The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-20
DENIES INSURANCE
TIPS BOUGHT CAR
State Fund Manager Says 1t
Was Gift From Wyncoop
to His Wife.
GOT NO DATA PRIVILEGES
Baldwin Testifies Before Com
missioner As to Leaks in
His Office.

+. Spencer Baldwin, manager OF the
State Insurance Fund, was the chief
witness ut yesterdays session Of the In
vestigatlon into the affairs of the State
Industrial Commission. When his ex-
animation was completed It had been
shown that his wife received brand
new $4,000 motor car. gift from q. Il.
wyncoop. an insurance broker; that the
car was listed with the Secretary of
that on at least one occasion Wyncoop
had been able to possess himself OF offl-
cial data from the files Of the State
Insurance Fund, contrary 20 established
regulations.
In explanation of what had been
brought out. Mr.. Baldwin insisted that
no impropriety had occurred He ex-
planned that the gift OF the automobile
ITO his wife was a personal matter--that
IL had been made with the knowledge of
John Mitchell. late chairman OF the
State Industrial Confmission-that no
special favors had been granted to Wyn-
coop or his agents in consideration there
of, and that the suggestion that Wynn
coop's insurance agency had been clipped
or to possible good insurance business
was susceptible other explanation"
The inquiry along this line followed
the Introduction of testimony before
Commissioner Jeremiah +. Conner to
the effect that wyncoop had been able
files OF the State Insurance Fund all the
| nj tn he ~ H.
Ter Desk Company of "a Churchill street.
Buffalo, and that he had taken these
papers with him when he went to Buff
falo to adjust or write new business in
his own behalf with the Buffalo concern.
Special Privileges Denied.
Manager Baldwin admitted that tho
documentary evidence presented iDhl
Gated that Wyncoop on that occasiop q
enjoyed the privilege of examination Of
the State Insurance Funds files, but
insisted that the occasion refererd to
was an exception and not the rule. He
emphatically denied that Wyncoop at
any time had access to information con-
corning clients OF the fund to any ex-
tent further than that accorded any
other outsider. He explained that when
Wyncoop obtained possession OF the
folder covering the Cutler Desk Com
Informed that Wyncoop had arranged
for their future business. His explana-
ton led Niles NJ Dawson. attorney for
Commissioner Conner. 20 ask:
Even II Mr.. Wynkoop had come in
and said that he had made such an ar
rangement in the absence OF his having
an officer OF the Cutler Desk Company
or somebody connected with 1t, certainly
your people would not have been ex-
pected to show 1t to him. would they?
AIR. Baldwin replied that in such cir
icumstances he would not have given him
the folder
Throughout his examination concern
] ing the circumstances under which Wynn
koop was able to obtain the correspond
ence and other data concerning the
business OF the Cutler Desk Company,
Mr. Baldwin insisted there was no evil
dence OF any special privileges being
accorded Wynkoop. He maintained that
any Information Wynkoop was able to
get concerning the. insurance business OF
the States clients is available in an
equal degree to any other insurance
agent
The story OF the automobile came up
when Attorney Dawson read extracts
from the answer of the State Industrial
Commission to the preliminary report
OF Commissioner Connor to Governor
Smith in which reference was made to
the purchase of an automobile by Wynn
koop for an officer OF the commission.
This ran:
This transaction was purely rri-
vate affair connected in no way with the
business of the state fund. Mr. Wyn-
| koop, who Is an intimate friend of the
family OF the official in question, re-
quested member OF the family to Sc
lect car and asked the privilege OF
laying for IL.
The gift was offered under circum-
stances and in way that made the
acceptance proper and natural There
was no suggestion of any business con-
sideration or obligation. nor has there
been any secrecy ABOUT the transaction
II was reported by this Official to the
chairman OF the commission at the time
the transaction had no relation to the
affairs OF the state fund.
| In conclusion II may be well TO state
that Mr.. Wynkoop gets no commission
or business or revenue from the State
| Fund. On the contrary. he has brought
a large volume of desirable business
into the State Fund through his service
| organization. No special favors or con-
cessions have been accorded him In con-
nection with this business" Mr.. Daw-
| son then questioned Mr.. Baldwin as
follows;
Q-Mr. Baldwin, do you know TO VIVA;
official OF the State Fund this state
ment in the report OF the commissioner
applied?
A-Applles to the ma mayer, myself
Q-Will you give the commissioner
the circumstances relating to this gift?
VIII you state that. please, in your
I own way?
A. Mr.. Wynkoop. who is a trusted
friend Of myself and family, was calling
one evening. member OF my family
had been Ill and there were circum-
stances that rendered the domestic
situation somewhat peculiar at the time.
Mr.. Wynkoop very impusively requested
the member OF the family who had been
III to select a motor car and asked the
privilege OF paying for II. II was very
generous and thoughtful and kindly act
on his part,
Q. / would rather you did not spend
much time In characterlzlng Il, but
merely give rs the fact.
A. After considering the matter, 1 had
doubts about the acceptance. because l
realized that 1t might be misconstrueo
and misrepresented and used in some
damaging way, and after talking with
Mr.. Wynkoop and expressing my
soruples. he had suggested, I think the
suggestion came from him, that talk
hA VWNa