Evening star., 1951-01-21
Republicans Demand
Full Investigation Into
House Fund Shortage
By Robert K. Welsh

An inventory shortage of at
least 100000 reported in the
House folding room, and COM
plants that 80 persons listed as
employees in 1949-50 did little or
no work there. yesterday brought
Republican demands for a full
investigation.
Democratic spokesmen indicated
in public statements or declared
in private conversation that a
good explanation can be found for
the reported shortage or Short
comings. They said steps have
been taken to correct the trouble.
Minority Leader Martin said he
certainly will look into" an in
vestigation demand made in let
ter sent to him and several other
Republican members by Repre-
sentative Poulson, Republican, of
California.
The principal missing items are
Agriculture Department year.
books and books on Diseases of
Horses" and Diseases of Cattle"
Poulson Urges House Inquiry.
Mr.. Poulson urged that the
House "for its own protection"
ought to explore thoroughly the
conditions disclosed in a recent
partial report by the General Ac-
counting Office. That audit re-
port was confined to IL of lat
inventory items in supplies of the
folding room that handles mail
ing of documents. books and other
bulk material for members of
Congress.
Speaker Rayburn, who re-
ceived the audit report November
% from Controller General War
ren, refused to comment on the
supply shortages which Mr.. Poul-
son declared might reach far be-
yond the 100000 found by
GAO.
The Speaker said, however,
that practice of assigning fold
ing room employees to other du-
ties in Congress has been
stopped.
Payroll Padding PrObed.
when people are employed
here" he remarked, I've always
expected them to do the work for
which they are appointed and if
I find out they are not doing it.
I stop it if I can"
The GAO report, other officials
said, told of having investigated
complaints of payroll padding. in
the folding room that has had
q personnel of about 100.
"On the whole the records of
the folding room as to time, at
tendance and work of those en-
ployes actually working therein
were found to be in excellent con-
dition," the report stated.
But it said that 80 of the en-
ployes, paid for folding room work
from July /, 1949, to August 81,
1850, actually worked in other jobs
in Congress, mostly as doorkeep-
ers, pages or on similar assign
ments. Such assignments, the re-
port noted, are permitted by law
in times of emergency.
Worked During Sick Leave.
The report revealed that three
of the 80 actually worked in a
Congressman Office" and that
''three others apparently were
paid in August, 1850, for % hours
for which they performed no
service"
Another employe, according to
the report, was paid "sick leave"
for % days from a folding room
job but actually worked during
that time in a private job.
William M. Miller, House door
keeper with supervision over the
folding room, told reporters the
shortage dated before he took that
job in 1949 and that he had re-
quested the GAO audit. Another
reason for the audit, the GAO re-
port stated, was the complaint for
warded several months ago by Mr..
Poulson.
Mr.. Poulson informed Mr.. Mar
tin and other Republican leaders
last week that inventory shortage
apparently ran back to the early
1930s. He added yesterday that he
was mot trying to put the blame"
on any person or party.
Missing Items Being Replaced.
Mr.. Miller explained that the
missing inventory items are being
replaced. The House last month
passed a resolution authorizing
the doorkeeper to use contingent
funds to bring folding room stock
up to date.
A fire some years ago in the
folding room might have caused
some of the loss. Mr.. Miller said.
Other officials said the folding
room may have given Congress
men more copies of documents
than they should have received.
Each member has a quota of bulk
mail that can be sent out by the
folding room.
The reported shortage in the
folding room has no connection
with a reported shortage that de-
veloped over several years in the
House stationery room. officials
have said that shortage once was