New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-04
lq[A FUND UPHELD Al
NEW. HAVEN WND-OP
subcommittee Of Directors
'p Had Approved MeIIen'S Cam
paign Gifts.
100000 FOR "MOULDER'
worth It, Says General Counsel
Testimony Taking Ended
Argument at Wash
ington.

,.s+on MAY 3-Further testimony on
,.ign contributions by New Haven
,-,.-ssts was the most enlvening feature
.,,,v at the wind-up here Of the Inter
80, Commerce Commissions hearings
=, particular interest were the reserva-
-, of Edward D. Robbins. general
.,u,sel for the system, relative TO
,,noo fee for legal services and mould
-, nublic opinion" Mr. Robbins said the
a,position Of the fuud was his own affair.
The investigation shifts to Washington
., Wednesday. when oral arguments OF
.,rnsel will be heard Commissioner
p-outv said that counsel would have UNI
I'll Nav T. 10 file briefs. after which the
violence would be- reviewed by the full
.,rnnission. TIE commission has no
mandatory power but its report which Is
.,nacted early n June. probably Will in
c5se suggestions warranted by the tes-
tmOny.
David E. Brown. the commissions &C
,ountaut had testified that the New Hs-
vsps booking had been made so compli-
Gated as 10 conceal the real financial con-
sitjon Of the system. Charles ;. Menen,
the president Of the New Haven, testify
ing as a voluntary witness, denied that
the road had been involved in any i'm
proper or extravasant transactions. Wit
pesses to-day testified 10 financial matters
On which Mr.. Mellen had declined 10 be
cross-examined.
Mr.. Robbins who is a vice-p president as
well as general counsel for the road. testi
fed that Nj Mellens contributions 10 the
Republican campaign fund Of 1904 were
approved by a subcommittee Of two di-
rec;ors. one OF whom. Charles +. Brooker.
vas member Of the Republican Nationa.
Committee. which received $4,000.
Regarding his own fee Of 10000. in
which the feature relative to moulding
public opinion concerned the unihcatiOn
Of the Connecticut trolley lines, the Wit
ness said the payment was a legal fee for
services and disbursements, but he did not
remember the amount Of the disburse-
ments nor the number OF recipients
q was in private practice then" he
said. and what ] disbursed has nothing
to do with this inquiry. rendered d bill
for what ] thought my services were
fairly worth -
Regarding the Billiard COMPANY Mr..
Robbins said that it was not a New Ha-
ven subsidiary. he was unable to tell
What property the Billiard company owned
further than that the valuation commit
tee Of Massachusetts was satisfied that
the company assets exceeded the liabil-
ties. he mad not been responsible for
bringing Mr. Billiard into the Boston *
Maine merger situation.
The witness denied that the New Haven
had any connection with the Metropolitan
Steamship Company
w. J. Hobbs financial vice-president OF
the Boston * Maine. TOLD of the purchase
Of the Worcester Nashua & Rochester
Railroad. m which. he said, an important
factor was the fact that the lease required
that the Boston d Maine should finance
all the Improvements, whereas other
leased lines reimbursed the Boston Il
Maine for such expenditures.
Lucius s. Storrs. vice-president Of the
New Haven road. in charge OF its trolley
lines testified that the Connecticut COM
pany. the Rhode Island company and the
Housatonic Power Company had net earn
ings greater than their dividends in the
last three fiscal wears He said the COM
mon treasury Of all the New Haven com
panies was drawn upon for operating ex-
penses. betterments and other charges.