The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-14

VI Inc Hearing, Showing That
Governor Hatfield Did Not
K Interfere in Gas Case.
Wheeling. W. Va. Feb. 1s.-''1t don't
make q damned bit Of difference what
yotir testimony is In this case. OF
x what II is not. the governor has or.
dered JUS 70 reduce these rates and
they are going to be reduced"
So Chairman Howard N. Ogden OF
the West Virginia Public Service
Commission, now dead, told Charles
McC amic. Of Wheeling. counsel for
the company affected. the Manufactur.
ers Light and Heat Company, Of Pitts.
iburghs preceding a hearing for the
company before the commission, De.
cember s.. 1913, in Wheeling, Mccamic
testified Just before adjournment last
night Of the masters hearing in the
company,s appeal 70 the United
States courts from the order Of the
commission to reduce its rates.
"A Voice From the Grave.
As on the previous day. the voice
OF the dead Ogden was brought from
the grave to accuse Governor Hat.
field Of forcing the public service com
mission in making decisions to follow
his wishes instead OF what the com.
mission believed to be the law.
Night sessions OF the masters court.
presided over by Attorney J. W. Van
dervort, Of Parkersburg, were propos-
ed to be inaugurated. with view to
fnishihg the Wheeling hearings Sat
slrday. but were put off. Today the
special master will determine wheth-
< er the hearing will go into next week.
Representative s. B. Avis of
3 Charleston, one OF the counsel for
4 the state, served notice he will ask a
postponement to get back to his du-
ties in Congress.
Six hours were occupied in arguing
whether one witness. Attorney Nor
gan Owen, OF Charleston, who re-
peated alleged conversations with the
late Commissioner Ogden, should be
permitted to- answer this question:
Did you have any conversation
with any OF the other public service
y commissioners with reference to ap-
Z pointments and as to the direction
and control Of the governor over the
sameH
The question, asked of Owen, who
had, been an applicant for the posi-
ton OF law clerk to the commission,
WIS permitted to be answered, when
the special master overruled objec-
y tions Of counsel forthe state and sus-
tanned the contentious Of Attorney A.
Leo We'll Of Pittsburgh and the other
counsel for the Manufacturers Light
and Heat Company.
Wheeling law libraries were emptied
Of bulky tones of precedents and cita.
tions, extending back over century
Gin America and England, to show to
the master that public bodies may
protect the secrecy OF their execu.
tive sessions, or that a member of q
q public body may not in private con.
versation repudiate one OF his public
acts and have the private conyersa-
ton admitted as evidence, or that he
may quite properly do both these
things.
Witness Owen answered the disput.
~ a9 9usss'1n.
Mel = .aiheu WIN Mr. hronson
ment and he told me he would be for
NY =; ~ co ..A III. set Denocrat.
.a .t,e, 70 M: Winner aoou. ~ ana
" solu ,he ne was LOT Ine, out tnat
~ Moula We sose ., -, IN the matter
- sns sosel ..ap .la. ne woulu want =.
y soniel Win , .ne governor IN all
'a T,.s ~ VI .als Kina;
4. .ne uliee surslsins members :, 0.
sae conailllssion are. !, Lee . ott, OF
+ l,a.s., s.'a.laI w., =. a. T. Srohson' o.
s.un.ilis ton, ano "aoe " hlimer' OF
Ma ~,
ny question: asie'o as a step IN tne
enurl " .ns COMPANY 10 prove tnelr
son.e a1. eaat governor Hatneld ao'
soiuleiy uoninateo tne pspnc service
scoM = was 1ousnt ~ senator
o. y, o.. sonervll.e a., anu ex'1uose FRANK
Ssspls' Oh Wneenns, ex.Judge
sonn 8. Holt, OF huntington, Repre-
sentatlYe AVIS, OF charleston, ana At