Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-11-16
RYANREPLACEsHYDE|
Witness States Equitable L Still
One Man Power.
pOLICYHOLDERS HAVE no CONTROL.
Testimony Produced During Week.
WhIIe Of value to the Commit
tee, Was Not of a start
IInR Nature.

New York, Nov. 11.-Closing the SEES
sions Of the week Friday the Arm
strong committee Of insurance investi-
CATION has behind 1t q mass Of details
and figures which, while OF apparent
little interest to the laity, is OF inesti-
mable value to the committee. The
greater part of the week has been
devoted to the Metropolitan Life In
surance company, the examinations OF
President Hegeman and James M.
Craig. the actuary Of the company
being Of q most technical nature.
When adjournment was taken Friday
the committee had not finished the
examination Of President Hegeman and
he will be called again next week.
Just before the hour Of adjournment
Mr.. Hegeman was excused and Joseph
Howard, IT,, q writer who has been
employed by the Mutual Life, was call
ed to the stand. He identified vouch-
ers that he had signed for money re-
ceived for writing advertisements and
reading notices for the Mutual Lie.
Mr.. Howard afforded much amusement
by his declaration that his only re-
gret was that he could not sign more
Of these vouchers. His only complaint
was that he was not paid enough for
his work. This, too, was the complaint
on the witness stand Of Charles Smith,
who also does writing for the Mutual
Life and receives $4,000 year for 1t.
Mr.. Howard said he had been en-
ployed 80 or 40 years by the Mutual
Life, but the vouchers went back only
to 1899. There were ten Of these
vouchers, aggregating $16.625. Mr..
Howard denied that he had ever sent
any dispatches by wire and was very
strenuous in his assertion that he had
never written a line about insurance
for any paper on which he was en-
ploved, characterizing 1t as "a dirty
trick"
William Barnes, ST., formerly OF Al
bany, who now resides at Nantucket,
appeared before the committee at his
own request and was the first witness
of the day. Mr.. Barnes name appeared
in the investigation several weeks ago
when vouchers were produced for legal
services. Mr.. Barnes explained his
connection with the. insurance compa-
MES, answered the questions put to
him and when his examination had
been concluded he asked to be'allowed
to make q statement.
Mr. Barnes said he received $l,c0O
from tho Mutual Life for special SER
vices September l. 1905. This was for
IN oral argument before senate COM
mittae protesting against the repeal Of
section 50 Of the insurance laws. Wit
;,ess said he represented the three conf
parties.
"Were you paid by the New York
life and the Equitable?" asked Mr..
Hughes, counsel for the committee
1.-THE Equitable did not pay any
thing replied Mr.. Barnes "Thc
Equitable had too much trouble them
selvcS to take care of their own mat
ters End was too much lrlitated by the
or!nion that had given them that the
officers Of that company should mutual
lie themselves because the stocEhold-
"rs wanted to pocket the whole power
in that company, which they hold to
this day. That company is one. man
power to day, Just as much as It aver
was. except for the change Of the namr
of the man from James Hazen Hdye to
'rhomas F. Ryan thar is the only
change made and the policyholders
have no controlling power in It I"