The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-14

on the account of MT. l.. B. Farley for expenses in trips to New York, a total of S217 42. MT. Farley, eminent banker of Montgomery. was employed by me to negotiate in New York loan with which to protect the credit of the state. He ne- gotiated first a loan of S500,000 at 4A per cent interest, and subsequently, negotiated another loan of S600,000, the latter loan be- ing made during the panic created by the European war, and the rate of interest being necessarily higher. but not in ex- cess of that charged to the city of New York.
 q agreed to pay MT. Farley's expenses He presented a sworn account fully item ized which I cheerfury paid. His ser vices were indispensable and the remun- eration most reasonable. I assume, how ever, the item which gives Mir. Lusll so much discomfort, and which, in his judg- ment, furnishes so choice an opportunity for demagogic appeal IS the charge of $S.10 for laundry and tailoring. This was an item in the receipted hotel bill at tached to MT. Farley's account. l re- spectfully remind MT. Lusk that it is common practice among bankers and other business men, at least when seeking loans from New York bankers, to wear clean linen and have their trousers pressed. Would MT. Lusl, intense econ omist as he is have the representative of the state of Alabama seeking over S1 GOO O00,0O0 loan, present himself to the New York bankers with a dirty shirt and baggy trousers? MT. Lusk nisjudges the refinement, culture and intelligence of the people of his own county If he thinks that this criticism will win public approval.
 TRIP TO COLORADO
 MT. Lusk sites another instance of fragrant missuse of public moneys an expenditure by me of $S25, "Trip of O'Neal +r sA1, q lF Luslk had examined the voucher on file in the auditors office he would have seen that this expenditure was not only for my personal expenses, put for the pay ment of Alabamas contribution to the governors conference, which, under the rules, amounted to the sum of $50. Hence, after deducting from the S325 the s150, which I paid the secretary of the conference there remained $175, a sum far less than the amount I actually ex- pended. I was absent about 10 days and the railroad. Pullman and hotel bills eX- ceeded the amount for which charge | was made. I read at the conference a paper on DistruSt Of State Legisla- tHres' which afterward appeared in the North American Review, and the distruct l then expressed was more than justified by the recent record Of the hand picked legislature of which Mr. LuslS was the principal ornament.
 MT. I.uSk aSaln CrltlclSeS me TOT the expenditure from the contingent fund for the trip of the insurance commissioner to Washington and attendance at a con- vention of insurance commissioners from all the states This charge was for d public purpose. an expenditure allowed by every other state, and the approval of the attorney general and was just and proper. COST OF TELEGRAMS
 MT. Lusll again says that there was an expenditure of $12o5.62 for teiegrams for the governors office for one year, He does not state to what year he refers. 1 During the year 1913 the expenses for telegrams were heavy owing to the Lacy dedication and my efforts to secure his