The Washington herald., 1914-06-12
INSURANCE men
VOTE And Clash
Bitter Factionalism Evident at
Annual Meeting Of the
First National.
J0HNSON'S HAND SHOWN
Minority Report" His Individual
Opinion-Wynne Casts Many Prox-
ies-TelIers Report Tonight.

With factional feeling keyed to q high
pitch. more than hundred stockholders
| of the First National Fire Insurance
Company from all over the United
States. assembled at the home offices
OF the company. In the Southern build
Ing. yesterday and proceeded to exercise
their choice for directors for the next
year. Proxies were voted for hundreds
'of absentees by both factions and the
result Is still In doubt. At 5 o'clock ad-
journment was taken until o'clock this
afternoon to give the tellers ample time
arrived at sometime tonight.
Robert ]. Wynne, Postmaster General
under President Roosevelt, who was
ousted from the presidency Of the COM
rany by the directors at a special meet
ing on June l. ostensibly because he had
caused some letters containing proxies-in
whose favor he knew MOTTO be diverted
to his residence rather than to his Of
fice, was present in person and voted
many proxies for himself and friends
Acting President Fred s. Dudley and
Robert r. Tuttle. president Of the Com
mercial Fire Insurance Company, which
Is allied with the First National by an
interlocking directorate. voted the proxies
Of the opposition. Between the two fac
tions bitter rivalry was evident through
out the meeting.
Douglas Frustrates Ulan.
When Mr.. Dudley called the meeting TO
order, the other side made a move TO
effect a temporary organization for the
purpose Of wrestling the direction of the
meeting from him and his friends.
This plan was baked at by Charles A.
Douglas. general counsel Of the First
National. when he insisted that before
any sort of organization could be ef-
fected II would be necessary to establish
who was entitled to vote. As a result. q
registration was ordered Of all stock
holders present in person or by proxy.
The Tuttle-Dudley faction voted their
proxies for themselves. Col Robert n.
Harper. president Of the District Ma
tional Bank; Justice Ashley NJ Gould.
of the District Supreme Court: Justice
George W. Atkinson. of the U. S. Court
Of Claims: Eldridge E Jordan. Bates
Warren. B. R. Walters, W. F. Thyson.
Robert r. Dearden. John Mckee. S. ].
Johnson. Richard Wightman. one of the
underwriting firms whose contract was
criticised by the House Investigating
Committee: Howard c. Shober. and Clar-
ence A. Rrouse.
Several out-of-town men are on the
list for which the other sides proxies
were voted. The complete list is as fol-
lows: Robert ]. Wynne. former Senator
Fred T. Dubois. Geoffrey Creyke, Daniel
V. Chisholm. John Lewis Smith. George
z. Livingston. Gustav E. Rausch and
James S. EasbySmith. all of this city:
Chester Tomson. Of New Jersey; H. NJ.
Warrenfelt. of Maryland: GeofYrey
Creyke. of this city: Frank C. Din
ges. of Virginia; Thomas r. Hamer. Of
Idaho: John p. Collins, Of Missouri; H.
G. Barton. of Florida, and George NJ
Edsall, Of New York.
The tellers chosen were A. D. L. Leck-
lie. Robert H. Young and W. II. Sholes.
Exprcss Great Surprise.
Members Of Congress whose attention
had been called to the matter expressed
marked surprise yesterday over the let
ter. part of which was published exclus-
lively in The Washington Herald. from
Chairman Ben johnson, OF the House
District Committee.
Attention. was directed to the facts that
the letter was written by the only dis
senting membeS of the committee and
that it was so phrased that a uninformed
reader naturally would infer that John
son had signed the majority report and
that the report had given the men in
volved a clean bill of health.
II is said advisedly that johnson alone
sided against the majority of the COM
mittee. although the name of Henry
George, jr.. was also appended to the
report. Mr.. George was in Europe at the
time. and had heard not more than half
the evidence; II is said his name was
used on an authorization given in ad-
vance. Those who followed the insurance
investigation recalled the charges of bad
faith made against johnson by his COL
leagues in connection with the two re-
ports.
The so-called minority report suddenly
made its appearance in the Offices of
the local afternoon newspapers one day
several hours before the time set for a
conference, which johnson had agreed
to attend with those who were writing
the majority report, and who still hoped
to induce Johnson to sign their report.
The engagement had been made the
night before.
1t is said johnson had given his col
leagues to understand that he had not
yet prepared any minority report vet
bright and early the next morning the
minority report was issued. blocked of
in convenient form for mailing. Inquir-
ers at the time at Mr.. Johnson's office
for copies of his report were referred to
the office of Tuttie. Dudley & Wightman.
the insurance underwriters, whose con-
tract was criticized by the majority re-
port.