Evening star., 1942-07-01
Seized Tires Declared
New by u. 5. Experts
AT Hund|ey Trial
Three Witnesses Testify
Only Nine Out Of 395
Cosines Had Been Run

Government rubber experts to-
day described as new certain tires
seized by the Office of Price Ad-
ministration in connection with
charges against Hiram Ben Humid
ley, tire dealer. who is on trial in
District Court for allegedly selling
tires in violation of the rationing
regulations.
William L. Holt. assistant chief
of the rubber section of the Bureau
of Standards, said that he and F. L..
Roth. an aide, inspected 395 tires in
possession of the Government two
or three weeks ago and decided that
only nine had been run. He added
that in his and Mr.. Roth's opinion
270 had not been mounted. Testi-
mony along the same line was given
by Mr. Roth.
Another Government witness. L.
w. Fox. representative Of the Fire
stone Tire & Rubber Co. who said
he had 20 years experience in rub
Der engineering, testified that he
had examined tires at the Pre-
mier Service Co. Warehouse and
The Star Garage, which purchased
some of the stock, and that he be-
lieved them to be new.
Seized Tires on Display.
The defense is contending that the
tires in question were change
overs"-tires traded in by auto own
ers for other types-and that an
OPA representative had marked
them for sale as used stock. Un-
der OPA regulations. tire is used"
when it has gone l 900 miles.
About $50 seized tires were on
display in the courtroom.
David Trusty, special assistant
district attorney, took two tires from
a group repeatedly seized from the
Premier Service Co. and one from
stocks said to have been taken from
the Diamond Service Co., and Mr..
Holt said that they had not been
run on the road. He described the
physical deterioration that results
from road usage.
Henry I. Quinn, of defense coun-
sci, asked if an indentation on one
of the tires did not show that it
had been in road service. but Mr.
Holt insisted that it did not. De-
fense counsel showed another tire
and asked if it did not bear evil
dence of having been on wheel.
The witness said, 1T might have"
Mr.. Holt, in discussing the ex-
animation. said that where tire
showed evidence of having been
driven, we gave them the benefit of
the doubt"
Testimony on Inventory.
Earlier today, the jury heard tes-
timony from Harold B. Barnett.
chief of the enforcement section of
the Accounting Division of the OPA,
and Guy H. Garden, q subordinate.
who reported on a check of Hundley
stocks and records as of March 20
and his sales record since January.
The Government contends that
Hundley had 'at least l59" new tires
that did not show on a report that
he made to the Government cover
ing stocks on hand as of December
IL. when car supplies were frozen.
When Mr.. Barnett was on the
stand, Mr.. Quinn asked him if it
was not a fact that the Hundley
firm had made an inventory last
october in connection with the
payment of some excise taxes. The
witness said he understood such a
report had been made. The at
torney then asked if, in view of the
alleged discrepancy between the
stock on hand March 20 and the
supplies the Government contends
Mr. Hundley should have had, any
effort was made to check back
against the October report Ito see
If an honest mistake had been made"
In posting sales invoices. The wit
ness said no"