The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-01-30
ONE MATTER DISPOSED OF
Distribution Of Storm Sufferers Fund
Not 10 Be Investigated.
LACK OF AUTHORITY THE REASON
Attorney General Holds that the Leais-
lstiSe Committee Can Not Officially
Take the Subject Up.


at O'clock this morning with all members
and officers present except one. The ses
sion lasted just long enough for brief
conversation on the subject of renting
typewriter machine, after which the men,
pers resumed their work Of raDsscklng rec
ords In the different departments to which
they were assigned by the chairman
The committee met n second time at 5
o'clock this evening and listened to the
aiding OF letter from w. A. Fields
or hillSboro, asking for an Investigation
OF the distribution OF the Galveston storm
sufferers fund and letter from the COVER
tor counting an investigation and an opin.
ior from the attorney general on the sub
Ject. The question embraced In the Fields
letter was referred to the attorney general
yesterday and that Official holds that the
Couimittee under the resolution which Gre
9ted H., has no authority to take up the
disposition OF the storm fund, but that any
committee of citizens who so desires can
iiNestlgate the question in all of It's phases.
ne Fields letter, which was addressed TO
lhe mouse members Of the committee. is in
pa! as follows TO state tue amount Ia
bulk would afford the people who contrib.
uted no method of verihcation, nor could
any contributor know what became of his
contribution unless there was an itemlzcd
statement Of each subscription. There are
those who compla- thst they were shipped
ont OF Galveston and were thus prevented
from deriving any benefit from the cl"'k'ag,
.ood and money subscribed for then. ami
mat great bulk OF the supplies were con
NHted into money and used for other pur-
poses not contemplated nv charity" The
letter ends by declaring that an lnveStiga-
ticn Is necessary for the vindlcntion of the
people who received and distributed the
money and supplies.
Inc letter from the governor with regard
TO the Investigation nvOnnSnd Inv CANAAN
Fields was wordod as follows;
Hon, Travis Henderson. Chairman Investi-
cutting Committee, Capitol.
Austin, Texas, January 90, 1902. Dear
Sir: notice In this mornings papers that
letter had been written your committee
by Mr. W A Fields Of Hillsboro, Texas,
asking your committee to investigate the
manner In which the storm sufferers fHnd
Of 1900 was distributed
nave 20 respectfully request and to urge
that you will thoroughly investigate the
manner in which that fund was distributed
not only by myself, but also by others to
whom remlttances OF money were directly
made and supplies were directly sent. The
reports Of all committees, aud also a record
of the many thousands Of rcmittapces made
throughout the United States. Mexico. Eng
land ana Europe. Will be found In my OF
fee, and a like record | tIke it, has been
kept by others to whom remittAnces were
also directly made and supplies sent. win
take much pleasure In giyiA; the committee
the name Of each contributor, and also his
address, so that the committee may core
spend with such contributor and ascertain
whether the AMOUNT reported agrees with
the amount sent Not only Will no obtec-
tlon be interpoSed to such an examination,
but every facility VIII be Afforded by me,
and al banks and postoffices and railway
and express companies through whom
moneys or supplies were received VIII be re-
qtested to furnish the committee full and
accurate sta tements of the moneys received
and disbursed and of the supplies trans
ported and distributed.
Please submit this letter to the commit
tee. Yours very truly.
Joseph d. Savers. Governor.
The following reply to the above was pre-
pared by the committee:
TO His ENcellency, the Governor: Your
communication OF today urging the com.
mlttec to investigate the manner In which
the storm fund was distributed, together
with your assurance that every facility
would be afforded us in making said in
vestlgatlon. has been received aud submit
am instructed by the committee TO say
That the committee highly appre'
ci0tes the fact that you have AT all times
desired and courted full investigation OF
this matter and also your offer TO faci,l-
tate the investigation by placing all the
records In our hands.
80. We are OF the opinion that the
resolution under which we are acting gi-es
us no authority to so Into an inves;igd
ton OF this matter In this we hre sus-
tained by the attorney general, to whom
tue question mas Dfen submitted.
1T. Henderson, Chairman"
A letter was also sent 10 Fields. telling
him that the committee was not clothe
with the proper authority to comply with
his request. This ended the evening SEES
sion OF the committee.
Some Of the members Of the committee
who are doing assigned work in the fe.
pnrtments are about through. and so far
work In every line Is progressing rapidly.
Chairman Henderson OF the legislative
has received great many let
ters and papers on the subject OF invesu
CATION, suggesting several different lines
on which n successful investigation could
be made The chairman stated today that
every citizen who writes to the committee
will he expected TO stand up 70 what he
charges should the writer make any. The
chairman also said that anonymous com.
would be thrown In the waste
basket and would not be noticed
The report sent out from here yesterday
to the effect that an officer of the legisla-
tive investigating committee found the
Office closed at a, NJ. yes
terday is without any foundation as the
department was wide open and ready for
business and all az the clerks were az
work Comptroller Love made statement
today. In which he strongly denied the re-
port. and the chairman OF the COMMITTEES
signed II.
During the visit Of the Could party here
Yesterday Mr.. Leroy Trice, vice president
and general superintendent Of the Inter
national and Great Northern, was taken for
n Texas lawmaker by none other than Hon.
A. w. Terrell. eX-minister ia Turkey ana
well known IN Texas political circles,
Tho partY were IN the senate chamber ad.
miring the painting Of the hattie of san
Jacinto. when Judge Terrell and Mr.. Trlce
began TO converse with each other. Mr.,
Terrell remarked by the way, how do
Won like the acoustics in this chamber
'Thet are very good, presume, replied
The conversation took different turn
Tor A few minutes. when Judge Terrell
again remfrked when do you SIT again.
MI. Trlce appeared at n loss TO cntch the
OF the remark. and by way OF
Srnlonatlon the ex.mlnlster saidi az mean
officially" still Mr.. Trlce looked pgzzled;
and Judge Terrell continued: why. /
moan this smelling committee--this smell
ling committee. as It Is termed
Mr. Trice replied that he knew nothing
about any such committee wbereupOn
Judge Terrell exclaimed: Great Scott. l
I, 10 | thought Won Warf.