Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-29

Tic account winch you Will quietly
hand to Rep. Tucker Of your place
with a request that he offer the bill
quietly and see if you can enlist his
influence and put the bill through the
Legislature. We would make it all
right with Mr.. Tucker If that is neces-
sary. What I want is to have him Of
fer this bill and back it before the
committee. 1t is a bill in which think
he will be very much Interested as he
was opposed two years ago to the
electric roads getting permission to
cross the Washington bridge.
The Hoint is that the Washington
bridge is less than 80 feet il width
and you will observe that this bill
would compel the electric company
before using it, to bear the expenses
of widening it. Now l think that
Tucker will be very glad to get hold
of this bill and push it before the
committee as we'll as in the General
Assembly and. if he will do this, it
will be striking a blow in the right
direction and will give the electric
companies something to think about
besides paralleling our lines.
II know you will understand the
necessity of not having it disclosed
that this bill in any way comes from
you.
A Careful BiII'
Mr.. Tucker must assume the re-
sponsibility for the bill as matter
of justice and it must be of his own
invention. At all events it is a very
of,J hot n
pass. Please see what you can do with
him at an early day and report"
William Rockefeller. one of the de-
PENDANTS especially was strongly Of
the opinion that our policy should be
to oppose all extensions paralleling
our lines" according to letter Hall
wrote to the New Haven directors and
whom the New Haven vice president
described as having "a general over
sight over matters around the capt.
tol.
Hall wanted to know what ought to
be done in the way Of Offensive and
defensive legislation" 1t appeared that
in 1898 a Connecticut law had been
passed which prevented trolley lines
from paralleling steam roads unless
they could show in court proceedings
that public convenience demanded it.
The interests behind the electric roads
were apparently seeking to have the
bill repealed. and on Jan. %, 1897, Hall
wrote to Robinson:
1.-THE Bridgeport Traction Co. has
been placed ahead of all other matters,
as the question which we proposed to
fight comes to a head-the proposed
exemption of the parallel clause.
am confident that we have a good
many friends about the Capitol.
think you should shape the fight be-
fore the committee on a straight re-
peal of the parallel clause of the gen.
eral law. think when the time is fix
ed we ought to be ready to have mu-
sic by the full band against the re-
peal"
Taking "cars Of Them"
In letter to Edward D. Robbins, an
other defendant, addressed to him in
Hartford, Hall wrote in reference to
legislation:
II think / should have given Sena-
tor Lounsberry a pass quietly with
out reference to violation Of the
STATUTE y tHlHk the 0endte
will stand all right on this. If
YOU have any means Of getting to peo-
pie on the inside in these matters it
seems to me that we ought to be ready
to take care Of them"
Improper Influence"
Constant objection to the reading of
the letters was raised by the defense on
the ground that the Indictment made
no charge against the New Haven in
the matter of legislative activity.
1T shows the general intent i and
purpose" said r. L. Bats, the gov
eminent attorney. "by using improper
influence in the Legislature to change
the laws in pursuance to the conspi-
racy."
The government, however, got a set
back when Judge Hunt ruled out a
letter by which the government an
nounced its intention to show how
much Gen. Brayton received from the
New Haven for his alleged activities
in the Rhode Island Legislature. II
was shown that the evidence in this
respect was unearthed by the govern
ment after the fling in the indict.
ment a,siA
To expedite the case the Judge an
- A. =