Evening star., 1946-07-28

in which unauthorized persons ha,
obtained the material.
Mr.. Ridley said he expected I,
find that very substantial guam
titles" of screen had been sold tt
brokers who collected commission.
that seemed to run half the pric,
of the sales. He said WAA official.
would be asked to appear before tn,
committee.
Yesterdays lone witness wa!
Leonard S. May, of the 70-year-olc
May Hardware Co. of Washington
Mr.. Mays father. L. c. May, is vict
president of the company, and hi
uncle, A. j. May, is president. TIL.
witness said his family was not
related to representative Andrew
j. May, involved in the Senate com.
mittee's Carson investigation.
Offered 539 Rolls of Screening.
Mr.. May told a story of how the
hardware store was called early ir
June by someone in Fields office
and offered $50 rolls of bronze
screening. The firm accepted tenta.
lively and Mr.. May went to ar
Army service depot in Richmond
Va, to examine the material, he
said.
There he saw what looked like
81, ,000, 900 worth of the scarce screen
and finding 1t in good condition
made arrangements to complete the
deal, Mr.. May added
But the deal fell through, he said
when Fields insisted on the check
being made out to him instead OF
War Assets Administration, and
that 1t be paid prior to delivery.
Fields Set Price at $9,692.
Mr.. May told reporters Fields had
wanted $9,692 for 539 rolls. The price
was SIS per roll plus So roll COM
mission, which would make the
commission rate $16l7.
Mr.. Ridley said 1t was up to WAA
officials to explain how Fields and
his associates had an allotment
of 93,900 linear feet of the screen
WAA officials told The Star that
under Special Order "a, purchasing
agents, resident buyers and COM
mercial brokers were permitted to
buy such material on presentation
of credentials they were represent
ing an authorized dealer with prior
ity privilege.
WAA Admits Possible Errors.
In recent weeks, the WAA has
been clamping down on such re-
strictions on finding several in
stances of Misrepresentation for pur-
ported veterans housing construc-
ton. it was said.
WAA admitted there probably
have been cases in the past where
a buyer, representing a dealer per-
haps 1000 miles away, was sold sur
plus property without thorough
check of the dealers priority claim
Recently the administration has
been stricter in such matters, an
official said.
Told at Richmond that the screen
was reserved for veteran housing
Mr. May said he was allowed to ex-
anime it because his companion was
Robert Cummings. Mr.. May identi-
fed Mr.. Cummings as an agent for
Gerald Stack. whom he believed to
be an associate or employe of Fields
He said Mr. Cummings had in his
possession a Government release
order"
Identity of Woman Tipster Sought
Representative Ridley said the
committee was anxious to learn the
identity of a woman tipster who
according to Mr.. Mays testimony
notified Mr.. Cummings that surplus
material was available.
Mr.. Riley said after the hearing
he knew of an Oklahoma City con-
tractor who received a call "out of
the blue" from a man who identiAed
himself as Dies of the Fields Office
He said the contractor bought $50
rolls Of the screen for nearly SIT 900,
including a s4,4l2 brokerage COM
mission.
One WAA official was mystified
how brokers" could transact busi-
ness on the screening when most of
it is being taken by high priority
organizations such as Federal Pub
lie Housing Authority, National
Housing Authority, and other agen-