The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-03-13
BRASS COMPANY
ABOVE BOARD
President Kingsbury Says the
Bridgeport Concern APP
preached Lilley in
Good Faith.
POSSIBLE ORDERS INVOL WE'D
So, as One of Mfr. Lilley's Constitu-
ents, the Company Made Him
Aware of That Very
POSSIBLE ORDERS INV0L VEL

Frederick Kingsbury, Jr., president
of the Bridgeport Brass company, was
seen at his home, AS Humphrey street,
this city last night and asked to make
statement in reference to the. dis
patches from Washington in reference
to the Lilley submarine boat inquiry.
Mr.. Kingsbury said his concern acted
in perfectly sincere manner. that it
had no intentions that were not per-
fectly above-board and that Represen-
tative Lilley implicated the Bridgeport
Brass company in the affair without
justiiable cause.
The dispatches say that Mr.. Lilley
gave the names of several Connecti-
cut manufacturers. whom he claimed,
approached him TO ask that he vote
for an appropriation for submarine leg
islation. Among these names is that
of Charles Ferry of the Bridgeport
Brass company. of which Mr.. Kings
bury is president.
Mr.. Kingsbury stated that Mr.. Fer
ry was in Washington three weeks ago
approximately for two or three days.
He said that he went with a number
of other representatives of brass con-
Germs situated In the Naugatuek val
ley. All of these gentlemen, he said,
saw Mr.. Lilley in the matter of subma-
rine legislation.
To say that we could be implicated
in any corrupt legislation or any at
tempt to force corrupt legislation is Oh
viously false" he said. And ! am will
ing to be questioned In the matter by
anybody and everybody, for we have
nothing to conceal in the affair. !
could go down and proclaim the whole
affair publicly on the Green and the
Bridgeport Brass company would be
none the worse off in the public eyes.
Mr.. Kingsbury then explained the sit
| uation. He said that Mr.. Ferry went
TO Mr.. Lilley to make him aware of the
business that any appropriation for
submarine Legislation would mean to
some Of his constituents. The other
| gentlemen from the Naugatuck valley
! did the same. Mr.. Ferry was far from
| having any interests In the Electric
Boat company; nor had the Bridgeport
Brass company. The concern Just
wanted Mr.. Lilley to know that If such
an appropriation went through 1t would
possibly mean business for one of his
constituent corporations. The COM
pany was not certain that submarine
| ~ a NJ hue 1.
ness for II, though it does manufacture
tuhings and brass fittings indispensa-
| Bile for submarine boat construction
Indeed said Mr.. Kingsbury, 81 have
good reason now to believe that there
would be none of our customers who
construct boats who would undertake
the work possibly That shows hon far
from being implicated in the affair we
were
ION the other hand. why was 1t tina,
Mr.. Liley silently listened to Mr.
| Ferry and the other Naugatuck val
ley representatives? He said nothing
to them at the time about his suspic-
ions that the bill as presented was ar
evil one. He did not say: See here
| this bill that you would like to see
passed because of the business IL might
possibly bring you as my constituents
Is all wrong. He simply heard us IN
silence and now he makes the sugges.
ton that we were in with the Alec
trio Boat company to get some graft
out Of It"
In connection with the matter Mr.
Kingsbury was asked II he knew OF
any boat construction company within
Mr. Lilley's territory which might pos
sihly he so fixed as to be able to make
bids on the construction of the sub
marine boats. He said he did moi
know of any unless it was possibly the
Eastern Construction company in New
London which built the big freighter'
for Pacific trade some years ago. Ant
he did not think they were prepared
for such work He was certain they
had not approached Mr.. Lilley in the
interests of any possible business the
matter might bring to them II the bill
passed congress.