The sun., 1908-04-22
LOEs, no TRACTION MAGNATg,
Explains That Friends Own Nest Of the
Shares He Holds IN washington Electric.

WASHINGTON, April 7i.-Rspresentative
Sims Of Tennessee read In the House to-
day letter from William Loeb, Jr,, pro-
testing against a speech at yesterdays
session 10 which Mr.. Sims alluded TO Mr..
Loebs holdings In the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company The letter
says
| have read In The newspap pers your speech
OF yesterday, Before making such state
ments In such q place, where Que Ia shielded
by Congressional privileges II seems to me
the most scrupulous care ought TO have
been taken TO verify every fact 10 the end
that Injustice might not be done TO any man =
character or reputation. II You had made
any attempt, even the slightest, TO verify
the facts, YOU would have saved Yourself
from making q statement 80 false In its eject,
80 mlsl Padlng In its lmputatlon and 40 unfair
TO me and TO your own sense OF rectltude
and honor
The facts are as follows
First-i,7OO shares OF the common stock
Of the Washington Railway and Electric
Company stand In my name on the books
Of the company One hundred Of these
shares, enough to enable me 10 qualify as
director, are mine. 1900 are holdiAgs Of friends
for whom ! simply acted as representative
al the last annual meeting Of the stockholders
OF the company, at which ] was elected
director with the view OF my possible election
a. president OF the company II decided TO
take up that line OF work after leaving official
life This record has been and still Il open
10 Won or any other honest man AZ any time
and Il clearly demonstrates that any insinua-
tion that In any mysterious or UNIV orhy way
or In any way whatever | have accumulated
such a considerable fortune as your speech
implies II as unfair to me as II II unworthy
Of you,
Seconds 10 your ihtimatiOn that have
improperly lnterfered In the traction leqisla'
iion after my election a. director Of the
ompany. the chairman OF the House District
Committee, Mr. Smith, called upon me and
started to ask my advice as to certain bills
Affecting the traction companies pending
before the committee. ! at once informed
him that while ! occupied the position OF
secretary 10 the President ! could not and
would not discuss with any member Of Con-
gress any matters OF legislation Affecting
the local public service corporations.
have seen Chairman Smith. who will verify
this statement and | cite this instance to
show how scrupulously careful have been
10 observe the propreties In the case, No
Senator or Representative even among my
intimate friends, has been either directly or
indirectly approa Ched by me on any phase
OF the traction legislation submit that In
all fairness you should Immediately retract
your statements rejecting on me Ia as public
manner as YOU made them and also have
them eNpunged from the record.
Mr.. Sims denied having made any insinu-
alton about Mr. IOeb'E possession Of the
stock, accumulation Of fortune or as TO
his attempting 10 influence legislation. lie
had spoken only OF tho embarrassment the
cOnierees had experienced In dealing with
corporations In which a gentleman who
must be- presumed to have great influence
because OF his Official position was director.
II the House desired tO eXpunge the re-
marks, we'll and good. and AZ for Mr.. Loeb,
IL he did not wish to mislead the House
-let him either get out Of that directorate
or out of the White House,
Senator NeWlands was not named in the
criticism Of Mr.. Sims hut it was known to
many persons that he was the Senator re-
ferred 70 as the holder Of q thousand shares
Of street railway stock Senator Newlands
took notice OF the publication to-day and
thought IL advisable 10 explain that he was
not the owner Of the stock.
He said that before he entered Congress
considerable block Of street railroad
stock in Washington came into his hands
as trustee of the estate of William Sharon,
This amount was gradually reduced by
sales and division among the beneficlaries
until the amount in his hands was reduced
10 about thousand shares When the
legislation regarding the street railroads
in connection with the new union station
came before the District Committee he in
formed the members Of the COMMITTEES Of
his interest in the stock and announced
that he would not participate in their de-
liberations Since then he had taken no
part in the deliberations or action Of the
District Committee or Of the Senate upon
this subject.
Subsequently Mr.. Sims made a statement
retracting what he had said about u GER
tain Senator" and agreeing that the facts
were as stated by senator Newlands, 'the
certain Senator" referred to,