Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-17
Creates a Favorable Impress
sion Before Investigating
Commission.
NOTHING SENSATIONAL.
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Tells
straightforward Story. w. Sault,
Ex-Gov. Dillingham; and Hon. +.
ID. Hale Testify A Contingent
Fund For Governor Suggested.
(From Our STAFF Correspondent

Montpelier, Nov. 16.-If the hearing be-
fore the investigation committee tonight
is to be taken as u criterion, no startling
scandal can he started so far as the wit
nCsscs examined are concerned. Whether
the invests tion will be continued much
longer is not known, but some of those
already investigated think some other
State officers should also be asked to APP
pear before this committee.
j. W. Sault, Quartermaster General w.
II. Gilmore, eX-Gov. w. Z. Dillingham; and
eX-Auditor +. d. Hale were the new men
called in tonight.
j. w. Sault was questioned concerning
a bill of SIS for work during his term as
secretary of civil and military affairs un-
der Gov. Grout. Mr.. Sauit thought it a
proper charge, as 1t was for work filing
and arranging official documents for Gov.
Grout and by his request, in preparation
for turning the office over to his successor,
and for work on Gov. CIRCUITS retiring
message. He thought this work outside
the regular duties of his office.
Gen. Gilmore was next called, and
though he said after he got done, Il never
saw a place so easy for one to make a
fool of himself" no witness has made a
better impression as to honest and simple
performance of official duty at reasonable
expense than he. He told the committee
about his official duties, how 1t was nee
essary for him to visit four times each
year every company headquarters in the
State, arrange for muster, rent armories
for militia, arrange excursions outside the
state by the governor and staff. II or
dered to do so by the governor, and other
similar duties, lie would make no damag-
ing statements against other State Of
ticers. He said he never charged for clerk
hire. having done nearly all the work
himself, and the committee stated at the
close that his personal expenses for ten
years amounted to only 1885, He gave le-
gal authority for the payment of travel
ling expenses and said he had never made
any charge for service outside his regu-
lar salary, In closing he gave particulars
of the Nashville trip and said he believed
when Gov. Grout was preparing for the
trip he had legal authority for the act.
EN-GoY, Dillingham; was not questioned
except for suggestions as to how to regu-
late governors hereafter but he made a
statement of the expenses OF himself and
STAFF during his administration. He said
the statement made by Gov Grout as
appears in this mornings Free Press was
erroneous, his expenses appearing there
as SlS726l. He then explained all his trips
with his STAFF and gave three items
amounting to about 5000 as the entire ex-
pense to be properly charged to him,
When he and a few members of his staff
attended President Harrisons Inaugural
ton at Washington and the national en-
campment at Boston he paid his own eX-
penses the same as any private citizen
would do. He made several speeches at
the latter place but had no copies to file
with tho committee, In regard to prop
err measure for the committee ex-Gov. Dill