The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-21

sergeant at arms and Colonel GleaSon.
The dinner was entirely private and no
set speeches were made.
The final meeting of the committee was
held in Breton Hall hotel, which has
been it's headquarters since the taking of
testimony was finished Every member
was present, together with the counsel
and others who had taken an active part
in bringing to light the methods of the
big life insurance companies. They were
in session nearly all day and much of
the time was devoted to a tabulation of
the expenses and the allotment of coun-
sci fees.
Detailed Statement.
When the meeting was over Chairman
Armstrong gave out a detailed statement
of the money spent upon the investiga-
ton, something. 1t was said, that was
never done before in the history of leg
islative inquiries.
An allowance of 100000 was made by
the legislature and it will be available
as soon as the governor signs the supply
bill The gross total of expenditures for
the investigation was $1O1, 1888. From
this is to be deducted s5,9O.90, the cost
of 759 sets of the reports of the commit
tee, which will be paid for from another
appropriation, Thus the actual total spent
by the committee was $95611.03, which, in
the opinion of the committee, is not large
considering the length of the investiga-
ton, the number of sessions and the
amount of testimony taken. which meas
ures up about 100000 words.
t11a n
auisitor, was awarded $4,000 as counsel
fee and $12s4.4s for disbursements, making
total of s26,2s4.43. James MoKeen, as
soeiate counsel. got $4,000 and sSol,Ss for
disbursements. Matthew G. Fleming, the
assistant counsel, got $4,000 and $S0l.s
for disbursements The total of the coun-
sci fees without their disbursements was
s52, 500
To NJ. NJ Dawson, the actuary of the
committee, was awarded $4,000 with ss9.o6
for disbursements, and Marvyn Scudder,
the financial statistician, got $4,000.
The expenses of the committee MEM
bers. including car fare, hotel bills and
the like footed up to $11,197.22, while the
sergeant-at-arm and his assistants got
$685.. SO.
there was some curiosity was for the Off
cial stenography. There was considerable
criticism at first over the action of the
committee in giving the work to the Off
cial stenographer of the Senate in spite
of the fact that the Law Reporting COM
pany offered to do it for much less than
the legal rate hoping to make good by
selling copies of the testimony TO law
yers and newspapers from day to day.
I -. a. ..lo tl.nt fl.ac fA
rapher's bill would be at least $4,000. AS
! a matter of fact, the bill was allowed at
SS9949O This involved the work of taxi
ing and transcribing the 100000 words.
An allowance of $500 was also made for
the stenography at the hearings before
the committee at Albany. Senator Arm
strong said yesterday that in the opin-
ion of the committee the relations of the
stenographer were of such a confidential
nature than they We're warranted in max
ing the selection without competition.
ltemized Account.
The bill for printing 1000 extra copies
of the proceedings was audited at $302S. 80,
and the printing of the report of the
committee to the legislature cost $1,000.
Other items of expense were:
Room in Betton hall ........,.......S1,03 1854. 50
Private stenographer, orderles and
process servers 80. ............,... 40. 10
Proofreading ......,.,... ...... 496. rs
Indexing of testimony -. ........ OPS. As
Van Derzee special attorney 49,. 294 90
Witness fees OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 140.19
Conference with insurance commits
sioners from other states ........,. 139. 80
Miscellaneous ....... ................. 1905
The committee was appointed at a spe-
cial session of the legislature ON July 20
last and organized on August /, The men,
bers were Senators Armstrong, Tully and
Riordan and Assemblymen Wemple. James
r. Rogers, Prentice MeKeown and Cox.
The hearings began on September and
lasted until December 30. There were fifty
seven days of hearing
The committee got to work here on
January to draw the report which was
submitted to the legislature on February
22 Hearings on the bills drawn by the
committee were held at Albany on March
O. 15 16 and 49, The work of the commit
tee therefore, covered a period of nearly
seven months. The members got no extra
compensation from the state for the vast
amount of extra work they did only their
expenses being paid.
Speaking of the manner in which the
money was appropriated for the expenses
OF the investiga tion,' Senator Armstrong
said the original resolution allowed only
$4,000, As the investigation went on it
was seen that 1t would cost a great deal
more than originally estimated Mr. Arm
strong consulted with Governor Higgins
on this phase of the matter, and was told
to go ahead without worrying about where
the money was to come from.
"If necessary" said the governor. I'll
pay the extra cost out of my own pock-
ct"
The committee adjourned for a short
time during the day to the studio of
Curtis Bell at SIS Fifth avenue, where
they sat for a group photograph. The
group included the counsel, the actuary
and the financial statistician.
Senator Armstrong announced last even
ing that the printed reports of the pro-
ceeings We're now ready for distribution