr.. Richards, Mr.. Reavis
testified resigned" from the w.
P. A. February. %, 1886. He said
no disciplinary action was taken
against him when Representative
Wigglesworth. Republican, of Massa-
cf1usetts, observed that such for
gerry was violation of federal
statute.
The witness attributed the forgery
10 Mr. Richards zeal for w. P. A.
projects. He said that one of the
five projects consisted of a wall
400 feet long on which $4,000 was
spent, according to official records.
However, Mr. Reavis said, workers
assigned to this project comprised
q rowing crew" which was employed
on a variety of projects, while the
wall project footed the bill.
He said, too that feature of the
Percy Warner Park was granite
boulder installed by w. P. A. at a
total cost. with two bronze plaques,
of $2.497.70, as a memorial to the
war regiment of Col. Harry S. Berry,
the State w. P. A. chief-the First
Tennessee Infantry, whose battle
dead sleep in honored glory" as
the inscription on one of the plaques
says.
Says Credit Misplaced.
In this same park, Mr. Reavis con-
hnued, the park commission got
credit for supplying locust guard
rails along IS miles of roadway. Mr..
Reavis found that this guard rail
was put up several years ago by
the c. w. A., a predecessor of the
W. P. A.
The Tennessee disclosures were
opened by Harry S. Barger. COM
mittee Investigator, who said that
the property owners around six
lakes being built or planned with
the w. P. AS help were looking
forward to profits through the lakes
enhancing the property values. A
property owner by the Bedford Lake
Ak oColoio u SOullSJ 10 ~. I1dSdil,
the contractor who is building the
dam making the lake. The contract
IL $4,000.
Mr.. Barger disclosed also that the
trustees for the Vine Street Orphan
Asylum in Chattanooga arranged to
deed their asylum to the city. so
that the city could apply for w. P
A, money with which to erect new
building for the orphanage. Works
Prorgess funds, Mr. Barger remind
ID the committee, must be used for
= pubic purpose. But the deed, a
copy Of which was in the possession
Of the w. P. A., provided that the
city turn the orphanage back to the
trustees when the building had been
put up. The w. P. A. spent $213,-
900 on this project.
The committee will resume Its
hearings Monday at 10 am.