Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-05
LOANS RATES
President Mccall Again Be. fore Armstrong Committee.
REBATE EETTED HAMILTON S90,OOl

Insurance Chiefs Got Money For Pri.
 vate Use at 1-2 and Per Cent.
 Many Bills Blacl<mafl-Legis-
 lators Given Graft.
 NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-That John R Hegeman, president of the Metropoli tan Life Insurance company, borrowed $50,000 from the New York Life Insur ance company at IF per cent interest a rate below the market rate, wa. brought out in the insurance investiga tion last week.
 President John A. Mccall of tht New York Life Insurance company has now testified that he in turn Dor rowed $75,000 from the Metropolitan at the same rate. This was in January, 1908. The loan was renewed in Janu ary, 1904, and ran until March, 1905 when the rate of interest was ad vanced to per cent, at which rate it is still running.
 Mr. Mccall testified that he was di rector of the Metropolitan Life Insur ance company, but not stockholder The fact of his being director, Mir Mccall continued, did not deter him from procuring a loan at as low rate of interest as possible when it was to his interest to do so.
 Mir. Mccall admitted when interro- gated by Mir. Hughes that former Judge Andrew Hamilton and other lawyers were hired by the life insur- ance company for the especial pur- pose of using their influence to defeat bills which, in the opinion of the diff ferent companies, might injure their interests. The most pertinent ques- tion put to Mir. Mccall by MT. Hughes was:
 Isn't it a fact that Judge Hamilton was expected to deal with men in the legislature who produce the best re- sults?"
 Mir Mccall leaned back in the wit ness chair, smiled and then laughed.
 "That is perfectly true"
 Mir. Mccall showed that since 1900 the New York Life had paid for the purpose of influencing legislation in the various states to Andrew Hamil- ton alone an aggregate of $476,927.02.
 Sums confessedly paid to others for similar purposes, such as W. F. Thum- mel, W. J. Holden of Boston and W. H. Buckley of Albany, swell the az gregate to more than half million dollars, and MT. Mccall estimated that payments which would have to be made to Judge Hamilton for the cur rent year would amount to about $165,- GOO.
 For these large sums turned over to Judge Hamilton, Mir. Mccall reiterated that the company had nothing what. ever in the form of vouchers except Hamilton's mere receipts for the sums so paid.
 Mir. Mccall, resuming, was asked about deposit to the credit of Judge Hamilton of S162,O41.67 on Sept. 1, 1905. Mir. Mccall said the New York Life Insurance company had paid MT Hamilton no money, but suggested that part of it might have come from the state comptroller's office by reason of an assignment of tax moneys which would come to the judge by reason ol his securing the repeal of the tax law which relieved the New York Life from payment of taxes. Judge Hamilton was to have one-third of the amount that would rebate to the company sum of S272, 70S, netting MT. Hamilton about S90,000. - -- ----. ...
 Mir. Mccall enlivened the proceedings further when he said that there was no record on the books of the New York Life Insurance company of the S150,- 900 paid the Republican national com mittee for contributions to presidential campaigns. While he had no personal knowledge that the money was paid, he assumed 1t was, because he had told the treasurer to make these payments.
 Mir. Mccall in detailing the general legislation work of Judge Hamilton and the counsel he employed denied any knowledge of the legislative pool which was disclosed in the examIna- tion of Alfred W. Maine. auditor of the Equitable Life Assurance society, last week. Mir. Mccall on this question made the startling assertion that three quarters of the bills affecting life in- surance companies were in the nature of blackmail. The officers of the com. panies were worried at the beginning of each year. he said. by the proposal of laws that would hamper their com. panies, and these officers really trem. bled at what they would have to en- dure the first six months of each year."