The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-20
GREER WILL DEMAND CHANGE ID BE HEARD
Will Reply Before Probe Committee to Insinua-
 tiOnS Made Here

OOIIlnlIllce lO lIiSlltud-
 tiOns Made Here
 Len r. Greer state convict inspector, while in Birmingham yesterday, de- olared that he would demand the right to take the witness stand in Montgom- cry next week, and answer before the legislatures probe committee certain insinuations maye by witnesses in Bir- mingham against him.
 As is remembered, I. W. Newby of the Jefferson Powder company testi- fed day or so ago that Mir. Greer sold two life insurance policies to rep resentatives of powder companies who were at that time in Montgomery on business for their respective companies With the convict bureau of the state
 I passed through Birmingham a night or two agoS said Mir. Greer yes terday, "and urged Senator penson, W hom l met in the Tutwiler hotel, to gentlemen to whom l was said to have sold insurance policies. He promised me to do so in justice to me How ever, the men were not summoned and I will go on the stand next week
 After the state had bought its pow der, asked several gentlemen in a public cafe. in plain view of everybody, to buy policies. I spread the policies cut on the table, thus again showing that there was nothing secret, covert or sinister in the matter. I sold two policies but on neither of them have l realized profit.
 T will have something to say, too, regarding the manner in which the state has purchased it's powder for blasting purposes and in this testimony something of interest might be de- ve1oped"
 Mir Greer will leave for MontgomeI y this morning.
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 He didn't know whether the company had been approached with that proposi- tion.
 He said that the Tennessee company had not been given an opportunity o bid on the contract for retention of the convicts
 Cowart on Defense
 Lee Cowart, former immigration commissioner, was called
 He said that Dr. Seay knows that the money lent him was not lent for purposes of immortality; that lie was for Dr. Seay for reappointment because of his fitness. He said that Dr. Seay volunteered the loan. He said that he had not paid the money back because he had ont been able. He said that he intended to do SO
 He said that afterward he opposed Dr. Seay in his effort to secure . place on the excise commission because he tSeay) had certain environment
 He said that he had never got money from man named Ireland for the purposes of getting him saloon license.
 He stated that he had declined em- ployment by people who desired sa- loon licenses.
 Rate Case Settlement
 H. c, Selheimer was called. He said that he had formerly been employed as special counsel by the state and that he had been paid altogether about S42,500.
 He said that he knew nothing per- sonally regarding the settlement of railroad differences by the state in 1914. He said the attorney general had called him over the telephone an1 that he (witness) had made a sugges- tion which afterward he was informed he had not been able He said that he had no other information.
 He said the settlement of 1914 was regarding passenger rates and that subsequently by action of the railroad commission, freight rates were in creased He said, too. that Governor O'Neal had desired the aid of Judge e Weakley and himself in making the settlement but that Charles Tender son had objected.
 Cost in Coupons
 The result of the settlement on Louisville and Nashville coupons held by passengers was to make coupons to the value of $1,594, 906 and more valueless, he said.
 This settlement, the witness added, was beneficial further to the Louis vile and Nashville railroad in that it released the road from coupon liabil- ity in the state of Tennessee.
 The witness expressed the opinion that but for the settlement the state would have won its appealed cases in the higher courts. He expressed the opinion that in the settlement the state had gained nothing. He said that he knew of no reason why the set clement should have been made.
 He said that one newspaper had quoted MT. Henderson as having ex- plained that the states counsel had not been consulted regarding the set tlement on the ground of his belief that the counsel would be interested in prolonging litigation because the counsel would secure more fees by prolonging the litigation. He said that the counsel had already earned the fees. He declared the settlement un- wiSe
 For Utility Commission
 He said that he thought it would be wise to extend the power of the railroad commission to the extent of making the commission a public util- ity. commission.
 The witness testified that in his opinion there was no legal way in which the settlement with the rail- roads in 1914 could be set aside
 Reverting to the settlement again the witness said that the attorney gen eral, himself. had known nothing of the settlement until called into the governors office and there presented with it. Tn the office at the time were the governor Charles Tender son and certain Louisville and Nash vile attorneys, he said.
 Weakley on Settlement
 The next witness was Judge S. D. Weakley. He said that he had repre- sented the state in railroad rate liti- gation. He said that in a pericd of more than two years after his orig inal employment he was paid only $S000. Beginning in 1910. he said, 1t was necessary for him to give his en- tire time to the litigation and that a contract was made by which he was to be paid 5000 per month. He couldn't