The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-02
EXPECTS To Be
TURNED DOWN
Congressman LilIey Has No
Faith in the Special
! House Committee.
ELECTRIC BOAT HEARING
HOW MEMBERS WE'RE iNFLU-
ENCED TO VOTE.
ELECTRIC BOAT HEARING

Washington April Franklin A. Tay
Tor OF Waterbury, Conn, today testified
before the special house committee in
vestigating the charges against the Elec-
trio Boat company that he had heard
Representative George L. Lilley, author
of the charges, make the statement in
the Waterbury club last Saturday that
it was quite likely he would get an ad-
verse decision from the committee. and
in that event he would tell all he knew
about the whole matter of submarine
boats on the floor of the house.
He said he bad told Representative
Lilley to vote for submarine boats, as
there was a possibility of his company
getting some business if the boats were
ordered
What was Mr.. L.illey's reply?"
He would not commit himself one way
or the other"
Kept After Lilley.
,.sAIr. TAYLOR said that ne never lost an
opportunity to impress upon Mr.. Liiley
that he ought TO vote for submarine boats
and that he had shaken his fist at Mr.
Lilley several times. but alway I'm a joe
ular manner. He did not intimate to him
that he had gone TO him at the instiga-
ton of the Electric Boat company.
The Electric Boat company. he said
had never promised him a contract if the
desired legislation was secured.
Mr.. Taylor said he had stated to an
bury that he thought he had influenced
Mr.. Lilley 10 vote for submarine DO ats.
lie assumed this. he said. because when
Mr.. Lilley came to Waterbury he said:
Il voted yes Franklin, with your face
before me when ! voted"
This referred &c the naval appropriation
bin of 1906 and 1907.
The witness said he did not consider
that he had done anything improper in
asking Mr.. Lilley TO vote for submarines.
Mr.. Taylor said that he had been re-
quested by John p. Kellogg, one of the
attorneys for the Electric Boat company,
in January. 1903 ito get busy with Mr..
Jilley and again tell him about the posi-
bilities OF submarines
Had Agent in Connecticut.
Elihu B. Frost. vice president of the
Electric Boat company, followed Mr.. Tay-
Tor. He said he had the general manage
ment of the business. John P. Kellogg
he said was employed for the purpose of
counteracting I'm Connecticut alleged mis-
representations that We're being made in
that state about the Electric Boat COM
,pe-ny-
Sort of an Ananlss antidote? suggest
eM Mr. Howard
Yes" replied the witness
Mr.. Frost denied that he had made
contributions in behalf of his company TO
any campaign fund. nor had any money
been paid to influence the navy depart
ment.
No Paid Reporters.
Mr.. Frost referring to the time Presi-
dent Roosevelt made submerged trip
in one of the submarine boats, denied
that the company had any paid newspa-
per men at the trial. and said he did not
know who was responsible for the pub
location concerning that event. The boat
was commanded by Lieutenant Nelson,
L. s. N. and Mr. Frost testified that the
company had purchased from Lieutenant
Nelson an invention which is used on the
boat The company paid him $3.50 for IL.
This was the only money paid any ma
val officer by him or his company. Mr..
Lrfost said that no member Of congress
~ naval official owned any stock in the
company.
Congressman Kahn Explains.
Representative Kahn of California
whose name was mentioned by Mr.
Frost as the member of the house naval
affairs committee with whom Attorney
AIcNeir had had an interview. made q
statement at the conclusion of Mr.. FrOst's
testimony. He said that at Mr.. McNeir's
suggestion he introduced a bill providing
for a number of submarines for the Pa
cific coast. He said that Mr. McNeir had
not mentioned the name of the company
he was connected with he tKahn), did
not know what company 1t was.