Evening Star Newspaper, February 15, 1924, Page 1

) WEATHER. Yair and colder tonight, lowest tem- perature about 26; tomorrow, invreasing cloudiness and_colder, probably unset- tled by night. ended at £ p.m. toda: noon toda: day. Temperature for 24 hours Highest, 43, at lowest, 32, at 5:16 a.m. to- Full report on page 2. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 _— WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1924 - FORTY-SIX PAGES. No. 29,144, Tntered as second-clags matter post office_Washington, D. C. VANDERLIP’S CHARGES h WITHER UNDER PROBE; ‘COAL “PLOT” ALLEGED Harding’s Name Cleared, as| Banker Testifies He Knew Ab- solutely Nothing of Facts. SPEECH DESIGNED TO PROVE RUMORS BASELESS, HE - HOLDS Remark About Committee Fear That Fall Would Peach Made in - Ignorance, Is Revealed. Owen J. Roberts Succeeds Strawn As Prosecutor Owen J. Roberts oi Philadclp Coolidge today as the rcpublican in Oil Lease Cases was_selected by President member of the special counsel to prosecute the naval oil lease cases, Succceding Silas H. Strawn of Chicago, who was objected to by mittee. the Senate oil investigating com- President Coolidge sent the nomination of Mr. Roberts to the Senate shortly after 1 o'clock today, and it was understood at the White House that, so far as the republican members of the oil inves- tigating committee are concerned, Mr. Roberts will be acceptable. Mr Roberts is a prominent attorney and was recommended.to the President by Senator Pepper and has the indorsement of the entire Philadelphia delegation. There was no indication at the White House today that the President will withdraw the nomination of Atlee Pomerene, former Senator from Ohio, whom he nominated to be democratic counsel, but against whom the oil investigating committee will report ad- versely. . Mr. Roberts was called before the oil committee for question- ing in executive session soon after his nomination reached the Senate. —_— e The Senate oil committee went into the story about the sale of President Harding’s Marion Star today without finding any evi- dence to implicate Mr. Harding in the oil scandal. Frank A. Vanderlip, who gave circulation to rumors about the Star in a public speech, testified he had heard rumors only and knew none of the facts.. The Star owners submitted a state-l ment, and the committee went no further. While no evidence to implicate President Harding in the oil scandal was developed today in the inquiry, the committee heard detailed testimony in refutation of the Star story, but none in support of it. The New York banker sald he knew nome of the facts involved in the sale; made no effort to ascertain them; and had intended only to ask for Investigation so that the good name of the dead President might be cleared. i Ignorant of Fall Stand. He made the same explanation of his reference to reports that the com- mittee had refused to press its ques- tioning of Albert B. Fall because he might “peach” on those in high places. He did not even know, he aid, that Fall claimed immunity, al- though that was published promi- nently everywhere. At one point in his cross-examina- tion the banker declared flatly that he had not connected the sale of the Star with the bil seandal in his now fa- mous speech at Ossining. A moment later, he sald, he had verified as cor- rect a story about the speech, sub- mitted to him by the Associated Press. . Turning its attention to other mat- ters, the investigators heard from Thomas Johnson, foreman of Albert B. Fall's New Mexico ranch, a flat de- nial that he ever recelved any $68,000 payment from the Sinclair oil inter- ests. Reports of such a payment had been brought to_the committeo re- cently by Archie Roosevelt. Meantime President Coolidge sent to the Senatp the nomination of Owen J. Roberts”of Pholadelphla as spe- clal government counsel in the place of Silas Strawn of Chicago, whom the committee had found unaccept- able. Saw Whispering Campaigna. Vanderlip sald he regarded the ru- mors as akin to the “whispering campaign” that marked the last month of the Harding campaign in 1920. “I had full basis for what I sald,” he continued, “that these were cur- rent rumors.” . “I thought that my statements would bring us the truth and kill those rumors.” “You thought it your public duty to broadcast rumors: which if not true were a reflection on the dead?” asked Senator Lenroot. “I thought it my patriotic duty to bring out the truth and thus scotch the rumors,” was the reply. “I was a lifelong friend of Mr. Harding. I wanted to clear his mem- ory. That was my only purpose.” “I would not care to do that” Vanderlip sald when asked for the names of some of th& persons who repeated the rumor to him. He said there were so.many he could not re- member them all. Walsh Denies Forcing Lenroot To .Call Banker in Oil Probe Frank A. Vanderlip took the witness stand today as soon as-the oil commit- tec convened. Senator Walsh democrat, Montana, opened the proceedings by reading a newspaper articie aeclaring that mem- bers of the committee had forced Chair- man Lenroot to subpoena the New York banker in spite of his unwillingness. “I talked with Chairman Lenroot,” Senator Walsh sald, “and he asked me what we ought to do about the Vander- Mp speech. 1 sald that we ought to call hfm and find out what he knew about the matter. There was mo difference een us.’ beé‘kzllrman Lenroot indorsed Senator Yalsh's statement as Mr. Vanderlip came to the stand, identifying him- self as “a retired business man end banker.” Chairman Lenroot read an excerpt from the Ossining speech, as o “a certain Marion newspaper sold for $550,000 to two young men” under ciroimstances that constituted @ Cchallenge to the last administra- on.” Mr. Vanderlip then began to ex- lain that some papers had misquoted glm. 1 was not correctly quoted in the first instance. Bub.nuxilllll‘y. I b re were rumors coming from ~.i='|aduht1‘rl|egton which went far beyond ssip,” he_continued. “You heard it everywhere—about this story. "1 belleved that, out of respect to I'r ent Harding’s memory. _this scandal—for I belleve it scandal— should be coldly looked at’ Saw Patriotic Duty. He sald he considered it a “patri- otic duty to bring the thing to the surface,” because it was “known in every newspaper office.” ALASKAN BUILDER LAYS ACCUSATIONS * BEFOREPRESIENT Letter Declares Denby and Fall Started Negotiations for Lease of Reserves. ! Former Secretary Fall and Secre- | tary Denby were declared in a letter |1aid before President Coolidge today \ by John E. Ballaine, an Alaskan rail- road constructor, to have entered into negotiations in July, 1921, for trans- fer and lease of the rich Matanuska coal reserves of Alaska along the same lines as were later followed in the Teapot Dome oll lease. The Alaskan coal lease was not exe- cuted, but the letter said the Navy De- partment, largely through the efforts of Rear Admiral J. K. Robison, had assi- dlously refused ever since to permit use of Alaskan coal by the Navy. Charges Prenented to Senators. Mr. Ballalne, who constructed the Alaskan Central railroad, the forerun- ner of the present governfent line, pre- sented his letter to the President as a supplement to charges that powerful interests are at work to hinder the de- velopment of Alaska. He also has pre- sented charges to several senators, in- cluding Chairman Lenroot of the Senate oil investigating committee. “The official files show that Secretary Fall of the Interior and Sccretary Den- early as July, 1921, for the transfer of the naval coal reserves in the Matanuska field from the Navy to the Interior De- partment and for the leasing of that reserve for a period of fifty years,” said terms agreed upon between the two alongSecretaries in this coal reserve ran along lines exactly parallel with the negotiations and the terms of the lease of the Teapot Dome oil reserves. Holds Announcements Misleading. “No lease of the Matanuska coal reserves was executed. But the net result was that naval mining opera- tions in the Matanuska were trans- | terred by Secretary Deuby ta the In- | terior Department and abruptly closed In May, 1822, at a time whea the Navy, as officlal reports show, had a mine developed and equipped ! ready to produce 250 tons a day, with 600,000 tons of coal blocked out in | the same quality in sight by diamond | drilling In the Coal Creek district. “Duning the negotlations over the! Matanuska coal reserves and for two | years continuously up to the present time, misleading announcements con- trary to the establishad officlal facts about the quality of Matanuska coal have been given swide publicity by the bureau of engineers of the Nav: of which Admiral Robison s head, and by the bureau of mines of the ] that mine and with 2,500,000 tons of Interior, of which Dr. Bain is the head.” FALL L RUSHES TOWFES BDSIE Passes Through St. Louis on| Way to Texas—Unable to Stand Alone. By the Associated Pres ST. LOUIS, Mo., February 15.—Al- bert B. Fall, former Secretary of the Interior and conspicuous figure in the Senate investigation of the. Teapot Dome ofl leases, passed through St. Louis last night on his way to El Paso, Tex.,, where he has been sum- moned by the serlous {llness of his wite. Upon his arrival here a room was engaged for him at a hotel and he immediately went to bed. After a “Can you give this committee in-{few hours' rest he was assisted aboard formation on the subject?’ Chairman Lenroot persisted, “No, no legal Information,” Vander- lip answered. "I have heard some things about it in quarters which Il respect. I've heard the price was $550,000 for a share in it, with a con- sideration of $10,000 a year to be paid to a contributing editor.” Under_questioning, he said he un- derstood that country papers were usually valued on basis of 12 per cent veShbard the Marl 18 ve heard the Marion tSar earned ound $30,000 a year,” he continued, “with $69,000 in a particularly good yea A ““That would justify a value of $360,- 000 for the paper?’ Senator Lenroot interjected. Hoped to Get Truth. “Yes,” Mr. Vanderlip continued. “All the inferences were in these rumors that too much was paid for the| paper, but 1 never sald anybody con- nected with the oll business had paid any’ money in the transaction. hoped that by bringing out the slander you gentlemen on this com- it & train bound for El Paso, and again went to bed. He was accompanied by 2 nurse and his daughter-in-law, Mrs, Jack Fall As he entered the train Mr. Fall ! was assisted at both sides and ap- peared scarcely able to walk. Mrs, Jack Fall said: “His condition has been 20, ¢rious that he has hardly e to sit up ten minut. - ing the entire trip.” dded, now. i ever, that he was slighi { Do Had been for many Gaye o AR Wite Seriously IIL. “He recelved word that his wife was serfously {ll -with pneumonia some time ago,” she said, “but was so 111 that he could not make the journey to Texas. It was not until Wednesday that his physiclan would' permit him to attempt the trip and he gave rigid instructions that he was not ti i.dl‘l‘mrb;d on the way. o be rs, Jac stated that she be- lieved his iliness was aggravated b:y worry over the oil investigation. mittee would get at the truth and |- cloar the memory of President Hard- ing.” ":Dld you think it likely that truth would follow on the heels of sian- der?” Chairman Lenroot queried. “That by uttering these things which are slander, if not true, you were fulfilling & prhlic duty?” 1 Saw Menace to Government In Rapid Spread of Rumors Mr. Vanderlip insisted his purpose was as given, “because rumors like these make ‘reds’ faster than any soviet propaganda.” Axked why he din't come to the commfttes first, Vanderlip sald he 6ld ugl asswmg tuat she ol commite ! tee was “interested In the sale of newspapers” The banker said he had heard the rumors about the sale of the Star from many sources, but that none who related them to hinr professed to have any facts. - “I belleve it important these rumors “£Contiausd on Fage ¢ LColuma I | WANTED TO AID MATE. EL PASO, Tex., February 16.—Mrs. | Traffic between this town and Mexi- | amo Albert B. Fall, wife.of the former Secretary of the Intertor, } home here of her daughter, Mrs. C. C. | Chase, where she has been under a i physiclan’s care for the last three ! weeks. Several times during her ill- 'nen she has shown signs of improve- ment and has insfsted upon getting ! up and preparing to rejoin her hus- | band in Washington, only to‘be or- ! dered back to bed by the physician, according to Mrs. Fall's daughter. The last time the doctor ordered Mrs. Fall to bed he told her she muat remain. and that she must give up . the ideg of going to Washington to ated by refusing a | aid Mr. Fall in his fight for vindica- tion before the .Senate committee. Mrs, Chase said. After that Mr, Fall prepared to come to El Pase, by of -the Navy began negotiations as | She added, how- | ¢ Foenit WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION, | /ACCUSING BANNER UNFURLED IN HOUSE Session Disturbed When Man in Gallery Charges Maj. Gordon. Shortly after the House met today it was thrown into confusion when a man in the gallery to the right of the speak- er's rostrum threw a banner over the ralling on which was displayed consid- erable printing, which members could read only with difflculty. While Representative Thomas L. Blanton of Texas called the attention of the House to the banner as being an {infringment against the House rules, Doorkeeper Bert Kennedy hurried to the gallery to apprehend the man who had displayed the banner. James G fin, assistant doorkeeper, jumped up { from the floor and tore down the ban- ner. After making the man a prisoner, Doorkeeper Kennedy sought instruc- tions from .Speaker Gillett, who sug- gested the man be led outside of the { bullding and sent on his way. The made himself consplcuous in Was Ington for the Jast few months, The banner was about three feet squara and had a blue border dot- ted with forty-eight stars. At the top appeared the United States flag, with an American eagle on each side. The banner read: ¥ Text on Banner. “District of Columbia, ‘Washington, ss. “John Martinowaski of 415 H street northwest, Washington, D. C., being duly sworn, deposes and says that the United States attorney, Maj. Pevton City of in prosecution of the criminal ses as the Hayworth Music Publishing Company, the H. H. Kirkus Dugdale & Marks Goldsmith Music Publishini Co., all of Washington, D, C. * . ~ “On my complaint the said United States attorney, Peyton Gordon, ar- rested me on April 4, 1923, without a warrant and preliminary hearing, put me on $500 bond and after ten | days released me; then again, April 18, 1923, I was arrested once more and without warrant and preliminary hearing I was put on $1,000 bond and kept me until I compiained again. Then the United States attorney, Pey: ton Gordon, ordered my arrest again on August 31, 1923, and without a preliminary hearing sent me to Dis- trict jail for two months until my wife took me out on $600 bond. “Therefore, I, John Martinowaski, charge said United States Attorney Peyton Gordon of the District of Co- lumbia with misconduct and neglect office, and I therefore, suggest his impeachment by the Congress for the terest of the public.” igned) JOHN MARTINOWASKL" T take the liberty in appealing to all of you, gentlemen, and beg for “ustice, to take in consideration of mv case, how I have been abused by offi- clals in this city. Music Houses Indicted. United States Attorney Gordon stat- ed that the music houses named by Martinowaski were indicted in 1913 for i ustrig the mails to defraud In connec- Ition with publication of musle. The cases were nolle prossed last Novem- T, | P Martinowask1, Mr. Gordon sald, had ! invested $200 In the music houses and loat his money. The dates he named i were those on which he has been ar- Tosted betore for displaying banners over the house gallery today, except that they,have named, on other ccca- slons, past United States attorneys and, at one time, Postmaster General New. PASSPORT FIGHT HALTS MANY AT MEXICAN LINE U.'S. Befuses Admission to Labor- ers Unable to Show Tax Re- ceipts—Reprisal Follows. DY the Associated Press. CALEXICO, Calif, February 15— call, just across the International line misunderstanding between American and Mexican immigration officials over passports. Hundreds of Ameri- cans and Mexicans on either side of the line were turned back when they attempted to cross yesterday, and there is no hope for altered condi- tions today. ‘American - immigration _ officlals started by turning back 1560 Mexicans employed on American soil when they falled to show passports or head-tax receipts. Mexican authorities retali- ission to’any American who_had less than $100 on his person. Reprisal followed re- taliation, with popular indignation Srowing on both sides » man who displaved the banner has) Gordon, has neglected his sworn dul)" of his sworn duty in his important; somewhat similar to the one he threw | g [Clerk’s Longing To Be Hero Fades Before Bandit Gun By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 15.—Mil- ton Haberman, clerk in an uptown delicatessen store, always had wanted to be g hero. Last night when he looked through the win- dow of a Western Union telegraph office on Columbus avenue and saw three employes backed against the wall while a calm and self-pos- sessed young man went through the cash drawer, he thought his chance’had come. Haberman waited until the ban- dit came out and entered a taxi- cab. He hailed another and trailed the robber to Broadway where the first car stopped, the bandit strolled back to Haberman's cab, opened the door and shoved his tol in the clerk’s face. “Who are vou following, me?" asked the calm one. “Get out and walk.” Then the bandit took possession of Haberman's cab, settled back in the cushions and ordered the driv- er_to proceed. He got about $20 from the West- ern Union office. T2-MILE RUM PACT ORDERED REPORTED Little Opposition Develops to Treaty Aimed at Liquor Smuggling Craft. The new convention with Great i Britain concerning the suppression of !rum smuggling was ordered favor- ably: reported today by the Senate forelzn relations committee. Little opposition developed In the cammittee to the treaty and action jwas taken after a short sgssion. The committee acted favorably upon {two treaties with France, dealing with American rights under the French mandates over the Camerons and Togoland. Under these agree- ments the United States is agsured lequal rights with members of the tleague of nations. A favorable report was ordered on the Isle of Pines treaty, which has been pending before the Senate for eighteen years. Drawn by John Hay, it recognizes the title of Cuba to that | island. Subsidiary conventions ordered re. ported included a naturalization treaty with Bulgaria and several dealing with minor customs conven- tions with South and Central Amer- {1can countries. i ————— “DAPPER DAN” COLLINS IS ARRESTED IN PARIS == Seized by New York Detectives. i Wanted for Trial in Connection With Reid Murder. By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, February 15.—"“Dap- per Dan” Collins has been arrested in {Paris by New York detectives, the _Dolice department learned by cable j today, and will be brought here for trial in connection. with the’shooting ln: John H. Reld, a silk manufacturer, in the Bronx apartment of Hazel D. Warner in 1921. The -sleuths were in France pri- ! marily in search of “the Jockey’ wanted for the robbery of the Albert R. Shattuck home on Washington square two years ago. The cablegram announced that “the Jockey” also was in custody and that papers were being prepared-for the extradition to thi: B & 2 e the ADSthas 'of Pagie, o0 | The name of i quently has been on the lipa ot is at the; jn Mekico, is in confusion, through a | detectives in_ their hunt for slayers | of Dorothy King Keenan, the model murdered a year ago, and of Louise Lawson, who was 'strangled” last Week. Coliins also was mentloned in con- nection _with the murder in Holly- wood, Calif., of Willlam Desmond Taylor, film director. —_———— CUMMING IS REAPPOINTED. Dr. Hugh . Cumming, surgeon gen- eral, United States public health serv- ice, ‘was reappointed by President Cool- idge today for another term of four lyun. His nomination was sent to the R K ite House readlig, Sfa INGOME TAX ISSUE | COMES UPTUESDAY House to Act on Major Con- troversy in Revenue Meas- ure Next Week. The House agrees today to také up on next Tuesday income tax rates of the revenue bill, a major point of con. troversy, with amendments in order. Faced with the probable loss of the insurgent group and by solid demo- | cratic oppesition in the income tax |right to withhold his evidence from | rate fight, republican leaders called a conference of their party for this afternoon at which an attempt will be made to reach a compromise on the surtax rate which will unite the par- ty into a majority unity Representative Longworth of Ohio, republican floor leader, declared yes- terday a poll of the republican dele g‘:tlom conducted - by Representative &€, Ohlo, had shown 208 republi cans,’ ten less'than a majority of the House, would agree to a maximum surtax of 35 per cent. Wil Not Compromise. ‘When the bill was in committee the republican insurgent group agreed to a reduction i{n the maximum surtax rate to 40 per cent If the normal rates were cut in half. They con- troled seventeen votes in the House organization fight, Leaders of the group have declared, however, they will not again agree to a compromise with the regular republicans. Leaders on both sides predicted that the measure within two weeks will be possible. Two days probably will be taken up by the income tax rate section. The agreement specifies that the democratic income tax reduction plan will be in order as one amendment and that then the proposal of Rep- resentative Frear, republican, Wiscon- sin, will be in order as a substitute amendment. These amendments must include the entire income rate schedule, normal and surtaxes and personal exemption. The democratic plan provides for a 44 per cent maximum surtax, a 50 per cent reduction in normal taxes and Ilncrelsed exemptions. The Frear scheme is the same except it would leave the present maximum surtax of 150 per cent unchanged. The bill as |reported carries the Mellon income rate schedule, providing for 25 per cent reduction in normal taxes, & 25 per cent maximum surtax rate and no change in exemptions. Debate Continues. " General debate on the bill, which will be concluded Monday afternoon at 4 p.m., continued today, arguments centering on the income tax section. When the revenue bill is out of |the way, majority leaders plan to take up the bill authorizing the leas- ing of the government's Muscle Shoals projects to Henry Ford, which already has been reported by the military affairs committee. While the debate on the revenue Dbill centered chiefly today on the in- come tax schedules which provide for & 25 per cent cut In normal income taxes and a reduction of surtaxes to a maximum of 25 per cent, leaders maneuvered to line up their forces for the vote expected next week, and the republicans continued optimistic that they could muster enough votes to keep the surtax rate within 35 per cent in the face of the united demo- i crat stand for a maximum of 44 per icent and the declaration by the ré- i publican insurgents for no reduction in_the surtaxes, The debate under the agreemént Ireflchad yesterday was equally dl. vided between the majority and m nority, with Chairman Green of the | committee in charge of the allot- ments of time for the republican speakers and Representative Garner, Texas, ranking democrat on th® com- mittee, directing the democrats. |2 ~~AD, 9 MISSING IN $300,000 FIRE| Number Seriously Injured When Business Building Is Destroyed in ‘Montpelier, Vt. By the Associated Press. MONTPELIER, Vt, February 15.— ‘Two persons were killed and nine are missing and belleved to have lost their lives in a fire which destroyed the Lawrence building, on Main street, éarly today. A number of others were seriou: injured. .The loss is estimated at $300,000. 3 . The known dead are Walter Wash- burn, & prominent {nsurance man and Mason, d Mrs. J. F. Waterman. Both sustained - fatal injuries when they jumped from windows and miss- i | 1 under the arrangement completion of : “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as t Yesterday’ * he papers are printed. s Circulation, 101,495 TWO CENTS. 'Human Body Held Worth 98 Cents In Chemical Test By the Associated Press. CANYON, Tex, February 15— The net material value of an aver- age human being is 98 cents, ac- cording to analytical research made by Dr. C. A. Plerle, head of the department of chemistry at the West Texas Teachers’ College-- here. e Dr. Plerle has found that the body of a man weighing 150 pounds, If divided into its com- ponent.—chemical elements, would be found to contaln enough water ~to wash a pair of blankets, enough iron to make a ten-penny nail, lime sufficient to whitewash a small chicken coop and enough sulphur to kill the fleas on a good- sized dog. All these elements, he estimated, could be purchased at a drug store for 98 cents. TIYMAN IS NAMED T0 SUCCEED PERRY Court Orders Brewer’s Evi- dence Duplicate Bond " Charge Impounded. | Paul E. Twyman, chiet clerk of the engineer reproduction plant, Wash- ington barracks, was appointed to- day by Secretary Mellon to succeed John P. Perry as assistant director, bureau of engraving and printing. Mr. Perry's resignation was accepted last nlght. Mr. Twyman was for- merly an officer in the Engineer Corps of the Army. He is twenty- eight years old and was born in Ken- tucky. preme Court today granted the mo- tion of Secretary Mellon and Attor- ney General Daugherty for impound- ing in the registry of the court the bonds, securities and other “evidence' | held by Charles B. Brewer, special as- | sistant to the Attorney General, as ! the basis for his charges of irregu- {larity in the bureau. Counsel for i Brewer asked that a limitation be set upon those permitted to see the pa- pers while In the court's custody, but i Justice Stafford ruled otherwise, re i marking that Brewer, as an employe of the Department of Justice, had no government officials. Brewer Replies to Mellon. | After the order had been signedsby | the court Brewer made public a state- | ment answering those of Secretary | Mellon yesterday in his letter to | President Coolidge. Mr. Brewer con- tended the Secretary's statements were not made of his “personal nowledge” and that the Secretary ‘admite knowledge of $37.000.000 of | temporary bonds _still | which have been exchangeable since {1919 and 1920.” | United = States Attorney | called the motion to the attention of the court, and, after outlining the case, sugiested that he looked for ia concurrence from Brewer's coun- =el, because in his bill he had ex- pressed a willingness to surrender the papers into the custody of the {court. Maj. Gordon said Brewer had | {no property rights in the bonds and | securitie: which belong to the | United States, and his retention of | them retarded and impeded an in- i vestigation_now in progress 'in the Treasury Department under dlrec- tion_of the President. Brewer sald his client concurred in the motion, but suggested that the ! impounding should be limited until Congress acts on the resolutions for inquiries now pending in that .body. He also sought to'have access denied to certain officials against whom, he said, evidence would be found in the papers. Teit of Court's Order.- I The order of the court reads: “On this 16th day of February, A.D., 1924, there came on to be heard be- fore this court a motion filed In this cause by the defendants above named, | praying that the securities and other documentary evidence mentioned in plaintiff’'s bill of complaint be de- posited with the registry of this { court, there to be held until the fur- ! ther order of the court and subject to the Inspection by the plaintiff and the defendants or the duly authogized agents of sald defendants. ! “*After having read sald motion and the affidavits thereto attached, and ,being fully advised in the premises, it iis ordered “That the securitles and other documentary evidence mentioned in plaintift's bill of complaint be de- posited with the clerk of this court, to be held by him until the further order of the court. It is further or- dered that said securities and other documentary evidence shall be sub- {ject to inspection by the plaintiff and i the defendants or the duly authorized iagents of said defendants. Brewer Makes Statement. i After the court had signed the order Brewer issued the following ments of Secretary Mellon in his let- ter to President Coolidge yesterday: “All informed persons will realize that Mr. Mellon's s.atements were not made of his personal knowledge. The statement ignores much. In many parts it needs qualification. | He- states 1t is not complete—that he will have more to say when the Treasury examination {3 complete. ‘When he does it will be answered in detall as a whole. Suffice it at pres- ent to point out that he admits knowledge of $37,000,000 of temporary bonds still outstanding which have been exchangeable since 1919 and 1920. The value of the coupons which amount. No reference is made to | the duplicates of the permanent bonds, yet.there are many such. [ “No’ reference s made to the fact that duplicates are coming In daily, or were, at least, when I checked up on it two months ago. These were, however, only about forty per moath and I agree there is no occasion for public uneasiness as_to the govern- ment’'s obligations. But there is oc- casion for placing responsibity. or uneasiness will follow. + “Mr. Mellon gives no single state- ment which causes me to. recede from lany chgrge I have made afd I look ,with cohdidence to any impartial in- vestigation bearing me out in this position. . : (Signed) “CHAS. B. BREWER.” Maj. Wallace W. Kirby upon as- suming the office of. the director to- day, issued a formal statement, ex- pressing his attitude as director and declaring that «his “every effort from now until my assignment 1s ended " &Coutlavsd on Fage & Column 7.4~ | INBUREAU POSITION Justice Stafford of the District Su- outstanding | Gordon | Attorney W. Gwynn Gardiner for| statement In answer to the state-| must be paid practically doubles this; HOUSE DISCOVERS PROPERTY TAX NOT INAUTO TAX BILL Great Effort to Impose As- sessment Defeated by Mis- take, Leaders-Say. ‘MEASURE NOW FORBIDS SUCH PERSONAL LEVY Move to Correct Omission Pre- dicted by Oldfield—Senate Gets Legislation. Leaders in the House, both republi- can and democratic, discovered today | that the House had perpetrated a huge joke on itself in the passage of the bill imposing a 2-cent gasoline tax on automobile owners in the District of Columbla. The whole fight over this measure, both in committee and on the floor of the House, consisted in Imposition of a personal tax in addition to the motor fuel tax. The commiftee, when it found it impossible to report out the bill as originally submitted by the District Commissioners, which would shift the personal property tax to the gasoline tax, amended the bill so as to grant an exemption up to $1,000 on personal property taXxes on automobiles. BIll Sent to Senate. It was discovered today that the bill as passed by the House on Feb- ruary 11, and attested by William Tyler Page, clerk of the House, &s read twice and referred to the Sen- {ate District committee in the Senate on February 13, does not contain any provision for a personal property tax, ‘but that, on the contrary, three lines in the bill expressly wipe out any tax | except a registration fee of 15 cents i per horsepower and a tax of 2 cents {per gallon on all motor vehicle fuel {gaid. " | Men of such prominence in the jHouse as Representative John Q. Til- {son of Connecticut, a member of the {ways and means committee, who is i recognized ns a parliamentarian of unusual ability, and who is a law lecturer in the Yale Summer School; Representative John XN. Garner of Texas, minority leader on the ways and means committee; Representative | Oldfield of Arkansas, the democratic whip, and Representative Charles L. Underhill of Massachusetts, who orig- inally offered the amendment in the | House District committee to ellminate the personal property tax exemption— all these said today that they find in the bill as printed no provision for imposing a personal property tax on automobiles. xeludes Other Taxes. After providing for the registration fee of 15 cents per horsepower and the 2 cents a gallon tax on motor vehicle fuel, the measure as sent to the Senate by the House provides that “no tax of any character or { description, except as in this act provided, shall be levied or assessed upon any motor vehicle in the Dis- i trict of Columbia.” The bill also Eays “that all laws inconsistent with the provisions of this act be and the said are hereby {repealed,” and the only proviso is at nothing contained” in the bill {“shall be construed In any wise to affect the provisions of the act cf i Congress relating to license taxes.” | Representative Tilson sald today i that it was plain to him that nothing in the bill printed as It passed the House provides for a personal prup- erty tax and that if any Dersonal property tax was previously opers- tive this bill would wipe out such tax. Representative Oldfield sald that the bill as printed and presented in the Senate after passing the House ls obviously not what the House {ntend- ed and that it would have to be cor- rected. Another “Bug” Discovered. | Representative Fred N. Zihlman of Maryland, acting chairman of the | House District committee, who was In charge of the gasoline tax measure when it passed the House, admitted | today that he_realized the bill as passed by the House might be con- strued as exempting District resi- dents_entirely ‘from any personal Property tax on automobiles. Another “bug” in the bill was found today by House members making & careful scrutiny of its provisions. This Is in section 9, which provides “that no tax on motor vehlcle fuels exported or sold for exportation froni the District of Columbla to any other jurisdiction or nation, shall be im- posed.” It was pointed out by legal sharps that exportation merely means carried out of the District and that Sother jurisdiction” may_mean any other state, Maryland, Virginia, etc, 80 that the effect of this section might be_that any one from Mary- land or Virginia could buy gasoline or other motor vehicle fuels in_the District for use in Maryland, Vir- ginia, or any other state without be ing compelled to pay the two-cent gasoline tax. :BROTHERS KILL EACH OTHER IN GUN DUEL LDy the Axsociated Press. ‘WHITESBURG, Ky., February 15.— Bob and Sam Bates, brothers, resi- dents of the Troublesome Creek sec- tion, invoked .15-caliber law to settle thelr quarrel, and today both are dead. Enmity between the brothers was sald to have resulted from a disagree- { ment concerning settlement of an es- tate, Including some valuable coal {and timber land, left by thelr father. ‘ Finally, after friends had prevented ' gun play on more than one occasion, Sam, a boy of seventeen, was eaid to { have sent word to Bob that he would glve him $100 to come into the < vicinity of the younger brother’s res: dence. 1 Bob Accepted the Offer. The brothers met on a laurel- fringed mountain trall yesterday. They drew and fired—and missed. N the sights were perfectly ligned. A second roar from the heavy weapons and both duelists dropped, fatally wounded. A shred of blue powder smoke drif eq over the laurels, the crashing r port of the pistols awoke the echoes along “ ‘ole’ Troublesome.” Bob Bates had earned $100 he couldn't collect, and Sam_had lost a hundred he \wouldw's have' to.pay,. . 3 i