Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-11-26
LTORY OF MARTZ
rs SCONTRADICTED
Rockefeller's Attorney Says Civil
Engineer Lied to Com
mittee.
WAS FIRED FOR INCOMPETENOY
Emphatic Denial that Employe Was
Asked 10 Make False Report
10 Railroad COmnis-
aaou

DULUTH, Nov. &.-Denying as an "un-
qualified and malicious falsehood' the
testimony given recently by c, p. Martz
before the congressional committee in
vestlgating the United States Steel cor
poraton Joseph d. Cotton OF Duluth. at
torney for the Rockefeller interests on
the Iron Range, and former attorney for
the United States steel corporation, today
telegraphed a statement to Augustus o.
Stanley, chairman OF the investigating
committee. M
c. p. Martz testified before the Stanley
committee that he had seon ordered as
chief engineer 70 pad" III cost OF pro-
duelng the Duluth, MIssabe y Northern
railroad, alleging that George welwopd
Murray and Joseph g. Cotton, then at
, .ornSts for the Duluth. Missabe a. North
eln, Had issued tho orders. Failing 70
pad the cost OF production OF the road,
Mattk testified, his position was taken
away from him within one yeAr
Ths statement says In part;
my attention has been called 10 the
reports OF recent testimony OF one c. p.
MnrtE before your committee. / hereby
notify you that any statement by said
MArtE before your committee that either
George Wildwood Murray or / ever re-
quested or advised or required Mart1 to
pad or Increase the valuations or esti-
mates OF cost or cost of reproduction OF
the Duluth, Missabe & Northern railroad
to any extent or In any particular what
ever Is an unqualified and malicious false
hood.
Says Martz Was Fired.
Permit me 70 add: Martz was the
chief engineer of the Missabe railroad
until in April. ls0N. when he was removed
by the management for ineompetency.
"only two proceedings were ever instl-
tuted attacking the ore rates OF the Mis-
sabe s. Duluth and Iror Range railroads,
and these were brought before the Min
nesota Railroad commission. 1he first
was commenced April 20, 1898, by John
@. Brown and others. The principal at
tack was against the Iron Range railroad,
although any order made as to il would
equally have affected the Missabe.
"Volumlnous testimony was taken at
Duluth, ST. Paul, Cleveland. Chicago and
elsewhere. The eomplainants employed
and use competent and experienced rail-
road engineers, real estate and other ex-
perts.
suit Was Dismissed.
'One OF the principal questions In
volyed was the cost OF reproducing the
railroads. docks. rolling stock and equip
ment as OF the time OF the suit; not their
original cost, The estimates of cost OF
reproduction of the Missabe were pre-
pared by II. L. Dresser, who succeeded
Martz, and concurred In by said Martz.
and supporting these estimates the
Mlssabe had expert witnesses. After Il
hearing lasting nearly all summer the
case was voluntarily dismissed by the
complainants November 20, 1898.
81 must insist that the record OF the
proceedings be corrected in accordance
with the facts to the end that the falsity
Of the Martz testimony shall not stand
unchallenged.
II regret exceedingly that, while you
were In Duluth last summer and had
Martz come from western Minnesota, you
did not take sufficient time TO get the
truth and the whole truth, which was
easily obtaihable. instead of giving
credence TO the statement OF a dis
gruntled, discharged employe, obviously
seeking cheap notoTlety You win agree
with me, ! am sure, that Official, position
does not clothe anyone with authority
or right to bring about or be the cause
0t injustice or wrong to any citizen"