The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-02-24
Says CANAL MEN
Received fees
COMMISSIONERS WERE PAID FOR
ATTENDING MEETING OF PAN
ANA RAILROAD COMPANY.
INVESTIGATION BY
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Letter of President Shows Latter Did
Not Oppose Matter - Senate Bars
Previous Testimony of Swayne-
Miss Willard Honored.

Washington, Feb. 20.-The investiga,
ton of the affairs of the Panama rail.
road was continued Saturday before
the subcommittee of the house commit
tee on interstate and foreign com
merce. Vice President Drake resumed
his testimony. Chairman Hepburn i'm.
mediately took up the matter of pay
ment for attendance on the meeting OF
the board of directors, and of the ex,
ecutive committee of the company by
members of the isthmian canal COM
mission.
Mr.. Drake decll red that all the mem
bers of the commission, with the eX-
ception of Gen. Eavis, who was out of
the country, had attended all of the
meetings of the executive board for
which they had received fees. He said
Mr.. Parsons was also member of the
executive board, and had also re-
ceived fees for his attendance.
Not Opposed by President.
The following extract from the min
utes of the isthmian canal commission
of its meeting held October II last, eX-
planatory of the directors fees taken
from the Panama Railroad company by
members of the canal commission, was
laid before the committee at the con-
clusion of it's hearing by Chairman
Hepburn, having been received by him
from Commissioners Harrod and Grun-
sky in letters dated Saturday.
The commissioners were also in
formed by the chairman that at recent
conference with the president the mat
ter of attendance fees paid to the di-
rectors attending meetings provided by
the bylaws of the Panama Railroad
company was referred to and that the
president desired the commission to be
informed that his order fixing the com,
pensation of the commissioners was not
intended to prevent the acceptance OF
such fee
Commissioner Grunsky stated that the
words THE President" in the commits
sion's minutes referred to President
Roosevelt.
No action in the matter was taken by
the committee
The letter of Commissioner Grunsky
incloses a communication from him to
Vice President Drake, of the railroad
company, of September Is last, in
which he returns unopened" an enve-
lope containing his fee for the first
meeting because he did not wish to en-
barrass his associates on the commits
sion. He says he could not construe the
attendance fee other than compensation
and must decline to accept it.
Swayne's Testimony Barred.
The senate, sitting as court of i'm
parchment Saturday, decided by an
overwhelming vote not to admit in the
Swayne case the testimony given before
a house committee by Judge Swayne,
the respondent in that trial. By unani-
nous consent the statehood controversy
went over until Monday. After conclud-
ing routine business eulogies were de-
livered upon the late Senator Quay.
Noble Woman Honored.
Appropriate exercises were held in
the senate and house Friday afternoon
in acceptance of the statue of Frances E.
Willard, the distinguished temperance
advocate, which has been placed in
Statuary hall in the national capitol by
the state of Illinois. Notwithstanding
there are about 40 pedestals in the hall,
the statue of Miss Willard is the first of
woman to find place there.