The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-14
THE MAZET
INVESTIGATING
COMMITTED
Throws It's Probe Into the RamapO
Water Supply Scandal But
Discovers Very Little.
THE TESTIMONY OF Mr.. PLATT
Son of the United States Senator
Denies Having any Interest
in the Company.

NEW YORK, Sept. 1S-At the open
ing of to.day's session of the Mazet
investigating committee, Mr.. Moss,
counsel for the committee, said It was
expected that Mr.. Croker would be on
the stand some time during the week.
The first witness to-day was Alfred
T. White, former commissioner Of city
water works in Brooklyn. In 1896 he
made an exhaustive report on the
Brooklyn water supply Three sources
of supply were examined at that time,
one of them being the Ramapo water
supply Witness said that General
Tracey had asked witness In 1894 II a
proposition from a private water COM
pany would be received. Witness re-
piled that he would do nothing until
his engineers had made their report.
He thought General Tracey represented
the Ramapo company at the time. Mr..
White said that Engineer Worthen
had reported that to deliver water from
the Ramapo shed to Brooklyn would
cost $50 per million gallons, and that
the Ramapo supply would be made
quate. Mr.. White said 1t was his view
that the state ought to take charge of
all It's water sheds and apportlon them
between the cities.
Frank H. Plat, son OF Senator T. G.
Platt, and Junior member Of the law
nrm of Tracey, Boardman & Platt,
was called to the witness chair.
Mr.. Platt said he knew little Of the
Ramapo water company, He had no
personal knowledge that General Ira
cey had ever been president of the
company. When General Tracey came
into the firm in 1889 he brought with
him lawsuit concerning the validity
Of the title to certain lands in which
the Ramapo company was interested.
When the act of 1895 was before Gov
ernor Morton, by which the right was
given to the Ramapo company to sell
water, anywhere in the state, General
Tracey had requested that a gentleman
connected with the hrm appear before
Governor Morton, and present the case
Of the Ramapo company.
II never knew anything personally
about the Ramapo water company"
said Mr.. Platt, never had any inter
est, direct or indirect, in 1t, and never
knew anything about the bill until 1t
was passed, and never knew anything
about the contract until read of 1t In
the newspapers"
A Dry Well
Assemblyman Hoffman asked Mr..
Platt whether General Tracey was not
president of the Ramnpo company at
the time he was member OF the
Greater New York charter commits
sion.
II only know that the newspapers
said he had resigned the presidency be-
fore going on the commission" was the
answer.
DO you know that General Tracey
owned 81. 100000 worth of stock in the
company.
II know nothing about it."
do you own stock in that company?"
None"
"Never dld7"
Never"
He was asked whether his firm did
any work for sllas B. butcher He
did not remember but thought not. He
knew nothing about Mr.. butchers con-
nectIons with the company.
Mr.. Plat said that the Fidelity &
Deposit Company had done business
here in fair and open competition with
other surety companies. Senator Plattr
he answered. owned no stock In the
company. Mr.. Hoffman asked:
what stock do you hold in the city
trust company"
II decline to answer"
"why7"
at is none OF your business"
Witness denied that he had told
Governor Black, when that official re-
fused to sign certain corporation bill
that he could not be re-nominated.
Witness had appeared before Governor
Roosevelt with regard to the Ford fran
chIse bill, and said that 1t was subse-
quent to this that the special session
OF the legislature wns called at which
the bill was amended. Witness had
never received any blocks of stock for
his services for my corporation or for
his Influence; nor had any member of
his family.
sllas b. Butcher, the president of the
Ramapo Water Company, wns also
questioned, but he did not give details
concerning that organization. A num-
Der Of other witnesses were called to
the stand, but nothing of general inter-