Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-15


hearing record twice mentione
discussed the case with depart
The memorandum, dated
John C. Bagwell, general coun-
sci Of the department, for Sec
rotary Of Agriculture Freeman.
Mr.. Bagwell, who was testify
ing at the time, said he had
been informed that one refer
es1ce to the Vice President in
the memorandum was a mis-
take.
q In this reference the memo
dhndum said:
1--WE understand that the
Nice President has recently dis
5DllSSed this matter with the
6ndersecrtary."
Not Johnson Himself
Mr.. Bagwell said he had been
informed by Undersecretary of
Agriculture Charles Murphy
that it was the Vice Presidents
office, and not the Vice Presi-
dent himself, who had discussed
the matter.
q, He said he understood that
1t was Walter Jenkins, one of
the Vice Presidents chief as
siStants, who discussed the
matter with Mr.. Murphy.
The memorandum was in
troduced as the Senate Investi-
cations Subcommittee pursued
its inquiry into delays in the
Agriculture Department in
!canceling cotton allotments
obtained by Estes.
+. Chairman Mcclellan, Demo-
-crat Of Arkansas, demanded to
know why there was a delay
of nearly four months in carry
Ing out a decision to cancel the
cotton allotmentS Of the Pecos
operator and others. Mr.. Muir
ply was involved in the top
level decision which suspended
the cancellation order and
Senator Mcclellan demanded,
What was he waiting on?"
:: Failure Assailed
=The Senator assailed the Ag-
riculture Departments failure
TO set a deadline for Estes and
others to submit proof that the
cotton allotment transactions
were valid. He said there had
:been charges Of negligence and
;inefficiency in the department
and some implication going
beyond that" and that the
subcommittee was determined
ssto find out where the RESPONSE
Sbility was in the Estes case.
The Bagwell memorandum.
giving the Secretary background
Information on the cotton al
gotment program, said that
transfers of cotton allotments
SeroSs State lines created wide
interest and comment from a
lumber Of persons"
It offered a list Of eight
illustrations and in addition to
references to the Vice Presi-
dent it mentioned members
of Congress.
The other reference to the
Vice President said, "Vice Pres
;. ident johnson requested in
. formation on behalf of a rep
"resentative Of Billie Sol Estes"
!. with respect to a regulation
requiring displaced farmers to
appear in person in the county
to which they were transferring
cotton allotments. The mem
orandum added:
"A letter dated February 20,
1861, to the Vice President from
the Secretary pointed out that
certain abuses required this
provision in the regulations -"
~ POage Mentioned
Representative Poage, Demo-
; crat of Texas, a member Of the
; House Agriculture Committee,
was listed as another one show
ling interest in the problem.
! The memorandum said he had
: discussed the problem with the
general counsel land indicated
that while some of the trans
fers may not have been con-
templated by law, he felt that
in view of all the circumstances
such transfers should not be
disturbed"
Mr.. Bagwell was questioned
In detail about a ruling he gave
in March that sellers of land
involved in the pooled cotton
allotment transactions coulo
substitute third parties fol-
those who had failed to submit
required Qualifications that thu
transactions we're in good faith
Mr.. Bagwell said this ques'
ton came up when he received
q telephone call on March
from John DenniSon, attorne!
for Estes and others who wert
involved in the cotton allot'
ment transactions.
The General Counsel said n
received letters then from MI
Dennison on March 16 and /
outlining the proposals whicI