The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-23
Fills ISLAND EXPENDITURES
cry ylTTLETON UNABLE TO EXPLAIN
7HE $3.50, 900 INCREASE
..rx.w,ned by senator Chandler. He
s,,,t. that ne Doesa't Know where
al, responsibility began or Endea-see-
a...,r In Give Testimony.

.,.,,s lint re Doesa't Know where
al. responsibility began or Endea-see-
r.tary Poser TO Give Testimony.
v,suxc1oS. March Ex-senator Chandler
.,,r Assistant Secretary Nettleton in hand
,o.dav when the immigration Committees OF
,ho ,,yo Houses met to renew the investiga-
,io, Of Ellis Island expenditures and SUBJ
;oc,sd him to lively cross-eSamination. The
- rosnlt of it was that Gen. Nettleton shifted
,ho responsibility for the alleged waste OF
,norer to the shoulders OF Secretary Foster so
sd,rtually that his superior onicer Will be
asked 70 testify on Thursday.
Senator handler is q much cleverer lawyer
and cross examiner than Representative
e,urn Chairman OF tho House Committee
..d be got Gen Ncttleton into hot water sew
III limos. The Assistant Secretary ad-
.,i,,cd that he did not know Just what part
=, r,is Island management he was RESPONSE
hls for. and failed utterly to explain how It
happened that the expenditures were S3OO.OOO
or sl0O 900 in excess OF appropriations. Gen.
Ns,,lcton will testify ngain on Thursday even-
i,s after Secretary Foster has been through
Tho hands of the committees
The New Hampshire Senator to-day gave
tbc ,yasivc Assistant Secretary just such q
rigid businesslike examination as 1t was evil
dent Yesterday was needed Tho examination
Cor ths first hour or two was simply repe-
tition of Mr.. Stump's earnest but Intellectual
Attacks of yesterday. Mr.. stump then led
away into tho subject Of mercantile franchises
an the Island which Mr.. Nettleton said was the
on,v source of revenue. the am ount last year
heinc slo.l5o. Mr.. Nettleton didn't know by
rbos, authority they were granted. and said
the quality and price OF tho articles sold were
rnder the control Of Col Weber. When asked
about Mr.. Bi Gins system OF forcing the i'm
migrants to employ bis baggage transer At 10
he chose beyond that point. Mr.. Nettleton. in
answer to the direct question. replied: i
Nj Mr. Settieton said that SECRETARY Foster had:
$4,000 contract for the main building and
tH s time Mr. Ne;tleton took charge Of tho
business s ness not until last Saturday had Mr..
StG 1.s%
Nor had Mr. Nettleton evor INQUIRED into the
source Of the eGsaao 10 tho
questions aion to discover what advice Mr.. Nettc-
had sSs r. to n The sspes so ths
Mr. Nettleton had made no such investigation.
Except that my opinion OF the use OF the I'm
don with the solicitor OF. the Treasury" He
could not say when or how many converse.
tions they had had. and only remembered that
he f this pont Mr. Setteon whispered to the
clerk who sat at his elbow az during yesSt er
SaS SChSnd i Evidently Of the opinion that
the witness was trying to get his memory re-
Nc san R RG his Gen p41a hsy sss
retary. However. he at once proceeded to cite
another source q Justification in the person
S 81 ,ne Matthews. able and man.
whose passing on any voucher for Ellis Island
WAS t sufficient authority to
The Senator then proceeded to close in on
tho game in this vigorous style Of Guestion9in1g
Sssns Sd 80 the 5sa asf 10
until ss msls oi Sn HSH on 5Sn.
struetion are decided, in the ONCE Of the
:'%hse ws!s yop Art at Ellis 1sland"
"Rd y Sa confer .s, freely with Major Hubbard.
With The ss areh t ONCE ONCE '''" " w
sly are YOU or not
o f. th isa QUESTION ns1 the astounding IT
But were you not making those additional
contracts"
And were you not in charge Of the Immi-
{fq hsse moth
Ellis Island. That's another matter"
Tor any other buiidingsT
To this question q long statement was made
repeating former explanation Of subordinate
Now" said Senator Chandler. II am going
knows that S25O.OO was appropriated and
that $4,000 have been spent We believe
somebody is responsible and we want to find
out who, Now, frst do you admit these facts ?"
Yes"
DO you admit that you are responsible2"
~ am RESPONSIBLE for only what have been
Mr. Nettleton then went on to show how
many hands all this business had to pass
through. and when he had concluded his
statements the members OF the committee
we're as much in the dark as ever. Senator
Chandler thinks he will yet get at the facts on
Thursday without trouble.