Evening star., 1935-07-18
.DESTROY|NGL LOBBY
RECORDS IS PINNED
ON A. G. {. OFFICIAL
Witness informs Senators
U. E. Beach Ordered
Papers Thrown Away.
TOLD TO CLEAR FILES
TO FORESTALL PROBE
Spending of Money for kilograms
to Influence Legislative
Opinion Is Related.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated freSS.
Testimony that an official OF the
Associated Gas & Electric Co., soon
after the lobby investigation was Or
dered. instructed his subordinates to
get rid of all records in connection
with their campaign against the utili-
ties bill was received today by the
Senate Lobby Committee.
E. w. O'Brien, Erie, Pa, Associated
official, said he had been directed by
U. E. Beach, manager Of the securi-
ties department of Associated at
Ithaca, N. Y, to dispose OF his rec
ords. He said he placed them in
waste basket.
Immediately, O'Brien added. he told
all his branch Offices to get rid OF
their records.
Did Beach say to you that the
company was going to destroy every
record it had everywhere in the United
States in connection with the Wheeler
bill?" asked Chairman Black.
Il don't remember" was the reply.
Explains Reason.
O'Brien said Beach told him "we
had no longer use of our legislative
records-that We were through with
utility legislation work"
r. P. Heron, Warren, Pa, bond
salesman, who sent several hundred
kilograms opposing the legislation to
members of Congress, said he had
burned" his records sfter O'Brien
had told him there was to be an in
vestigation and he should clear out his
files.
O'Brien said the original campaign
against the Wheeler Rayburn dissolu-
ton bill was arranged at q conference
of his company's security managers
from rs States at Ithaca.
In March, he said. the managers
were ordered by telephone to pay for
the telegram drive in cash.
Why not by check?" asked Senator
Schwelienbach, Democrat, of Wash
ington.
We were going around in q more
or less quiet way" O'Brien said. He
later said he didn't want any record
of the checks.
Didn't they want to conceal from
Senators and Representatives the fact
that these messages were not bona
f1de?"
The witness spared with his ques-
toner. but finally said that might
have been" the motive.
Recess Taken
The hearing recessed until 10 am.
tomorrow after T. B. Kingsbury,
Washington manager of the Western
Union. said a complete check showed
97,265 utility bill kilograms, costing
$58 1853, had been received by Repre-
sentatives during the week preceding
the House vote on the utilities bill.
In addition, he said 10000, costing
around $4,000. had been received for
Senators the eight days previous.
Switching to kilograms against the
holding company bill, Chairman Black
developed from O'Brien that $4,000
had been spent by the A. G. E. for
messages, the money for them being
paid by his personal checks.
He said $5, 100 had been paid to him
from the Ithaca Office for the drive
against the bill, and he had $500 left.
Heron said he had sent more than
1000 kilograms from Warren to mem
bers Of Congress and took 1t for
granted" that persons whose names
he had obtained from the telephone
directory had authorized their use as
signatures before the messages had
been sent. He explained thst Western
Union was to obtain the authorizations.
Type Of Records Destroyed.
Heron, employed by the Utilities
Investment Corp. A. G. E. agents,
said the records destroyed were "un-
signed kilograms, copies of news items
and editorials, not of an discriminating
nature"
Testimony had been received earlier
fSee LOBBY Page a.