Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-03

lector for the Democratic State COM
mittee, who is now under indictment
for extertion.
Complaints Against Work.
Previously, as an employee of the
state engineers office Arnold said he
had been asked for a contribution to
the Democratic party equal to per
cent. of his salary. Less than q week
after he had begun construction in
1912 of a state road, complaint was
made by the state highway depart
ment against the gravel he was US
ing, the witness declared, and can
collation. of his contract was threat
ened., Arnold said he was told that
the contract would be re-let under
new specifications and that he, in turn,
threatened that if this were done, he
would take the matter up with the
court of claims. Although the depart
ment offered to pay for the work that
had been. done, such action, he said,
would have wiped out his profits and
made his plant useless,
The only thing complained of was
the gravel used" said Arnold, "and
one of the state engineers told me it
was the best he had ever seen"
Though the contract was not can
celled, he added, his difficulties with
the state highways department were
yet to be Strengthened out and the
road completed.
A sixth witness, William NJ. Ache
son, formerly an engineer on the Pam
anna canal and now a state highway
engineer, was asked to describe the
weak spots in the highway depart
| ment.
For one thing" Acheson said, 1.-THE
letting of repair contracts without
competitive methods was practiced by
Deputy Highway Commissioner Charles
r. Foley who had charge of the repair
tration.
That department was composed oi
politicians" he added.
"On Level" in Panama.
There were no politicians under Col
Goethals in the Panama canal zone
| were there?" Achison was asked
NE, and no political assessments
Everything was on the level down
| there the witness replied.
Zodiac Boiee of Kingston, n Y, a
member of the firm of Harrison &
Boice, with a s1s3,o0o contract for the
constr uction of a art of the Catskil
aqueduct, was the first witness. f
testified that at the solicitation of Ev-
| erett p. Fowler he had given a polit-
ical contribution of $500 to the Demo
! cratic State committee in 1912. Th
eneek was paid to George NJ. Palmer
chairman of the committee, he said
The check was dated April 81, 1912
| about eight days before the. contrac
was awarded.
Thomas A. Carr of Troy, who sign.
| ed a waiver of immunity before taking
the stand, said he had given 800 te
Palmer in 1912 in connection with a
state highway contract He is a Re:
publican, he said, but decided to con
tribute because he heard that all the
contractors were given up, regardless
OF politics.
Richard Hopkins, another TROY con-
tractor on state highway work. testi-
ned that at the solicitation of John
4. consaulus of that city, he had con-
tflputed 5000 in 1911, the check pay
able to Norman Z. Mack, Democratic
state chairman in that year. Il didn't
give in 1912 because / thought the
Republican and the Bull Moose would
have walkover,' he said
Thomas p. B. Kennedy, president
and treasurer of the Kennedy Con-
struction Co. of Albany, a corpora
ton, said he had contributed $1OO in
1912 and paid it to Fowler.
The hearing was adjourned until lat
er in the week. In the meantime, Dis
trict Attorney Whitman will continue
his grand jury investigation. Attor-
ney General Carmody will go before
the jury tomorrow. it is. expected.
Former Governor William Sulzer will
be called later in the week.
A hint of a possible new turn in
the investigation was given when it
became known today that Assistant
District Attorney Embree had again
gone to Albany ITO get new material
for the grand jury" He is expected
back tomorrow.