The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-20

tsNo man can be in this business now adays and not get publicity Some times he gets too much . 1 Ibid you retain MT. Choate to draft 1 this bill ?''
 esMr. choate, about this time. was our registered legislative agent There were other attorneys employed, too-s MT. Ennis among them. The main trouble , over the railroad situation in New England was the trolley ques-. ton. Everybody seemed opposed To the railroad ownership of tro1leys. I felt that enlightened public opin- ion would favor railroad ownership l.of trolleys and believed that we were entitled to that ownership
 Did you spend s40e,0o0 in enlight- Isening public sentiment in this re- gard?'.
 ..I knew nothing of the kind.'' MT. MelIen further said that he knew little of the deails of the work Of vice-President Byrnes, of the New Haven.
 Did he spend money to influence Legislation ?' asked MT. Folk T am sure not,'' said the witness
 ssDo you recall the -prayer from the hills ?s'
 Yes. in general, but know little Iabout it. Paid for All Prayers
 Did you pay for it? I fancy have to pay for all pray CTS in my behalf. "
 Were a large number of news lpapers carried on the pay roll of the l New Haven?.' asked MT. Folk. FIT never heard of a large number of newspapers on our payroll I never Eheard of some papers until I saw them mentioned in the testimony of Vice President Byynes.' .'
 Did you Know the Boston Republic published advertisements and then sent the bill to the New Haven?'.
 Yes. read MT Byrnes' testimony along that 1fne.''
 Did the fact that Mayor Fitzgerald was the owner of the publication have anything to do with this?'' It certainly was not an obstacle'' ;
 Can you give me those prayers ?''
 No. I doN not pray in that way,
 You spell it p-r-a-y,' unused MT. Mir. Folk read the minutes of a meeting of the directors of the New Haven held on October g. 19o9 at i which a report of the contract with JohnsL Billiard regarding the trans action in 109,908 shares of Boston & lard, in previous testimony. was said to have made s2,74s,7oo out of the transaction.
 Report of Profit Wrong.
 MT. Mellen said that a part of the minutes which made it appear that the New Haven had made profit of I $1,649. .220,. was incorrect, but that a clause to the effect that Billiard was only to get a commission was correct MT. Mel1en further said that he made many contracts, not only with Billiard 1 but with others which he had not sub nlitted to the board of directors.
 What authority did you have to make contract with Mir. Billiard i'm vo1ving payment by the New Haven t6afS fY-oT 11Ie st. transaction ?''
 I had absolute authority and I re- ported my action to the board. ] am quite certain that the report which we are discussing is erroneous. Ii lcontains fallacy because 1t suggests Billiard of profits already in the hands | of the New Haven That is ridicu- Ious. The report is in error-an er- TOT made perhaps by the secretary
 MT. Folk read the contract between the New England Navigation com l pany and John l.. Billiard by which Billiard agreed to sell to the naviga- | ton company the log, 14S shaSes of | Boston & Maine stock The contract was accepted, the shares to be passed l to the Boston Railroad Holding com pany. The New Haven directors agreed to this contract. three months 1 afterward.
 I .sThis is the situation said MT. Mellen. Our directors wanted to gain strength in getting MT. Billiard to re- 1 duce his compensation. I, in effect, 1 was three months behind MT Billiard and was trying to catch up with him. T
 Was the action of the directors to be used as club on MT. Billiard % asked MT. Folk.
 'It was rather persuader to be used on MT. Bi1lard.'' responded MT MelIen.
 MT. MeIlen said later that he thought Messrs. Rockefeller, Morgan Skinner, Taft, Ledyard, Pratt, Law renee. Hemingway and perhaps some others were present at one conference
 Billiard Had Keys.
 s"The records in your possession vii show he added.
 The witness further said all the se- eurities Of the Billiard company were kept in a separate vault of the New
 Haven, the keys to which were hel6 by Mir Billiard and Mir. Hemingway So far as he knew, he said in response to questions, the treasurer of the New Haven did not have key, but he haf
 read in the testimony that at some
 time MT. Robbins did. Why did the New England Nayi gation company loan Mir Billiard s$1.
 000, ,OO0?''
 , q suppose there were some trans (Continued on Page s2.)