I want a man who can show the same courtesy to the local crowd that he shows to the New Yorkers."[1]
Preying on Tom Charles' mind in the fall of 1938 was not only the criticism of Jim Felton, and his own impending retirement, but also the entrapment of White Sands in the "WPA scandals" that rocked New Mexico. Frank Pinkley asked Charles if he wanted to become a full-time custodian. The duties would require more time and energy than Charles felt ready to provide. Instead, he and his wife preferred the post of concessionaire, saying: "I really think that would make more money in the long run anyway." Charles entered into negotiations to that end with Pinkley, who was "reluctant to introduce an operator into the picture at White Sands until a demand has been demonstrated." Charles had suggested taking over a work room in the new visitors center, "in which photographic films, postal cards, soft drinks, light lunches, etc., could be sold." Pinkley had no quarrel with this, but had doubts about "the granting of exclusive transportation permits" to Charles. The superintendent counseled patience, as Charles had one more year of employment before having to retire.[2]
One reason prompting Charles' decision was the suspension of WPA project foreman, John L. ("Johnie") Stephens, in December 1938 for his indictment by a federal grand jury. Earlier in the year, a reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner had uncovered the controversy surrounding Senator Dennis Chavez, his political "machine," and state and federal relief agencies. U.S. Attorney Everett Grantham of Santa Fe brought charges against 73 individuals, including a sister, nephew, and son-in-law of Chavez. The attorney alleged that WPA supervisors approached employees to contribute to the Democratic party a portion of their monthly wages. At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water project near Tucumcari (Conchas Dam), these "contributions" ranged from two dollars for unskilled labor to ten percent for foremen. Laborers who refused would have their salary reduced, and in extreme cases be transferred far from home.[3]
For Dennis Chavez, the consequences were mixed. No convictions resulted from the charge that he had placed 18 relatives and family members on the WPA payroll, even though the U.S. Senate threatened him with expulsion for his part in the scandal. For White Sands, the indictment of Johnie Stephens, a highly regarded employee, reminded NPS officials of the political intrigue inherent in New Deal projects. Washington officials, fearful of negative publicity as Congress grew more conservative (the 1938 congressional elections turned on charges of New Deal fraud and abuse), decided to suspend Stephens without pay. Then in conversations with attorney Grantham, regional
