Evening star., 1962-08-29
ESTES
ESTES
Murphy Asked Halt
To ContoIoupe Gifts
Continued From Page Al

l SAS "a bAAC NCPdA bAAACAAN o PCA
mel office. But he explained
that a memorandum by Mr.
Francis indicated that he con-
sidered excess cotton plant
ing involved criminal offenSes
while to him the controversy
was of a civil nature.
The Undersecretary said he
had never met Estes except at
the January 6 meeting in his
office and at meetings of the
Gotten Advisory Committee.
Mr.. Murphy said he never
talked with Estes on the tele-
| phone.
After a Cotton Advisory
Committee meeing in July,
1861, Mr.. Murphy said he re-
ceived a small crate of six or
eight cantaloupes, with a label
indicating it came from Estes.
He said he wrote a note of
thanks and several weeks later
received a second crate.
In acknowledging this Mr..
Murphy said he wrote:
I'VE appreciated very much
the cantaloupes you sent and
were quite surprised when the
second crate arrived. .. While
we are most grateful for your
thoughtfulness, I think we
should ask that you not send
any more.
No Other Gifts
"As you know, the policies of
this administration with re-
Spect to the acceptance of gifts
are very stringent and, while
I am sure you have only the
best of motives and intentions,
I think it is best to avoid all
possibilities of misunderstand-
ing or difficulty, but they were
mighty good cantaloupes and
We do appreciate your thought
fulness."
Except for the cantaloupes,
; Mr.. Murphy said he received
no gifts. gratuities or other
benefits from Estes and added :
mo one has ever asked to
or tried in any way to induce
me to make any decision to
take any action relating to
Estes on any basis other than
merit" "
Mr.. Murphy appeared be-
fore the subcommittee to re-
view his dealings with the Estes
case and face a barrage of
! questions expected to last sew
eral days as the man on the
: spot in the Senate inquiry.
: After hearing a number of
witnesses, Subcommittee Char
man Mcclellan. Democrat of
Arkansas, said last week that
. someone in the department ap-
parently was trying to help
Estes and only two men in the
, department, Secretary Freeman
and Mr.. Murphy, could have
made the decisions.
Former Truman Aide
Mr.. Murphy. who became
acquainted with the hazards of
political life as one of Presi-
dent Tr1man's chief assistants,
said he first became aware of
the cotton allotment transfers
in late August or early Sep
tember, 1861. A man from
Arizona inquired about them,
Mr.. Murphy explained, and
told him he had heard reports
that some of the Estes trans
ferS were being questioned.
Mr.. Murphy said he learned
that a full investigation was
under way and was told that
he would be informed of its
results. Before this, the Under
secretary said. Senator Var
borough, Democrat of Texas,
called him in late October last
year and asked him to look
into the assessment Of pen
alties against Estes.
Mr.. Murphy said he learned
this involved a $4,000 penalty
apparently assessed against
Estes growing out Of Alabama
transfers of allotments, which
were blocked. 1T seemed clear
that this penalty was properly
assessed, and I so informed
Senator Marlborough" the Un-
dersecretary said.
Asked Tor Meeting
At a December 4 meeting Mr..
Murphy said he was briefed by
other department officials on
the transfers that resulted in
the investigation. He said he
asked the general counsel to
prepare a meeting dealing with
the legal questions involved. .
Mr.. Bagwell's memorandum,
dated December Is, recon-
mended cancellation of Estes
1861 allotments and this led to
the cancellation Of the allot-
; ments and the meeting in Mr..
Murphy's office last January 6.
Mr.. Murphy said the meeting
: was requested by Representa-
; tive Rutherford, Democrat of
Texas. The Congressman in
no way suggested that the case
should be considered on any
basis other than its merits, but
on the merits he urged that it
be reconsidered," Mr.. Murphy
added, explaining that he re-
iooivod Yooou rpnI1cctc from