The sun., 1919-04-03
BRIDE FUND INQUIRY
ORDERED BY SENATE
Trail of Alleged 100000 APP
preparation by Traction
Interests Is Sought.
Special Despafch to The srS.

ALBANY. April THE Senate in
structed the Judiciary Committee to-day
to investigate the stories that 100000 Is
available in Albany to buy votes for the
Carson-Martin bill permitting public
service commissions to increase street
car fares regardless of local franchises,
and the investigation will begin to-mor-
row morning at 10 o'clock.
It Will be shown that George r.
Thompson, Senator from Niagara,county.
is the man who furnished the informa
tion on which stories of the half million
dollar bride fund were based. and that
he is ready to give to the Senate the
facts in what he termed tonight the
Illegal lobby" for the Carson Martin
bill, but will refuse to make public the
names of single person who talked
with him in regard to supporting the
measure or about the alleged corruption
fund.
1t was reported tonight that former
elected State official IL concerned in the
reported proffer of the Governorship to
Senator Thompson or any other man
who would put the Carson Martin bill
through the Senate, but Senator Thomp-
son denied this.
Scnator>Thompson is chairman of the
Public Service Committee of the Senate.
which had hearing on the Carson
Martin bill in conjunction with tho As
sembly judiciary Committee. SO far
| Senator Thompson's committee has
| failed to act on the bill. The measure
was reported from the Judiciary Com
mittee. of which its introduccr in the
Assembly, Louis NJ. Martin Of Oneida. is
| chairman.
Senator Thompson achieved State wide
notice as chairman of the joint legisla-
tive committee that investigated tn,
New York City Public Service Commits
sion and the upstate commission three
years ago. His home is in Lockport. He
has told friends that he has been the
subject of direct attack by lobbyists foi
the Carson Martin bill for six weeks as
a result of his early refusal to sup.
port 1t.
Senator Burlingame of Brooklyn
chairman of the judiciary Committee
called a meeting of his committee ~
coon as the Senate session was over ant
arranged fY the investigation. The
writer's of the story, J. T.. Watson of tn,
| New York American and Daniel Brecl
of the ErcniHg World, were requested
to appear.
While the Senate was discussing Tho
reported corruption fund the corridor
and the space back of the Senate raj
Gals and their representatives who have
been trying for weeks to get enough
votes to pass their bill.
The Assembly advanced the measure
| to-day to the order OF final passage
under an agreement that II will he de
! bated when 1t comes up for final pas
sage. and the measure is expected TO e.
through the lower house with few
votes to spare. Sufficient votes to pas
it in the Senate are lacking. however
so the interests have centred their effort
in getting favorable action by tn
Senators.
As THE SUN stated yesterday, Sena
tors Thompson of Niagara, Graves o
Erie. Fowler of Chautauqua. Burlingam
and Abeles of the Bronx are opposed e
the bill. Senator Lockwood of Brook
Ign also Is expected to be against ii AM
tle twenty-five Democrats are a unit il
opposition to 1t. So up to date its pas
sage is blocked