Evening star., 1935-07-17
LOBBY QUIZ HEARS
UTILITY ORDERED
EVIDENCE BURNED
Western Union Operator
Reports He Overheard
Bond Salesman.
FAKING OF TELEGRAMS
DENOUNCED BY GADSDEN
Chairman of Executive Group
Says Discrediting of Industry
Can Be Traced to Minority.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Testimony that R. P. Heron, bond
salesman for the Associated Gas &
Electric Co., said he had received in
structions from his Superiors to de-
stroy all papers that might prove dam
aging in the congressional utility bill
lobby investigations was received to-
day by the Senate Lobby Committee.
This was given by A. F. Christensen
Western Union operator at Warren, Pa
Previous testimony was that HERON
had dictated several hundred anti
utility bill kilograms in the Western
Union office and had signed them with
names taken from the telephone dl-
rectory.
Later. it was said. copies OF the
original kilograms were found burned
In the basement.
Christensen said he had heard Jack
Fisher. ousted manager of the Warren
Western Union office, and Heron
talking the day of the evening the
records were burned.
Fire Would Be Nice"
He said Heron remarked 1T would
be nice if a fire could be arranged in
the basement"
Fisher replied, Christensen said, it
might be 'all right, as the 10-year
lease on the building was up anyway.
Testimony that Fisher had told him
Heron faced danger of 20-year
sentence for forging the kilograms also
was given by Christensen.
Meanwhile, Philip H. Gadsden,
chairman of the Committee Of Public
Utility Executives, said in a state
ment:
IF subsequent evidence confirms the
accusation that representatives OF a
utility holding company have sent out
fake kilograms opposing the public
utilities bill. the Committee of Public
Utility Executives condemns such
action as dishonest, just as strongly
as any other group in the United
1T is acts IKE this committed by a
small number OF companies which
have brought diScredt upon the in
dustry and which have made It neces-
sary for us to come to Washington
to defend ourselves against a bill
seeking to destroy Us
The Senate lobby Investigators or
dered Western Union officials tc pre-
serve all kilograms sent out in the
last year.
On the other SIDE of the Capitol,
meantime, the House Rules Committee,
which also is Investigating utilities
lobbying, heard Repi sentative Brew
Ster, Republican, of Maine assert that
he was ready TO sacrifice his ieputa-
ton, if necessary. for the Passama-
cuoddy tide-harne3sing project.
Brewster told tie EouSe inveStiga-
tors he thought It hac been amply
established that ''if had finally voted
for the death sentence in the utili-
ties bill, there would have Deen no
difficulty regarding o. Oddly ~
Brewster precipitated the House in
vestigation by asserting that Thomas
Corcoran, r. F. c. attorney, threatened
to stop construction of the Pas
samaquoddy embarrassing project
in his district unless he voted to abolish
unnecessary" holding companies, as
desired by President Roosevelt.
Statement Was Denied.
The former Maine Governor voted
otherwise. Corcoran had denied the
statement.
Brewster said that las 1 read Mr.
Corcorans testimony, the only differ
ence between Mr.. Corcoran's and my
testimony is that he says instead OF
saying he would stop 'Quoddy, he
would recommend that it stop"
Roy r. Haines, a secretary to
Brewster, told the House investigators
DIR. Harry Cory of the Public Works
Administration had told him and his
fellow secretaries that nothing more
will be doing on 'Quoddy' until the
holding company bill is out of the
way" and that Brewster had better
come back from Maine because "he is
holding up 'Quoddy'
At the outset of today's Senate Lobby
Committee hearing, Miss Gladys Lod-
ing, conely western Union clerk at
Warren, corroborated Fishers testi-
mony of yesterday concerning the
(See LOBBY, Page So