The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-27
CHIEFS OF FAR-FLUNG
HOLDING FIRM CALLED
BEFORE LOBBY PROBERS
HopSon and Mango Are
Summoned to Hearing
on Monday.
C0NFEREES IN DISPUTE
Presence of Cohen StirS
Bitter Row Among
Farley Group.
ByI Hitcd Press

WASHINGTON, July 81
The Senate lobby investigat-
ing committee today issued
subpenas for J. l. Mango and
H. C. Hopson, heads of the
country'S most complicated
system of utility holding
companies the Associated Gas
and Electric Corp.
Hundreds of faxed kilograms sent
to congressman denouncing the
death sentence" clause of the
Wheeler-Rayburn utility bill we're
traced to employees of their PennSyl-
vania subsidiaries.
The fight of the Roosevelt Ad-
ministration to impose drastic
legislation on public utilities con-
tinued to provide the greatest ex-
element to heat-Sodden capital.
From the Senate House confereeS
undertaking to compromise the
death sentence" issue came SenSa-
tional charges that the Administra-
ton was attempting to influence
their secret deliberations.
Must Appear Monday
Mango and Hopson, mystery
men" of the utilities industry al
though they exercise absolute power
over an immense utility organiza-
ton, must appear before the COM
mittee Monday. With them we're
subpenaed other high Associated
officials. They will be questioned
about their activities in fighting the
death sentence" which, if it should
be enacted, probably would doom
Associated to extinction.
Mango was reported to be in
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Balti-
more. Committee investigators
have been unable to locate HopSon.
Their summoning represented the
committees intention Of learning
the full extent of the company's
fight on the death sentence"
1t has admitted spending more
than 100000 in its campaign.
Box Mystery Clearing Up
Concentration of the committee
efforts on Associated came after a
partial clearing of the mystery of
the box wrapped in a newspaper"
which a congressman carried from
the hotel room of a utility official.
Rep. Nat Patton, Texas Democrat,
who appeared as a witness yester-
day, admitted he had carried a box
Of cigars from the room of John w.
Carpenter, president of the Texas
Power and Light CO. He was ques-
toned concerning how he purchased
$4,000 in government bonds on $500,
his salary for his congressional
labors for four months.
After questioning Patton and Eu-
gene V. Sellers, an NRA employee
and Pattons friend, the committee
adjourned until Monday, when it
begins its investigation of Associ-
ated. The question of the cigar box
may be revived later.
AssaiI Administration Stand
Rep. George Huddleston ID,
Ala, one of the House conferees
on the utility holding company bill
and foe of the death sentence"
assailed alleged efforts of the Ad-
ministration to sway the conferees.
His stand was approved by Reps. P.
G. Holmes r., Mass) and John
G. Cooper (R., o.. also House con-
ferees and opponents Of the death
sentence"
The conference to adjust differ
ences between the utility bill passed
by the Senate, which carries the
death sentence" and that passed
by the House, which doesn't. was
still stalemated over the presence
of Benjamin " Cohen, PWA attor-
ney and member of the Roosevelt
brain trust.
Mr.. Cohen was active throughout
hearings on the bill to an amazing
extent" Huddleston said. He has
behind him the influence of the
chief executive, but to what degree
of accuracy he represents the Presi-
dent I, of course, do not know.
Under the circumstances, Mr..
Cohen's presence in the conference
is as representative of the President.
He is a bitter partisan OF this legis-
lation and in no sense holds to fair
and impartial standards. A calm
and fair decision in conference
would be impossible under such cir
cumstances."