The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-01
LEGISLATION EASY
If PRICE WAS PAID.
But Wheels at Albany
Had to Be Well
Oiled.
NJ ORE LIGHT is
THROWN ON CRAFT
Andy Hamilton, Former Keep.
er of yellow Dog Fund, En-
ters Case as Fellow-"Accele-
rator' With Buckley, Prince
of Lobbyists - Active
Even in Congress.

New York. March 3f.-How William
H. Buckley. acceleratcr OF insurance
legislation. and the late "Andy" Ham.
ilton. keeper of the life. e.insurance Vel
low Dog" fund of former years, worked
shoulder to shoulder oiiing the legisla-
tive wheels AT Albany for good and
substantial consideration, was brought
out TO-DAY al the fire insurance in
quiry conducted by William II. Hotch.
kiss. State superintendent of Insurance.
Hamilton, the evidence showed, re-
reived no less than sS,sas from certain
companies in 1901.
Hainilton's name was put on the rec
ord By the testimony of Henry G. VIII
cox. yice-president Of the American
Surety Company In 1901 Wilcox tes-
.ifed, the fire insurance companies
caused TO be introduced in the Lesis-
lature bill to exempt the unearned
premium reserves from taxation. Mr.
wilcox wanted TO have the casualty
and surety companies included in the
exemption. and accordingly went to
Albany he tried to get Senate!
| Raines and Assenlblynnn Lewis inter-
estAd, but failed Then he hunted UP
| Buckley and told him his troubles.
! Buckley, he said. told him that Ham
liIton was the one TO help sirn. Buck
| lev steIephoncd to Hamilton, who was
lin New York. and when he got home
HAD wilcox lay the case before nm.
| Then Buckley went into the telephone
| booth and had a talk with Hamilton
! When he came out ne said Hamilton
/ had agreed to take 1t UP. wilcox lett
| Albany. and the amendment Went
| through as desired. When 1t was al
over Hamilton sent bill for sle'VoV
| to the American Surety Company.
.pid he tell you he had TO pay ous
any of the money!" the witness was
| asked.
/ Bill Was paid.
.ue conveyed 10 me the suggestion
that he had assumed obligations which
/ he could not meet unless the full
amount was paid" Wilcox thought the
| bill vas too large. bur as a. compro-
/ mise he said he sent three checks e
/ Hamilton. aggregating s6,46s. Tht
/ bulk of that amount was paid by the
/ American Surety Company. which
/ made out its check to Hamilton FOL
s5.67s, while the United States Guar.
/ antee Company paid si19 and the Law
yers' Surety Company sS2i othei
surety companies, although benehted
declined 10 contribute. It was show!
! later however. that the National sure
/ ty Company paid $3.50 direct to Ham
1 ilton.
1 How did you happen TO know tina
! Buckley and Hamilton were friends? 2
the witness was asked.
IF 1 wanted to find one of them
the other usually was close BY, va
the reply.
Elijah r Kennedy, former legisla
/ tive agent for the fire companies, "h'
has been on the stand several times
came back to-day to tell of some nev
| ~ ifch, n
in 1901 to bring about the passag
of the tax exemption bill. He accounted
for all but about $500 of the amount
Kennedy had previously testified
that he gave $4,000 to Colonel Georg
Dunn. one-time chairman of the Re
publican State Committee. In expla
nation OF this gift. he said to-day:
Il have long deplored the growtl
of the, power exerted by men who hol
high positions in parties and VIII
exercise more power than the Legfs
la.ure itself. But 7 encountered thi
| condition of affairs when / went I
Albany in 1901. That was why I fel
1t necessary to seek the support O
the extra unconstitutional government
/ 1 went to Colonel Dunn and gave hir
$780,.
!, Active IN Congress.
Mr. Kennedy gave the first direct tes
} timony showing the activities Of tn
fire insurance men in Congress. II
said that Emmett Rhodes an insuranc
man of Auburn, n. Y. was sent t
Washington In 1900 to labor with tn
} Ways and Means Committee to Undue
it to remove the stamp tax, put on a
the time of the Spanish-American wa
from insurance policies.
Rhodes and Kennedy We're in Wash
ington together, and the underwater
hoard paid their expenses. kenned
said he met Chairman PAYNE. of til
Ways and Means Committee, at NJ
Paynes room and talked the matte
, over with him. In June of that yea
: !. Rhodes got $4,000 from the Nationt
Board of Fire Underwriters for h
services at Washington in connectio
with the repeal of the tax as was de
veloped in the inquiry last week.
| Z l. /. / 1