Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-29

swore 10 officials Of the A. G. E.
system, and dismissed them from the
room.
Ross told the committee Hopson
the Associated Gas g. Electric Cos. in
1884. but had remained the dominant
figure in the group.
The system is operated, Ross said,
through Hopsons private companies.
He testified the system frequently
Ito make it more difficult" for regu-
latory commissions to supervise them
Until 1882. Hopson's private COM
pany was known as H. C. Hopson g.
Co. but its work has been taken over
by companies known as Jones Oper-
ating g. Finincial Corp. and Utility &
Financial Accounts. it was testified.
Questioned by Senator Schwellen-
bach, Ross said Hopson had realized
the profits from his private companies
during the five years beginning In 1929.
The Washington Senator developed
that the private companies had taken
an average of $3.50. 900 a year in profits
out of the A. G. E. system during the
depression years.
Hunt for Witness Told.
After Ross concluded the committee
called Joseph P. Mccarthy, a commit
tee investigator, to tell of his efforts
to find Hopson. Mccarthy said he
had been looking for him since a
week ago Friday.
The last evidence Of Hopson's pres
ence at the company Offices. he said.
was on July 8. when he sent tele-
gram to william Randolph Hearst,
newspaper publisher, at San Simeon
Calf, asking his cooperation TO block
the holding company bill
The telegram, as placed In the rec
ord, follows:
Have just been advised that there
Is great likelihood that House holding
company bill will pass tomorrow, COM
pletely disregarding its probable I'M
constitutionality. Hope your people
will use every influence they have to
prevent this breaking down OF the
prestige Of the Constitution"
How much has the company paid
to the Hearst papers in connection
with advertising against the holding
company bill?" Schwellenbach said.
Money for Advertising.
rF.N.-kLu s>1H.A +k.S ~. 1850.
panies had spent $23.3l1 for adver-
Using in % Hearst papers from March
to July "a.
H. D. Cullen, another committee
investigator. also testified to efforts
to find HopSon. He said his offices
we're vacant as though they were
being abandoned
Similar testimony was given by
George 8. Brown. third committee in
vestigator, who said company officials
did not know where Hopson was.
At this point, Silk, accountant for
Hopson companies, was called. He
testified he had not seen Hopson since
July II and did not know where he
was.
w. Partridge, jr., who said his job
was to talk to people who came in to
see Hopson, then testified he had
seen Hopson within the last two
weeks, but could not recall when.I
&. Schwellenbach asked If he might
be visiting Hearst at San Simeon.
Does he visit San Simeon often?
the Senator asked.
ITO my knowledge, he never does, +"
Partridge replied.
Controller Testifes.
o. Z. Wasser, controller Of the As
ISOLATED Gas & Electric Co. & Sys-
tenn, said he had not seen Hopson
since about January.
Schwellenbach said the committee
investigators had found the COM
panies' files bare with reference to
the Wheeler Rayburn bill.
Wasser said he had never seen any
correspondence on the subject though
it has been testified the company
spent 100000 to defeat the bill.
U. Z. Beach. head Of the security
department at Erie, was given full au-
thority to conduct the campaign, he
said.
Asked about the use Of directories
to get the names Of signers for tele-
grams to Representatives, Wasser said:
1T never heard of that. No such
instructions went from me-"
Wasser said instructions on the