The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-07
BOAT PEOPLE
PUT UP MONEY
IN BIG SUNS
Speaker Cannon Appoints
Committee to Probe En-
tire Matter.
CONGRESSMAN LILLEY
MAKES THE CHARGES
SURFACE INDICATIONS THAT A
ROTTEN STATE OF AFFAIRS
WILL BE FOUND TO EXIST.

Washington, March Ga resolution
providing for an investigation Of the
charges made by Mr. Lilley OF Con-
necticut that members of the naval al
fairs committee had been unduly in
fuenced I'm recommending certain sub
marine torpedo boats was reported 20
the house of representatives To-Day oy
Mr.. DalzeIl of Pennsylvania, from the
committee on rules and adopted by the
house.
Accompanying the resolution was
report declaring it TO be due to the
house and its members that an H.
yestigatiOn be made.
Speaker Cannon announced the fol-
lowing as the committee to conduct the
investigation. BOutell, Illinois; Stevens,
Minnesota: Olmsted, Pennsylvania;
Howard, Georgia, and Broussard, Lou
isiana.
Without a dissenting voice the reso-
luton was adopted.
Report of Committee.
The committee report accompanying
the resolution says;
There was nothing on the face Of the
resolution that charged corruption or
even improper methods on the part OF
the electric boat company In connec-
ton with legislation or proposed legisla-
ton, but on next succeeding days news
paper articles appeared in which Mr..
Lilley was quoted as charging corrupt
practices, and thereafter numerous al
legged interviews of Mr.. Liliey appeared
i'm certain newspapers of the country.
coupling the names of members of the
house with the electric boat company
and legislation i'm its interests. Follow
ing upon these publications, Mr.. Lilley
at his own instance appeared before the
committee on rules and admitted the
authenticity of the interview in the
Washington Post, but repudiated all
the others, and made a statement which
is submitted herewith as d part of this
report.
LiIiey's Charges.
I'm that statement charges are made
of corrupt practices on the part of the
| Electric Boat company in influencing
members Of congress and legislation,
and of such character, taken as whole,
as to lead your committee to conclude
that it is due to the maintenance of the
dignity and integrity of the house and
/ its members that an investigation into
the charges made by Mr.. Lilley should
/ be had"
| The report is accompanied by a re
! port of the proceedings before the COM
mittee on rules on Feb. 20. when Mr..
Lilley appeared and read the following
! statement.
/ 4 propose to show that for several
/ years prior to the Lessler investigation
( the Holland company and it's SUCCESSORS,
! the Electric Boat company, maintained
| in Washington an organized lobby for
| the purpose of influencing legislative
| appropriations in favor of the Holland
Boat company. and that it had under
/ annual retainer c. Z. Creecey, General
/ E. HuntOn, eX-United States Senator NJ.
| c. Butler. c. S. McNeir. DR.. w. r. Kerr
and others.
Large Sums Spent.
THAT for several years Elihu B.
Frost, vice president of the said com
| pany, had been a continual visitor at
| Washington during congressional ses-
sions and that he had spent large sums
of money in furnishing entertainment
! to members of congress.
THAT the senate amendment TO the
appropriation bill of March 2, 1901 was
prepared and drafted by the latter Elec-
trio Boat company for the purpose and
with the idea Of eliminating competition
in submarine construction and to pre-
vent the secretary of the navy from eX-
ercising any discretion in awarding
| contracts for submarines.
| THAT q thorough investigation by an
| impartial committee will show that
| large sums of money have been, by the
/ Electric Boat company, its officers or
agents, contributed to campaign funds
of members Of congress who favor and
| who have favored the Electric Boat
| cOmpany's monopoly of submarine con-
structiOn; also that large sums of mon
ey have been spent to accomplish the
defeat of members of the naval COM
mittee who did not favor the Electric
Boat company.
Work Was Notorious.
THAT continued and repeated efforts
| have been made by representatives Of
the Electric Boat company and its
predecessor to influence the action of
the officials of the navy department, and
Continued on Page 2.