Sheldon Says Hurley's Position Very Powerful; Necessitates Religious Consideration for Truth

The position of Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, carrying with it a greater power of investigation than any other state office, necessitates a religious regard for truth," and James H. Sheldon, recently visiting Professor of Citizenship at Boston University on the Maxwell Foundation, in a speech given in Chelsea last night. "He is entrusted with the financial and administrative problems of state institutions, and he is expected wholeheartedly and disinterestedly to further their well being. In no case is he expected to engage in a journalistic or political campaign."

When assigned the task of investigating the prison system of Massachusetts, Auditor Hurley was ordered by Governor Ely not to give out any information until the report should be completed. The League for Independent Political Action's Committee on Prison Justice recently ascertained that the many exaggerated and alarmist years about Norfolk, which appeared from time to time in the Boston Herald, came direct, from Mr. Hurley's office to their State House reporter.

The claim that Mr. Hurley is deliberately seeking to discredit Superintendent Gill is only too obvious when one compares with the actual facts the following statement in the Boston Post: "According to State Auditor Hurley the shortage (at Norfolk) was discovered when Hurley and State Comptroller George E. Murphy went to Norfolk early in November." Actually this shortage ($468.70) was reported two weeks earlier to Hurley by Gill.

On January 27, 1934, Auditor Hurley announced that Mr. Gill had "doctored" four inmates' records at Norfolk. On January 29, in spite of Mr. Gill's report (published with permission of the Commissioner of Correction) that the records corrected were not official, Mr. Gill was "withdrawn" as Superintendent. Twelve hours before Mr. Gill returned to Boston from Connesticut, it was announced in every metropolitan paper that he had been "ousted." These reports were rumored to have been spread by Mr. Gill's enemies.