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SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES

PORTLAND HEARINGS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1926

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES

IN SENATORIAL ELECTIONS,

Portland, Oreg.

The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 o'clock a. m., in Room 8-A in the Multnomah Hotel, Portland, Oreg., Senator Charles L. McNary presiding.

Present, Senator McNary.

Mr. THOMPSON. Is the committee ready to proceed?

Senator MCNARY. Yes, we are waiting for Mr. Clark and Mr. Griffith. Here is Mr. Griffith now. The meeting will be in order. Adjournment was had yesterday until this morning for the purpose of hearing additional witnesses. One was Mr. Stone, referred to in the testimony yesterday as having had something to say in Spokane concerning the subject matter under consideration, and this morning I received the following wire:

CHARLES L. MONARY,

SPOKANE, WASH., 27.

United States Senator, Multnomah Hotel, Portland, Oreg. James L. Stone out of city arriving in Spokane Thursday morning. Your wire will be called to his attention upon his arrival.

M. W. THERNES, Secretary Spokane Gas and Fuel.

Before this question is finally submitted to the Senate, or to some standing committee of the Senate having jurisdiction of matters of this kind, this committee will locate Mr. Stone and see what he knows about this transaction; but not to-day or to-morrow, as I am leaving to-day either for Arizona or the East. Mr. Griffith. Mr. PECK. Mr. Clark will go on the stand first.

Senator MCNARY. Very well. Take this chair, Mr. Clark.

TESTIMONY OF CLARENCE M. CLARK

CLARENCE M. CLARK was thereupon produced as a witness, and, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:

Q. (By Senator MCNARY.) What is your full name, Mr. Clark? A. Clarence M. Clark; Clarence Monroe Clark, if you want my middle name.

Q. That is enough. What is your address?

A. 321 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

Q. Are you connected with any corporation that owns stock in the Portland Railway, Light & Power Co.?

A. No, sir.

Q. Have you any interest in the local company?

A. I am a large stockholder, individually.

Q. Do you know something about the hearing in this investigation now being made?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Have you any knowledge of the transaction that is therein alleged to have transpired between your company or yourself, or any of your associates, through Mr. Griffith and Mr. Piper, the editor of the Oregonian, or any of the owners or managers or directors or officers of the Oregonian Publishing Co., a corporation?

A. I have no knowledge whatever, except that received two days ago, at Chico, Calif., by telegrams in regard to the accusations which had been made.

Q. What is the name of the parent organization, the organization that owns the local transportation line?

A. There is no parent organization.

Q. Well, tell me what it is.

A. The Portland Co. is an independent corporation, with stockholders and bondholders, like any other corporation. There is no holding company, or no controlling company of any kind whatever. Q. Well, through what company or organization do you operate in Philadelphia?

A. The Portland Electric Power Co.

Q. That is the company's name in Philadelphia?

A. The only eastern office is in my office, the office of E. W. Clark & Co., bankers, of Philadelphia; the treasurer is located there, and one or two vice presidents. I am the chairman of the executive committee, with the special duty of directing the policy and execu tive management of the company. The headquarters of the company are here in Portland, Oreg. The organization is complete, for all the active operations of the company. Our duties in Philadelphia are mostly related to the financial matters.

Q. If any campaign contribution was made by your company, or your associates, are you in a position to know the facts concerning it? A. Yes, sir.

Q. Is it the practice of the company to contribute to campaigns? A. No, sir.

Q. Have you made any contribution in the campaign, in the pri mary or election campaign in Oregon?

A. None whatever.

Q. Have you ever received any requests from Mr. Franklin T. Griffith, local manager, for contributions in behalf of Mr. Steiwer, or any other individual in the States, running for United States Senator?

A. No, sir.

Q. Or in opposition to Senator Stanfield's candidacy?

A. No, sir.

Q. Have you made any contributions?

A. None whatever.

Q. Has any appeal of any kind been made to you by Mr. Griffith, or anyone associated with the local company?

A. No, sir.

Q. Do you know anything about other than what you have heard at Chico, Calif., concerning the charge made in the telegram now; under investigation?

A. Nothing except what I have seen in the press since that time, and heard from our representatives.

Senator MCNARY. You may question Mr. Clark, if you desire. Mr. PECK. I have no examination.

Senator MCNARY. Mr. Thompson?

Mr. THOMPSON. No.

Q. (By Mr. WATKINS.) Mr. Clark, who are the officials, or officers; of the P. E. P. Co.?

A. Mr. Franklin T. Griffith, president; there are two or three vice presidents. Mr. H. L. Clark is a vice president. Mr. E. W. Clark, a vice president, Mr. G. L. Esterbrook is treasurer, Mr. Shep herd, assistant treasurer.

Q. Who is the third vice president?

A. I don't think there is any third vice president.

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Q. I understood you to say there were three vice presidents. A. No, there are two. There are two vice presidents. Well, Mr. Lyons. We have two here. Yes, I am wrong. There are four, because there are two here. Mr. Lyons is a vice president, and Mr. Coldwell is a vice president. I was giving you the eastern offices. Q. Well, I thought of Mr. Coldwell

A. Yes, there are four.

Q. Well, who else, now? The treasurer

A. Mr. Esterbrook is treasurer, and Mr. Lamont, treasurer-assistant secretary, I believe his title is. Mr. Shepherd here is the assistant treasurer, also secretary.

Q. What position do you hold?

A. I am the chairman of the executive committee.

Q. Is that the only position you hold?

A. The only position. I am a director.

Q. Well, how many directors are there?
A. I think there are nine.

Q. Do you know them?

A. Yes, I know them all. Maybe it is 11. Mr. Griffith, Mr. Coldwell, Mr. Holman, Mr. Ainsworth, Mr. William Ladd, Mr. Swigert, myself, C. M. Clark, Mr. Frederick Strauss, of New York, Mr. Odgen Mills, of New York, my brother, Mr. E. W. Clark-how many is that?

Mr. PECK. I think you have 13, Mr. Clark.

A. Thirteen? All right.

Mr. PECK. I think there are 13 in all.

A. I think there are one or two more locally.

Mr. WATKINS. No more eastern?

Mr. PECK. Mr. Huggins and Mr. MacNaughton. I think omitted.

A. Mr. Huggins and Mr. MacNaughton.
Mr. WATKINS. No other eastern members?

Mr. PECK. Swigert. Did he name Swigert?
Mr. LOGAN. Yes, Swigert.

A. Is Mr. Lyons a director?
Mr. LOGAN. Yes.

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A. Mr. Lyons, vice president. Mr. H. L. Clark may be a director. I am not sure.

Q. (By Mr. WATKINS.) Mr. Mills-is he the Ogden L. Mills that was the Congressman, now candidate for governor? Is that the Odgen L. Mills, or his father?

A. His father.

Q. Is Ogden, junior-I don't know whether it is junior or notthat is candidate for governor, interested in the P. E. P. Co. ?

A. Not at all, except possibly as a stockholder. His father may have given him some stock.

Q. He isn't a director?

A. No, sir.

Q. Now, Mr. Clark, could any of those directors or officials in the East have contributed money unknown to you to a campaign here in Oregon?

A. Certainly, as a personal matter, but that wouldn't be an official corporation matter at all.

Q. And you have no affiliations back there in the way of a parent or associated company?

A. None whatever.

Q. Is the P. E. P. Co. a subsidary of the General Electric Co.? A. No, sir.

Q. Any connections?

A. None whatever, excepting that we buy large amounts of machinery from them.

Q. They own no stock in it?

A. That I don't know. No substantial amount. I don't think that the General Electric Co. owns any stock whatever. never seen their name on a stock list.

I have

Q. Do you know whether or not there are any officials of your company-I believe you said that that is the only company you were associated with in so far as a utility company was concerned?

A. Oh, no; I didn't say that at all.

Q. Well, you are an official of the P. E. P. Co.

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What other public utilities are you an official of?

A. I am an official of the Commonwealth Power Corporation of Michigan, of the Consumers' Power Co. of Michigan, of the Northern Ohio Electric Power Co., of the Tennessee Electric Power Co., of the Electric Railway Securities Co. That, also-well, that is Michigan and some other States. Possibly one or two other smaller subsidiaries of the Commonwealth Power Co., which is a very large organization, with many subsidiaries.

Q. And are any of those companies affiliated or associated by a common directorate?

A. Not at all.

Q. And that is true with respect to the General Electric Co.?

A. Absolutely.

Q. And these of which you are a stockholder?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Could any of those companies have contributed money and you not know it?

A. I think-yes, sir; they could, undoubtedly, because I don't handle the accounts, or supervise the accounts of those companies.

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