The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-10
PANIC QUESTION
AGAIN DISCUSSED
New York Financier Does
Not Recall All Conversa-
tions He Had During
Troublous Times.
TAT ASHINGTON. Aug. 9.--Georgo
NM w. Perkins, director of the
Wv United States Steel corporation

| MI
Wv United States Steel corporation
! and former partner of j. p
Morgan and company, was not ordered
before the bar of the house today by
the house. committee on inquiry into the
affairs of the steel corporation. Neither
will he be-
After a heated executive session of
the committee, in which was discussed
the refusal of Mr.. Perkins to answer a
| suggestive line of questions regarding
| trlbutlons of corporations to cam
| paign funds, the committee reached an
| understanding whereby all threats were
waived.
At the outset the committee was in
| duced by Representative Littletou to re-
consider the action of yesterday in
which the chair was sustained in or
dering that the witness answer ques-
tions as to his personal campaign con-
trlbutions.
After this was done plan was agreed
upon as to Just what questions regard
ing campaign contributions should be
asked and il was understood that Rich
ard Lindabury, counsel for the steel
corporation, would declare that he
knew of one contribution of $4,000
made by the corporation to campaign
fund in 1904. This he afterwards stat.
ed before the committee and thereupon
the political phase of the inquiry ap-
parently was dropped.
Littleton Statement.
When the executive session of the
committee was ended, Mr. Perkins was
called for by Chairman Stanley. Rep.
resentative Littleton, upon the arrival
of Mr.. Perkins, began n statement, re-
ating how he had been absent on the
previous day when Mr., Perkins had
been asked to what extent he had made
contributions TO campaign funds after
he became connected with the steel cor.
poration.
"Upon the admissibility of this cvi.
dence,' said Mr.. Littleton, ga vote
was taken and it was held to be legal
TO ask such questions. | have examined
thoroughly the resolution of the house
upon which this committee was appoint
ed and after much consideration I have
made up my mind that any question
to any witness rs to his personal cam
paign contributions is not admissible
under this resolution, unless it can be
shown that such contributions were
made with the understanding that there
after the contributor was to be reim-
bursed by the steel corporation.
50 As to the question put yesterday re-
lating to the difference in the method
of keeping records between the United
States Steel corporation and the New
York Life Insurance company that mat
ter is still pending. Representative
Beall, under direction of the committee,
will continue TO interrogate the witness
meet future questions as they came to-
me. ~
Representative Bartlett of Georgia. a
Democrat, is reported to have stood by
Mr.. Littlcton in the executive commit
tee in his view of the situation.
Answer Not Required.
When Mr.. Beall restated the oues-
tion as to the New York Life Insur-
ance company, Mr.. Perkins did not an
swer and an answer from him was not
insisted upon Instead. Richard V.
Lindabury. counsel for the United
States Steel corporation, said:
81 wish to say that 7 am as unalter
able in my opinion relating to some
questions as is the chairman in his ri
do not object to questions as to cam
paign contributions of the steel corpora.
ton. but | do object to any inquiry in
10 the practice of the New York Life
Insurance company as to campaign con
trlbutlonS.
"In 1904 the United States Steel cor
poratiou contributed $4,000 to po-
litical campaign, whether for a state or
national campaign ! do not remember.
] will look up the records Of this and
of any other contributions and submit
them to the committee. This contYibu,
tion Mr. Perkins knows nothing about.
t'Then that obviates the necessity Of
further questions in that regard said
Representative Beal].
Mr.. Perkins said he never had ex-
pectatious Of reimbursement from any.
body,
Called at White House.
During the noon recess Representa-
tives Stanley, Sterling and Littlcton
called on President Taft at the White |
House and gained his permission for the
expert Of the steel committee TO have
access to the information As yet not
made public, gathered by the bureau of
corporations regarding the steel cor
poratioD.
Following the disposition of the cam
psign question. Representative Besll led