Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-25
DOBBINS CHARGES
MISREPRESENTATION
RAPID TRANSIT SCANDAL IS
BEING UNWOUND
Passdenans Deplore Affair, for All
Are in Favor of Quicker Com
nunication with Los .
Angeles

PASADENA, Dec. 24--Gross mis-
representation is the counter-c charge
filed by President Horace M. Dobbins
against President E. r. Off, of the
board of trade, after reading OFFS
statement, made public this afternoon
In this statement off charges that
Dobbins offered him $4,000 for his
service in selling stock in the Pasa'
dena Rapid Transit company for ninety
days, the clear implication being that
the offer was considered as having
been made on the part of DObbins for
OFFS influence I'M getting an indorse-
ment of the transit project by the
board. President Dobbins of the road
states that he will make formal am
swer on Monday, for he says that he
cannot allow such a misrepresentation
of facts to rest uncontradicted.
Off w. Il. Knight and Seward \.
Simons, the three men most directly
concerned in the accusations printed
by President Dobbins on Thursday,
each had a direct answer to their ac-
cuser this evening. Off charges that
Dobbins has misconstrued his atti-
tude, thai he never tried to influence
the appointment of the committee to
investigate the road and report to
ed to Col. Campbell are absolutely in
accurate. Knight tells a hitherto UNI
known feature, that the board OF di
rectors of the board of trade first re-
fused to indorse the transit proposi-
tion on the grounds that such indorse-
ment was without the province Of the
directors and he accuses Dobbins with
having tried to coerce the committee
of three, named to appoint nine in
Ciu1nne dnniag that he
connected In any capacity at any time
with the Pacific Electric and states
that he Is strongly for rapid transit,
which he regards as very necess lry.
One of the most significant things
connected with the retorts is thas all
agree that better transportation SER
vice, Pasadena to Los Angeles, is tad
ly nzaded. All resent the personal
equatfsA in the Dobbins statement,
and all, at the same time, speak highly
of the rapid transit project and cX-
press the hope that IL, or some slm'lor
project, may be carried to success
full conclusion.
In his informal talk on the latest
development in the controversy this
evening, President Dobbins makes tho
significant statement that President
of told him about two weeks ago that
II was he who had suggested the name
mittee. Knight admits that off men
toned the matter to him of appoint
ing Simons, but claims that such q
mention was merely casual and was
made merely because he. knight, was
having difficulty in finding men Of
standing who had the time to serve.
The replies of Messrs. off. Knight
and Simons were submitted to an ex-
ecutiVe meeting of the directors of the
II % N hainU
public, showing that the board appre-
ciates the Importance of cleaning up
the issue, which is regarded by some
as threatening the very life of the
organization, with its 800 members.
There is a general expression of sor-
row on the part of business men that
the affair should have taken such an
unfortunate turn, for the city as
whole is strongly In favor OF the Pas
adena Rapid Transit company and
stands ready to back the project TO
the utmost.