ru' wummm" ' " mum - n. "iw' ilHp.il WJP If
out $5,0,000,000 of stocks and bonds
in 191 without asking the public util
ities commission for the right to issue
the securities. The fees.on these se
curities would be $40,000. '
By going ahead without paying any
attention to the commission, the In
sull crowd has beaten the people of
Illinois out of $40,000 of fees, says
the petition.
That isn't the worst of it, however.
The watered stock forces the users of
electric light and power to pay rates
based on a false capitalization, it is
alleged. The kilowatt hour rate of
the Commonwealth Edison is 10
cents as against 3 cents in Winnipeg.
3 cents in Cleveland and Columbus, 7
cents in Toledo, O., S cents in New
York, Syracuse and Rochester. Rates
are lower in nearly all other large
American cities.
The Commonwealth Edison Co.,
capitalized at $80,698,054 is not worth
over $55,000,000, the petition says.
o o
WESTERN UNION HAS SPIES, IS
TESTIMONY
Special agents to spot union men
are at work all over' the Western
Union Telegraph Co. system, Presi
dent Newcomb Carlton stated to the
U. S. industrial relations commission
today. Only under pressure of close
questioning by Chairman Walsh and
Commissioner Garretson did Carle
ton admit these special agents make
reports and the company discharges
union men so reported. He didn't
know what salaries they get,, nor ex
pens accounts.
"Who controls th special agents?"
Carlton was asked.
"I don't like those fellows and I
don't know much about them," he
answered while laughter swept the
room.
He said he didn't know anything
definite about the threat of the com
pany in 1908 to take away the leased
wires of the United Press unless the
U. P. broke its contract with the tel
egraphers' union '
"As a matter of history, are not ,
Tyou, the president of the cdinpany,"
familiar with that matter?" Walsh '
asked.
"I could not say anything about
that. I must refer you to Uir. Belvi
dere Brooks, our vice president," was
the reply.
o o
BROKER FARSON INDICTED WITH
SEVEN OTHERS
Eight indictments alleging frauds
through sale of millions of dollars'
worth of bonds in an irrigation pro
ject, it was announced today, were
secretly returned last week against
promoters of the project.
The following were indicted on two
counts charging conspiracy to violate
the postal laws and perpetration of
fraud through the mails:
Charles F. Tew, lawyer and poli
tician of Greeley, CoL; William S. Biff,
millionaire capitalist of Denver; Sam
uel H. Shields, millionaire capitalist
of Denver.
The following were indicted on
charges of violation of postal laws:
William Farson of Farson & Co.,
Chicago; John Farson, Jr., New York
representative of Farson & Co.; Geo.
S. Osborne, formerly of Chicago, now
of Cheyenne, Wyo.; Roy A. H.
Thompson of Chicago; Harry B. Par
rett of Chicago.
o o
SCENTED "FOWL" PLAY
New York. Mrs. Joseph Guy saw'
a mysterious man and woman drop a
package from the rail of a ferry boat
Volunteer crime detectors dragged
the river and found a dead rooster
wrapped in paper.
o o '
HIS WATCH SAVED HIM
New York. Herman Oetjen can
thank his gold watch for saving his
life. Burglar who tried to stick him
up in his store fired point blank at
Oetjen. Bullet struck watch.
o o
What are those floating hiine fish
ers kicking about anyhow? - Isn't it a
darned sight better to fish for float
ing 4nines than not ta fish at all?
&fe& t&KtjHih 2f- i-aSifei.
2-