Daily Kennebec journal., 1915-11-11
CONTROVERSY Of MR., EmbREE WITH COm'R
GUPTILL CAUSES STIR IN THE DEMOCRATIC
REG|ME.:TWO PARDoNS ARE ALSO GRANTED

Rad incidentally aided in the organ
ization of the Farmers Union of
Maine and for 10 years had been
planning to do that very thing in some
state
Whats the objection" asked Coun-
cillor Scates, TO telling Mr.. GuptiIl
all you're doing"'
"Open" Explanations
Mr. Embree replied that he was
willing TO tell the commissioner any
thing he wanted TO know, but could
not pass him the contracts as they
were not his property nor the States
but the property Of the Union. He had
conferred with commissioners of ag-
riculture in months past, he said, and
though he had been given few instruc-
tions he had gone over his plans
with the commissioners who preceded
Guptill to obtain their approval. An
other question was interjected and Mr.
Embree said to the Governor: II sup
pose you want me TO be open in this
thing" The Governor averred and the
concert was pitched a few notes
higher
Mr. Guptill" he began, came to
Springfield and said there was unrest
in the State because Of the secret
methods of the Union and that while
heb ad no proof (Guptill here emphat-
ically denied with an interruption) he
believed I had received commissions on
fertilizer, and salary from the Farm
cts Union Grain Supply Co" This
sort of talk Embree said, did not work
for the best interest of the Union and
members resented it. He declared il
was having its effect upon farmers
outside the Union and that the mem
bers of the Union We're having to use
every fair means TO combat this at
tack He declared that never again
would he place himself in such a po-
sition as ne is now IN: 4 came here
al the invitation Of State officials 70
accomplish 4 certain thing and l have
been doing my best" he said, and he
showed plainly that he resented the
attitude of the commissioner.
a Query AND Blast
The Governor asked him if ne was
responsible TO the commissioner Of ag-
riculture and ne said. Yes. can't YOU
=
first understand Cant you move me
into another department and let me
work under some other official" he
repeated The Governor said he could
not.
Guptill broke in here and repeated
his denial of certain statements about
the Union.
You simply undertook TO create
suspicion" was Embree's retort
Here Guptill delivered shiverine
blast "All ] want to say is. have
held Mr.. Embree in this position be-
cause ! don't want to break up the
Farmers Union. The commissioner
has always been made member Of
the board OF directors Of the union
before; why am ] NOT d member as
Others usually are"
You took UP so much time at the
meeting we did not get to YOUR cleo
ton" said Enbree. He then explained
that after the meeting had adjourned
attention had been called to the fact
that the commissioner was not made
diate!y called for the purpose, al
which. however, the point was raised
that an adjournment had been taken
10 date certain and the proceeding
was therefore not in order Emhree
said in answer 10 a question that he
had worked in conjunction with the
commissioner until last June at about
which time the present controversy
had its Inauguration.
Things mixed UP badly here and the
Governor sought 10 quiet the seethIng
waters of statecraft y want to get
TO the bottom Of this thing, that's all;
II looks as if you (Embree) or the
commissioner Of agriculture went off
the hooks and ] want to know which
one it was that went off the hookso"
Mr.. Embree was certain that the com
missioner was the one who went off
the hooks
More explanation and interruption.
Then Guptiu at his best again. 81
do know that there is a feeling Of IN
rest about Mr. Embree himself.
wrote him as courteously as ] possibly
could. ! don't know as I'm so cour-
teous as some people are" Then state
ments offered in proof Of the feeling
OF unrest. notably the assertion that
Master Stetson Of the State Grange
interviewed him and upraided him
slightly because he could not tell more
about Enbrees work. Mr. Fmbree
has way of getting around things"
ne explained, probably by locution. or
-er-what do you call it, circumlocu-
tion. ! don't intend to hurt the Farm
ers Union if ] can prevent it, ] now
understand he (Embree) is anxious to
take ii Farmers Union) out from un-
der the State" Further he intimated
that with Mr. Embree at the head of
the organization free from his guid-
ance and with Mr.. Embrees son in
wholesale house in Boston IT ought to
be good thing for Embree to sever
the connection with the State
One Point Agreed
Mr.. Embree replied coldIy: He saws
m getting such influence in the State
my young son is training in a Boston