Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-12
HUSTON DEFENDS
| DAM GROUP FUNDS
Senate Lobby ProberS Quiz
! G. O. P. Chairman on
Muscle Shoals.
CONTINUED From First Page.l

had been permitted first to go to In
diana, and then to Tate Springs, and
that now he was in Detroit, although
he had promised to appear before the
committee.
Mr.. Huston testified that money had
been raised by the association through
the chambers of commerce and boards
of trade of many of the cities and
towns in the Tennessee River Valley
Some individual contributions, he said
had been made.
Asks IL Purpose Known.
did you tell them what you were
going to do with the money!" asked
Senator Caraway.
The witness replied that the money
was to take care Of the annual require
ments of the association.
Senator Caraway said that that was
not what he wanted to know, but
whether the contributors were ever told
just what the money was expended for.
Mr.. Huston said much of the money
was expended for Office expenses. He
said that they never had Salaried off,
GERS. although at one time Col. Worth
ington had been promised a salary Of
$4,000 year. He said as matter of
fact, Col. Worthington had probably
been paid $4,000 in all by the aSSo-
citation, although the promise to pay
him a regular salary had never been
carried out. Col Worthington, he said,
had been a man of considerable means,
prior to 1917, but then he had suffered
financial reveSses, and had a nervous
breakdown. He came with the asso-
citation in 1918 or 1919, Mr.. Huston
said.
1T was because he was a nervous
wreck, and learned that you wouldn't
pay him salary?" suggested Senator
Caraway.
THAT is not my position" answered
Mr.. Huston. Il can state my position
better than you can"
In reply to questions by Senator Car
away about records of the association,
the Cancelled checks, and so forth, Mr..
Huston, was able to give little informa-
ton.
And yet you were rated as q BUSH
ness expert and 1t was reported that
you were going to put business methods
In the Republican national committee"
said Senator Caraway.
Refrains From RejOinder.
The witness made no reply to this
talk.
How many hundreds of thousands
of dollars has the Tennessee River I'm
provement Association had?" demanded
Senator Caraway.
The witness said that he should eSti-
mate 100000 or $500, 900 over period
of II years.
yet there is no record to show how
this money was collected and expend-
ed" said Senator Caraway, evincing
surprise.
Mr.. Huston said that he had been
treasurer for two years and had kept
records for those years, and that then
he had become president. He said he
did not know where those records were,
but he would find them If he could.
You knew that this committee want
ed the records" said Senator Caraway.
Mr.. Huston replied that he knew no
such thing. He complained because he
was not permitted to make connected
statement.
Mr.. Huston said the last time he had
seen Col. Worthington was in November,
although he had telephoned to him al
the hospital In Detroit. He said Col.
Worthington's nurse had said he was too
81 to talk 10 Mr.. Huston.
Huston Contributions $4,000.
It was in 1918, Mr.. Huston said, that
the association had begun to increase
its expenditures but prior to that date,
they were not over 81 900 year. He
lie
mentS were made against the towns in
the valley, and meetings were held an
nually, at which reports were made. He
said that no meeting of the association
had been held since 1925. Since that
time, he said, the association has been
financed largely through individual
contributions. He mentioned Henry
Parsons Of New York, as having con-
tributed $4,000 to $4,000. He said
that he, himself, had probably con-
tributed about $4,000 and allowed the
Union Carbide Co. had contributed
upwards of $780, 900.
Senator Caraway and Senator Walsh
complained that Mr.. Huston was only
giving the committee information It
already had.
What was 1t you wanted to tell the
committee?" demanded Senator Cara
way. you said in q public statement
that We had banded your name about"
II wanted to state to the committee
what the association was doing and
my connection with it, and to file a
statement"
You wanted to give us what we had
already" said Senator Caraway. THE
thing we wanted to know you have
concealed"
IT have not concealed anything" re-
piled Mr.. Huston emphatically.
Discussing further the failure Of the