The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-04-26
Nor Any Irregularities In
Connection With Street
Railroad Legislation
BOUGHT NO STOCK
WHEN BILLS PENDED
Massachusetts Executive
Voluntarily Went On
the Stand


ming H. Cox appeared as a witness to-
day before the legislative committee
that is investigating alleged irregular
tiles of conduct by members of tf leg
islatures of 1918 and 1919
The governor, who was speaker Of
the House in 1918, when the Boston
elevated railway public control bill
was passed, went before the inyesti-
gators, voluntarily asked to be sworn
and said he desired TO be treated as
anv other former member of the leg
islatire would be treated I.c waived
immunity
answering the customary questions
which have been formed to bring 2ui
a1y Irregularities in connection wi'h
street railway eg'slation. ,ioycrncr
Cox said he had purchased no stock
wnllc The street railway bills wer
ptulng, and knew Of no menibe i hn
did that he was net olfere,t auy III
dutemcnt to vote for the bills AM!
that he knew tf no Irregularities or
misconduct on the part OF any legis-
lator.
The governor then added as a state
ment that he had served nine years
in the legislature and had noticed that
the financial condition Of the street
railways OF the state. more particu.
larly the Boston elevated, was berom
ing more and more serious. In lDl1. he
said he served on-a special commission
which investigated the elevated and
that in that capacity it became appar-
ent TO him that public relief Of some
sort was imperative if the road was to
continue.
THE remedy which was applied,
the governor said, appeared to be and
still appears TO have been the best
that could be devised Boston and
Massachusetts, were the first places in
the country to realize the need for ad
iusting the street railway problem and
for that reason were among the first
TO be burdened with higher fares, but
here in Massachusetts, we have met
the problem while in other PAGES the
failure to meet it has permitted II
to become worse. We in Massachusetts
are soon to reap the benefit OF our
early action while other communities
have vet to go through the period Of
high fares which it is hoped Is nearly
ended in this state
Governor Cox said he was not in the
legislature Of 1919 and had nothing
TO do with the passage of the Cam
bridge bill.
Representative William s Conroy OF
Fall River declared that an attempt
had been made to influence his vote on
the Cambridge subway bill, through a
warning by certain member Of the
legislature that he should vote for the
measure ii he desired TO receive the "a
vor Of the speaker Of tic House Rep
resentatiye Conroy asserted that after
he had voted against the bill he was
"discplined" by the speaker through
refusal by the latter C. recognize him
when he tried 70 speak
Renresentatiye Conroy said he had
heard that some members bought, stock
but he had no facts TO support this
hearsav aud said he must decline 10 st
further with the statement.
Rev Roland ID. sawyer Of Ware,
member of the present legislature ano
of that Of 1918. after testifying that
he had bought no stock, said there
were hints about the corridors Of tbs
state House in the latter that money
could he secured if any legislator de-
sired to speculate He heard nothing
about anv specific institutions or per
sons who would loan the funds. Pressed
for further information on tine sublect
Representative sawyer declined to dc
50. but he would tell what he knew
should the committee be unable to get
the information from other sources h'
said ne had not sufficient lynowledg'
Of actual stock buying to testify to q
as fact.
William c. Lord Of Athol said h
had information from one member who
was going TO testify that he had pur
chased stock. He refused TO disclose
his name.