Evening star., 1947-01-02

1 4. A contestant or his instructor
bo's actions consists in the accept.
ance of gifts. services and politica
contributions from these same con.
tractors he aided. The committee
is unable to accept the theory thai
Senator Bilbo's aid to those dealing
in Government contracts and the
benefits he received were unrelated.
The report criticized Senator Bill.
bo's methods in raising funds fol
the Juniper Grove Baptist Church
parsonage on land he owns at Pop
larville, Miss. There is no evidence
he used the money for any other
purpose, the report noted.
But it was improper for him te
utilize the aid he had given these
war contractors as a means Of in
ducing them to contribute substan.
tial amounts to his personal chari-
ties, administered solely by him,
the report added.
Holds Explanations Subterfuges.
AS for explanations given by Sen.
ator Bilbo and various war contrac-
tors concerning gifts and services
the report held:
Under the circumstances the
committee is not convinced by the
explanation that the benefits re-
ceived by Senator Bilbo were either
pure Christmas gifts or ordinary
business transactions, as Senator
Bilbo now claims.
THE explanations now offered, in
the Judgment of the committee, dc
not ring true in the light Of the
conduct OF the parties in the years
intervening between the receipt OF
the benefits and the time of the
committees hearing. The commit
tee considers the claims now made
as a mere subterfuge manufactured
for the occasion of this committees
hearing"
A detailed listing included "gra-
tuities or benefits" which the COM
mittee estimated between $57,089.0 .05
and $88, 8,721. A. These were minimum
and maximum estimates of value Of
gifts or services which sometimes
could not be measured wholly in
dollars and cents. On the list were a
81 ,9o6 Cadillac sedan, painting Of
Dream House No. g." furnishings
for the house, digging of SWIM
ming pool, construction of an arti-
fetal lake and island, and operation
of Senator Bilbo's farm property by
Michael T. Morrissey, Mississippi
contractor, who said he absorbed
$48, ,023 in losses over four years.
Paid I'm Effect by u. s. y
'"This farm arrangement seems to
be extremely unusual" the report
commented. "The farm accounts
show the expenditures to be ex-
tremely high in view of the amount
of income received. Morrissey testi-
fled that he took advantage of those
losses in his income tax returns,
with the effect that approximately
80 per cent of the losses were, in
effect, paid by the Government,
since he was in the 80 per cent in
come bracket.
1.-THE committee has been unable
to ascertain the exact extent of the
benefit to Senator Bilbo arising from
the farm operation. Taxes approxi-
mating $1,000 a year were paid by
Morrissey for three years. Sub
stantial amounts were expended on
fertilizer. .Payrolls appear to be ex-
cessive in view of the income from
sales.
"a much more detailed examina-
tion Of the farm books and records
as well as witnesses, would be re-
quired to ascertain accurately the
benefit received by Senator Bilbc
from these extensive losses by Mi
chael T. Morrissey under an ora
agreement which, in itself, does not
SAVIOR of the usual business transac-
ton"
The committee refused to accept
the claims of Senator Bilbo and the
war contractor witnesses that the
transactions, for the most part, were
loans or strictly business matters.
Deals Held Not Bona Eide.
''The committee is convinced from
the testimony and the circumstances
that the benefits conferred on.Sena.
tor Bilbo as Improvements to his
real estate (Which Senator Bilbe
and the contractors now seek te
treat as an indebtedness now pay
able by Senator Bilbo) were not
bona fide transactions in the ordi.
nary course of business.
"They Cthe benefits) were, on the
other hand, an attempted subterfuge
to conceal the donation Of funds .ir
payment for services rendered te
them by Senator Bilbo."
Turning to contributions by wal
contractors to Senator Bilbo for use
in the senatorial campaign Of
former Senator Wall Doxey in 1912
the report declared:
Senator Bilbo, although only 9
member of a four member com.
mittee Tin behalf of the Doxey cam.
paign) was in his own words a gooe
collector of campaign funds, ant
on his own admissions and testi,
mony the committee concludes thai
he solicited 5000 from B. L. Knost
and $25. 900 from F. T. Newton"
Held War Contracts.
Mr.. Knost and Mr.. Newton hae
large war contracts in Mississippi
and, according to testimony at thu
hearings, were aided by Senator
Bilbo in obtaining them. The report
quoted the 1910 statute prohibiting
contributions by contractors. It sale
at one point that "the testimony /,
clear that this money was solicited
by Senator Bilbo within the meaning
of Section 61-M of Title 18, United
States Code"
''The record clearly shows" tht
report continued, that Wall Doxey
had no knowledge of the collection
of SIS, 900 from F. T. Newton fol
/ A ,0pEN STuFFY NOSE