The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-18
Million Dollars To
Beat Roosevelt Bill
CONTINUED from Page ~

Philip H. Gadsden, chairman OF
tbs committee of public utility ex-
e6utives, revealed his group spent
1901. 900.
The Associated Gas and Electric
system statement said it's two rep
resentatives mentioned in the SEN
ate testimony had long been in the
cempany's employ and that I'VE
propose to stand by them until we
have convincing evidence that
same other action is warranted"
Meanwhile, committeeman sought
to learn how many messages
poured into offices of senators and
representatives after the contro-
versial legislation was placed be-
fore congress. Chairman Hugo l..
Black, democrat, Alabama, said an
effort would be made to obtain
the data from Western Union and
Postal Telegraph Company files.
$1,000 Messages Sent
In a preliminary estimate, I. B.
X. ~sbury, manager of the West
ern Union Office here, said about
$1,000 messages were received in
one week during the height of the
hattie for and against the bill.
The committee heard half a doz-
en- witnesses yesterday without
solving the mystery surrounding
& disappearance of original copies of
Kilograms sent from the Warren
telegraph office to Rep D. ]. Dris-
\ coll, d. Pa, opposing the legisla-
tion. Some said they believed the
Z messages had been burned, but +.
n, Veale, Western Union superin-
{, tendent who investigated the Incl
dent, testified he thought they had
tsjust disappeared"
y Shew injected new disclosure
into the fast-moving inquiry when
/. he declared that Heron and o.
Brien told him they had destroyed
Y all personal records" relating to
/. telegraphic appeals because they
feared results of the present con-
gressional investigation.
Duplicate Copies Suggested
n He said that O'Brien suggested
that duplicate copies of the miss
ing Warren records should be OBJ
tained and placed in the Western
Union Office files so that mo one
would know" of the disappearance.
Y Shew, slender and partly bald,
Testified that O'Brien's proposal
was made during conference at
the latter's Erie home shortly after
Western Union officials began an
of activities in the
s4Warren office.
II Heron told US that he had
destroyed all his personal records
relating to kilograms sent to Rep.
Driscoll,' 'Shew said, because he
didn't want any one in Washing
: ton to get any evidence on him."
X tit was testified earlier that many
of the messages were unauthorized
and that Heron obtained sigma
lures from the Warren city direc-
tory.
"What did o'Brien say to that?"
Black asked.
aHe just said that he had done
tho same thing" Shew replied.
Three Cents a Signature
From Elmer Danielson ,19-year-
old messenger boy, the committee
heard testimony that the Associat-
ed Gas and Electric company paid
messengers three cents for each
signature they obtained to messa-
ges opposing the bill.
Elmer, a witty, red-faced young
ster who said he'd decided to adopt
neutral position on the legisla-
ton, testified he collected only Is
cents. Among the signers he OBJ
tanned were his mother, a hoy
friend" and a neighbor.
Veale produced a cardboard box
of ashes taken from the stove in
the Warren office after discovery
that copies of the telegram to Dris-
coll had disappeared. Examining
the fragments through magni-
flying glass, committeeman were
satisfied that the messages related
no the holding company measure.
y Another witness, A. F. Christen-
son, Warren operator, testified that
he overheard Heron make this
comment to Jack Fisher, office
manager on the day the records
disappeared:
X Nice to Have Fire
1T would be a nice idea If you
had a fire in the cellar"
v Christensen said Fisher replied
that it would be 'all right because
our lease is just about up any
way"
The house lobbying investigar
ton committee may resume hear
fngs Friday, Chairman John j.
O'Connor, d., N. Y, of the rules
committee, said.
1t has finished the Corcoran-
Brewster phase and will next take
up the question of private utility
lobbying. O'Connor said his ques-
tionaires to individual members
asking data on known lobbyists
had produced little tangible re-
suits" thus far.
He said he was working out"
details for employing special coun-
sci for the committee and staff Of