The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-31

Mr.. THOMA%TIGse figures are iloL
published. then? They are not IN any
} publication whatever the nGuItS ~"
/ gave from ChiC8gO2
Mr. FORSTALI-The figures as TO
deaths and population are pupllSls'l5 ptL
the information as to what KIND or gas
was being distributed is not pupuSheo.
That can be looked no by gOlnS ttiouS.
Brown S Dill eCtOTy of Gas Companies 1oL
the different years.
M" GOLDSBOROUGH- IlaL Woulu
NOT give the proportion. though.
Proportion Not Given.
Mr. ~ORSTALI-That would not give
the proposition, no.
Mr. THOMAS-This is simply rom
your recollection. then, that you are
testfying about the proportions
Mr.. FORSTALI-Yes; from my knoWl-
edge of the situation. 7 was employees
with the largest company i'm chicago
. from 1885 TO 1880.
Mr. THOMAS want to say to the
/ committee that I am only ASKING IA5sG
questions because am informed ~
Mr, Murphy for the first ume lLISS
morning that the committee eNpeeLeI
that the commissioners would take part
lu this iuVes legation.
course, the commissioners may desire
10 be heard and 60 furnish teslllll.o3uS'
If this is to be an eN parle thNes 15o
tion just for those persons who deslie
TO come before the committee ana uE-
sire to be heard. the commissioners may
desire TO be heard, OF course III ~ -
a committee investigation, the coillillL9
sioners do not feel that they nave any
right TO he heard unless the committee
desires them to, and mat mas DeeH
my understanding of the situation.
Statement Misunderstood.
Mr.. MURPHY think the counsel
misunds rstood a little the statement
made What ] intended TO convey TO
him was this. that this was not OH
that was prepared Icy the committee
but the matter was brought DeIoie US
as I understood, coming from the com
r7issioners- and / understood that they
were expected to present testimony
Mr.. MOoRE-You gentlemen have
been here more consistently ana SoL-
stautIy than I have. Has there Degl5
any discussion of this question DeIoIe
Mr., THOMAS-No-
Should Invite Board.
Mr.. SIlIS-There has been no commit
tee action at all, but there has been
Hberality INDUCED in allowing any one
who wanted to TO be heard and to ask
questions; and as far as am person
aIIv concerned. as the commissioners
are here charged with responsibilities
think they not only ought TO have
right buc ought to be invited, TO come
before he committee. and give the COM /
mittee my information that they have /
through themselves or otherwise
Mr.. MURPHY certainly do
Mr.. SIAIS-And / think the same way |
about the gas company.
Mr.. MURPHT-COuusel for the gas
compauv hes appeared here and been
permitted TO ask questions OF persons
vino have appeared before the com
mittee-
1Ir. sIlIs-Not only permitted, but in
yited.
The CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE
Perhaps I can make little explanation /
which VIII clear up this matter. When
the first hearing was 10 he held Mr- /
Smith asked me TO notify the commits
siOuers and state that the committee
would be pleased 10 have them appear.
They all responded that they were en- I
gagged with tho committee on apprO-
priatons of the Senate, and could not
appear. I did not understand that MI I
Smiths instructions to me were of a .
continuing nature. and I gave them NJ F.
notice Of yesterdays proceedings.
Message From Mcfarland
During the proceedings Commissioner /
MacfarIaud teIephoned me and said he /
had heard that there were proceedings /
of this kind, and L said there was a 4
hearing then I'm progress. and he said 4
they .ad received no notice OF course, I
1 did not stop to discuss the matter very /
much over the telephone then, but after
the adjournment I uotihed Commissioner /
Mcfarland by telephone that we had
adjourned over until today. and that I /
suppose is the reason that Mr.. Thomas /
is here.
Mr. THOMAS-Yess I would not have
been here unless I had been notified.
because I did not know that there was !
10 be "a session yesterday, and I did /
not think I had any rigs to come uu-
less I was asked to come
The CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE
As say, dld not understand that
Iueie was any order made by the com
lalLlee that would require me 10 notify /
Mr. SIAIS-YOut acting under the
instruction or Mr. smith, the chairman
THE CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE /
Yes.
Mr.. MURPHY think the commits
sloIer5 ought TO Dc represented here This
GoL.E1 10 us ny message from the
President and by request of the Atf0r-
uey General and of everybody else. TO
beng This matter here, and there is
nobody 10 represent the public unless
the commissioners of the District are
Mr MOORE think every member
or ihe committee IS representing the .
public - the best OF his abUitr
Mt. MJkPHl-T0 the best OF his .
ability
Mr. NCORE-Taerc is no intention
on the pert of any member of the com
mittCe To- Doe unfair 4
Mr.. Mj RPHY-No 7 do not think
there is.
MI MCDRE-,Or on the part OF the
representatives of the gas company.
But the rIll that we have before us is.
as I under stand. a bin submitted with /
the approval of the commissioners, and /
that being so d seems 10 me there IS
no reason why the commits iOneTs
should not De represented, EXCEPT that
81 we are going into croSs-eNamina-
upn Of witnesses and are going to have
questions ANA answers by both sides.
IT is going to proiong the hearings to
"a considerable extent
However, the inquiry thus far has
reached a point that ought to satisfy
the most OmulF0rous newspaper reader,
because j notice that all the papers are
fun of ~ this mOTuIup and perhaps they
intend 10 keep uu being fun Of IT, and .
81 10 IS to be aH inquiry that is 10 go
down TO the bottom of everything there