The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-13
|. & n. OFFICIALS
ARROGANT. "SAYS
l.SHARP WILLIAMS
Senator Will Hurry Report
on Lea Resolution De-
manding Roads Papers
Be Submitted
Bs Z. T.. STEWART.

For what he eharacterizes as the AR
roganee' Of the Louisville and Nashville
officials and the attitude of Vice Presi-
dent Mapother in refusing the files OF
the Louisville and Nashville supposed
to contain the records OF the activities OF
that road with reference to politics and
passes, to the agents Of the Interstate
commerce commission. Senator John
Sharp Williams today made It known that
he would hurry report of the second
Lea resolution.
Senator Williams is chairman of the
committee on contingent expenses of the
Senate, which has under consideration
this resolution.
The commission appealed to Senator
Williams for aid in the matter.
Washington. February le-upon learn
ing from the Interstate commerce COM
mission today that While L. Mapothers
first vice president of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad openly had dehed
the commissions agents in an invests
cation of the railroads affairs ordered
by the Senate. plans were made tonight
by Senate leaders for early adoption OF
a resolution introduced by Senator Lea
of Tennessee, providing for the appoint
ment of a special Senate committee to
cooperate in the inquiry.
Appealed to Senate
Refusal of the Louisville and Nashville
OFFICIALS recently to submit certain rec
ords for inspection by the commission
caused the commission to appeal for
Senate committee in order that iuris-
dicuon might be established whereby
contempt proceedings could be instituted
if there were further attempts to defy
the authority of the government.
In support of this appeal, E. Il. Clark,
chairman of the commission. made public
report of Commissioner Meyer on the
conduct of Vice President Mapother,
charging the railroad official forcibly
elected Interstate commerce commission
examiners from the office of the road
in Louisville. who were seeking to guard
records which Mr.. Mapother had threat
ened to revise or destroy
Mr. Mapother, 1t is declared warned
the commission agents that they would
have ito lick him to get the records"
and boasted that his company hitherto
had refused to furnish flies to the COM
mission without getting into trouble.
Mapothier Quoted
I'VE refuse files to you people before
and are not in jail yet"
Files which We're denied the commits
sion related to passes and contributions
for maintaining political agents or for po-
litical campaigns
The attitude of the Louisville and Nash
vile officials was denounced today ''as
railroad arrogance and attempted defiance
of constituted authority" by Senator John
Sharp Williams, chairman of the COM
mittee on contingent expenses, which will
report the Lea resolution TO the Senate
Action on the resolution for the appoint-
ment of a special committee may be
taken tomorrow.
Denies Statement
Louisville, Ky, February f2-rhat he
told examiners of thes interstate COM
merce commission they would have to
lick him before they could stand over
his desk and supervise his work. and that
the statement I'VE refused files to your
people before and are not I'm Jail YETI
was falsely attributed to him, were dec
larations made tonight II, telegram
sent by w. L. Mapother. first vice pres-
dent of the Louisville and Nashville rail q
road. to Senator John Sharp Williams In
Washington. The telegram was in an
swer to charges that Mr.. Mapotner openly
defied the commissions agents when they
attempted to carry out the Senate's or
ders to Investigate the roads affairs.
Mr.. Mapother admitted ejeeting two OF
the examiners from a file roon but said
he did 1t after the conduct of the ex-
amners had become such that no self
respecting man could submit to 1t. II did
denounce their methods Russian spy
tactics and such they were. he said
Aided Examiners
Mr.. Mapother asserted he had aided
the examiners until they demanded the
right to take possession or every file in
his offices. He then insisted ON the privl-
lege of examining them 20 see If any
contained communications between the
company's representatives and its attor-
neys. These. he asserted he was adj
Vised were privileged. and haG been tho
subject of correspondence between the
commission and the general counsel OF
the road.
Every file relating TO passes said
Mr.. Mapother. had been turned over to
them until yesterday. when | Informed
them that, as the matter was I'm court
each side should stand upon its rights
and they could only examine files relat-
ing to passes since January |. 1871 the
date fixed by the Senate resolution
THE statement that boasted that we
had refused files before ana were not
jailed yet Is wholly untrue. The exam-
lners attempted virtually 10 take possess
sion of my office and watcn every move
ment OF myself and clerks. To this I
refused to submit"
Mr. Mapother concluded by protesting
against the reported determination TO
rush the adoption of resolution provld-
ing Tor the appointment of a Senate COM
mittee to aid the commission In the Louis
vile and Nashville inquiry until the
courts have settled the extent of the DOW
ers of the commission in reference to "a
wholesale search and seizure OF a citizens
private papers"