Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-21
Equitable Life Gave $4,000 a
Year to Republican State
Campaign Fund.
NY. LIFE AND MUTUAL ALSO.
In Return, Senator Was Expected
To Influence Legislation When
Hostile Measures Came Up.
Johp A. Nichols Before Committee
Told How Certain Man Was Made
Friendly TO the Equitable.

New York, Nov. 2i.-United States
genator Thomas c. Plat testified as a
witness before the insurance investigat-
Ing committee today.
Senator Plat said that the Equitable
society contributed $4,000 year to the
Republican state campaign fund. Sem
ptor Platt said the contributions were
In cash and were sent by messenger 10
his office and he turned them over TO
the state committee. They were unso-
ucited he said.
Senator Plat said that $4,000 was
frequently paid as an annual contr-
button to the state campaign fund, but
that II was not u regular thing ana
that he could not remember the years
IN which It was paid.
The New York Life Insurance. ne
said, also contributed, but not nearly
10 much No other insurance COM
panes contributed so far as he knew
Senator Plat said he was expected IN
return for the contributions to influence
legislation when any measures we've
hostile to the insurance companies. He
added that he does not know AndeW
Hamilton or anything about Hamilton's
activity before the legislature, he
knew nothing about Andrew c. Fields,
v1o represented the Mutual Life In
urance company at Albany.
Senator Plat said also that he nad
received frequent contributions OF w.
poo each from the MUTUAL Lie lusui-
snce company,
NICHOLS ON STAND.
.ou, yorL Mo-, d Iohn A Nirbcle
lawyer and quarantine commissioner
NJ the port of New YORK from 1851 10
1892, who wrote the letters TO Senator
Chauncey III. Depew In behalf OF ms
friend who usually gets around az
this time OF the year and VINO. Ne
wrote was eetttrg irambuhctioas ana
needed help. was the hrst witness be-
tore the Insurance investigating COM
nittee TO-DAY. Much interest had peeh
aroused py the reading or Nlchois lgt-
ters TO senator Depew on FRIDAY. me
senator was not able 20 remember VINO
Mr. Nichols friend was AS shown oy
vouchers under observation BY the
committee on Friday, Mr., Nichols re-
teived retainers from the Equitable
Life Assurance society. When he went
before the committee today he testified
that he hid been employed by the
Equitable society for 20 10 % years
under an annual retainer of $1,000 and
aid he is still under that retainer
Recently he was employed by the Mu-
tual Life company. He was consult
I'd by the officers Of the Equitable So
rety on matters not connected with
the legislature In 1904,
n,,y,>-c ,,,r>.,,e,,,n
po iiNu ri'Ir'N DSiiii'
One of the matters entrusted TO him
H.. ~ 8 q
Witness said that Manning. who had
been an actuary. was employed by GER
tain people to bring charges against
The Equitable that the reserve was
not so large as II ought 10 be. Man
ming was paid $3.50 Mr.. Nichols said.
80 that no vould no favorable To the
tonpany.D
Witness later said that this WAS Maid
10 keen Manning from being emnloved
sgainst the comnanv He Thought
these payments had been made for over
/, period Of * wears some times the
payments reached $3.50 other nav
nents were made IN a man named
Kerr. a corresnondent of a New York
paper now dead. Kerr was Maid cpr-
lain sums for two or three wears but
The sums were not mentioned bV the
witness. The vouchers signed bv Mr..
Nichols were nroduced a noyment Of
,o,oVo July !, 1872, witness could llo'
he said he thought il was to enable
aim 10 nav somebody else.
Vouchers dated October. 1888. for
1874 and July /. 1890 for $4,000. wit
hess was also unable to explain, but
thought he could remember later when
he had refreshed his memory. The let.
Ter of the witness TO Senator Depew
Stated Decan,har ,Sag rolati,ya "a ''o-ir