Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-21
WILSON May GUST
M'REYNOLDS FROM
CABINET POSITION

Washington. May 1S.-The disclos-
ares in the New Haven case which
have already been made by forne,
PRESIDENT Mellen, of that road. anG
which are promised, and the efforts OF
Attorney General McReynolds to BLOCK
those disclosures along with his dis.
courteous treatment OF Interstate Com.
merce Commissioner McChord and o.
Solicitor Folk. of the Interstate Com.
merce commission, have stirred W
much feeling against McReynolds il
congress.
Among men of progressive ideas O,
aii parties there is strong support TO,
The investigation which the commission
is making. Had it appeared that Nc.
Reynolds had the slightest intention o,
prosecuting any of the looters of th'
New Haven criminally, the situation
Q be different. But he has dis
closed no such intention. Senator Nor.
rls put the matter up to him in the re-
cent conference n was unable to OBJ
tam any intimation from McReynoldt
that he intended criminal prosecutions
Puts Him In Bad Light.
McReynolds, therefore,, stands in tn.
position of an official who was seeking
to shield Mellen and others for n 6
other disclosed reason than a sympa'
thetic attitude toward that side of the
public which is represented by the cap
tains of big business.
The course Of McReynolds raises thu
question whether he will be allowed te
remain in the cabinet. Much will de-
pend as to how strong the tide of public
feeling on the New Haven matter be.
comes. The department OF justice, a.
a matter Of fact, is pursuing a course
quite apart from the New Haven mat
fn,, 4 bn 10 Co,y IL 1nn G 4 @ ~ mo Y
conservative. 1t is being widely con"
demned in many quarters as reaction
airy.
The situation is an unfortunate one
for the administration Critics of the
president are blaming the administra-
ton itself for the policy of Mercy
nolds. The Philadelphia North Ameri-
can flstly charges that McReynolds is
taking the course the administration
wants him to take. Friends of the
president deny this, but take the view
the president is loath to break up his
cabinet and think McReynolds will re-
main unless public resentment becomes
too
Who Got the Money?
Just who got the vanished millions
belonging to the stockholders of the
New Haven railroad. and how the deals
were carried u by which these mil
llOIlS were ulNGIlSu llOil AK iodo .
treasury to the pockets of the favored
%flnanciers. are questions which the IN
terstate Commerce commission expects
to answer through the pending lnVes-
tigation into the New Haven's affairs.
This was stated authoritatively to-
day the purpose Of the commission In
forcing the examination Of Charles e.
Mellen, former president of the New
Haven, and other witnesses who have
been or will be called on to testify.
Examination of papers and docu-
ments now in possession Of the COM
mission indicate clearly Chief Counsel
Joseph w. Folk, pointed out, that 1t
became really a practice of certain
financial interests to buy up properties
| which hey had been led to believe the
! New Haven wanted and then unload
| them onto the New Haven at from two
! to four times what they paid for them
They Must Diseorge.
In view of the commission and of Mr.
Folk, suit would lie against these in.
| terests by which they could be forced
to restore n so obtained to the
| New Haven stockholders.
Mr.. Folk said neither he nor the
| commission had received further com.
| munication from the department OF
Mellen already adduced or about to be
given.
Getting at Facts.
Examination of papers already sub
mitted to the Interstate Commerce
commission by Charles S. Mellen, for
mer president of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad in the com
missioners' investigation of the New
Ravens operations in acquiring it
subsidiaries, discloses the demand
!! made by Mr.. Mellen before the Yves
~, -" 1,-o @ y,11f fhpn,,r1 m
Mr.. Mellen testified he had made de,
mand for 10 changes in the West Ches
ter franchise as a condition of the eX,
change of $1,000, 00O--S.000 shares-o.
New Haven stock, for "a, 900 shares o.,
the West Chester stock. These II
changes included an extension of thu
time of construction Of the West Ches.
ter, changes in the routes. a relief from
the then existing blockade in condem.
nation proceedings, and assurances o,
the validity of the West Chester fran
chise.
1t is understood that the demand.
were acceded to by the board of est.
ments completed to the satisfaction OF
Mr.. Mellen and other officials Of the
New Haven.
Names Not Disclosed.
Names of stockholders of the West
Chester-that is of the holders of the
minority of stock in the road-have no
been disclosed. Mr.. Mellen said the
stock was widely scattered, but that he
was able to reach it through the late
Police Inspector Thomas +. Byrnes.
He did not say that it was held by
'politicians,' although that question
was asked him: but he did add that ii
was held by persons of influence who
could be reached by Mr.. Byrnes.
Chief Counsel Folk. of the commits
sion and his assistants have not yet
completed the analysis of the docu-
mentary evidence submitted and
scarcely will be able to complete it be-
fore next Tuesday.
1t is evident that the examination OF
Mr.. Mellen will take a wide range and
may occupy all of nex week.