Reports of Committees

Q. Is there incapacity on the part of Mr. Hartwell to perfom the du ties of the office which he holds?-A. I should consider that, instead of his being incapacitated, he has a capacity for a much more difficult and responsible office than that which he now holds.

Mr. PLATT. With regard to these other cases, I do not think it worth while, with our limited time, to go over them. I wanted to call your attention to Mr. Hartwell particularly, because I thought it was due to him and you that I should do so.

CHARLES H. SEARLES sworn and examined.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Where do you live?-Answer. At Millbury.

Q. Have you lived in Sutton?-A. I always lived there previous to 1878.

Q. Were you assessor of that town?-A. I was.

Q. Was Mr. Chase an assessor on the board?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. State whether you had any conversation with him in regard to the valuation of the Manchaug corporation's property ?-A. I had.

Q. What was it ?-A. We had some conversation in regard to valuation.

Q. When you were both acting as assessors ?-A. Yes, sir. We bad then some conversation in regard to the valuation. He wished to have the assessment reduced, and I thought that it ought not to be reduced.

Q. What did he say ?-A. It is so long ago that I couldn't tell you. Q. Did he not complain of the valuation being too high?-A. He did. Q. Did he not threaten to oppose your re election if you did not agree with him?—A. We had some pretty warm words, and I so understood it.

Q. (By Mr. PLATT.) When was that?-A. That was in 1874, I think. I have not been assessor since 1874.

By the CHAIRMAN :

Q. You understood him to say that he would oppose your re-election if you would not agree with him in the valuation?-A. I so understood it.

Q. Were you elected again?-A. I bave never been a candidate since.

By Mr. PLATT:

Q. There is a good deal of feeling up there between some citizens and the corporation in relation to the taxation of the property of the corporation, is there not?-A. I think there is.

Q. The company want to get it down as low as they can, and the citizens want to get it as high as they can, I suppose ?-A. Yes, sir.

By Mr. BLAIR:

Q. Were you chairman of the board?-A. I was chairman of the board of assessors in 1874.

Q. Mr. Chase was one, who was the other member?-A. Mr. Dodge. Q. Do you or not think that at that time you made a fair valuation of the property and assessed it as it ought to be assessed?—A. I took my oath that I had assessed that property at its full and fair valuation according to my best knowledge and belief.

Q. You did not tell a lie, did you?-A. No, sir; I did not intend to. Q. Reviewing the matter all the way back to 1874, have you any doubt that you made a fair and just valuation?-A. Jason Waters, a year ago last spring, before I left town, came to me to know if I would allow my Dame to be used as a candidate for the office of assessor. I refused to allow it to be used. He was very anxious to have the valuation of that property raised. I told him, "Were I assessor, I could not consistently raise the valuation of that property one mill."

Q. Your judgment would not permit it?-A. No, sir; I am a farmer and do not know the value of manufacturing property, but in 1874 I endeavored to obtain information on that point. I then took pains to find out how the mills in Rhode Island, the Albion, Lonsdale, Ashton, and other large mills, were valued in that State. In Massachusetts, I went to the towns of Northbridge, Grafton, and Millbury and obtained from the assessors the valuation of the mills in those towns, and then referred to the valuation in Manchaug Village.

Q. Of the mill proper?-A. Yes; of the mill proper. I call that Manchaug Village, for it is essentially the village. The valuation in Manchaug stood higher than the average of the other three towns I have mentioned. It did not stand as high as the mills in Rhode Island; the valuation there averaged $15 per spindle. The valuation in Manchaug Village stood at $12.74 per spindle, if my memory serves me right. The reason why I thought that that was a fair valuation was this: The property was situated several miles from a railroad station, and, to start with, I agreed with the other assessors that there should be an allowance made of $2 per spindle for the difference in location. And then there is the capital, to the amount, I believe, of $350,000, or a little more, which we did not take into account in the assessment of the tax or valuation of the property.

By Mr. McDONALD:

Q. The point of the controversy between Chase and you was that he wanted it reduced still lower ?—A. Yes, sir; he wanted it reduced still lower. It had not been reduced at that time.

Q. He wanted it put at a still lower figure?—A. Yes, sir; he wanted it put at $100,000. The valuation was $500,000. We had some sharp words; both of us got pretty well excited, and I believe he told me that I never should hold the office of assessor if he could prevent it, and I know that I gave him to understand that I never should assist him to the office again; and I believe I never have.

Q. You have both kept your agreement ?—A. I believe we have, but I never allowed my name to be used.

Q. He wanted it at $400,000, and you fixed it at $500,000?-A. We reduced the valuation somewhat that year.

Q. Do you know that the valuation has remained substantially the same ever since?—A. I do not know what the valuation is at present, but I would say this, that Mr. Chase and I agreed, after our sharp words, and after, I am sorry to say, some profane language had been usedQ. He did not swear, did he?-A. I should not want to say that he did not. Some days after the one on which the sharp words occurred, we agreed to leave it to the selectmen as arbitrators, not that I thought it was any of their business, but we so agreed. Mr. Chase was not present at the meeting of the arbitrators, but Mr. Dexter, for the mill, was present, and I was present; he and I making the statement—I for one side and Mr. Dexter for the other.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. At what was it finally fixed?-A. It was finally fixed, by leaving it to those selectmen to state what it should be, at $480,000. Mr. Dexter showed that they had the spindles but they had not the looms, or at least had not all the machinery but only part of the machinery, and therefore we thought it but just to take off $20,000 from the valuation.

AMOS BATCHELDER SWorn and examined.

By Mr. BLAIR:

Question. Where do you reside?-Answer. Eight miles from Manchaug Village, on one of the farms.

Q. State whether or not you have been on the board of assessors of that town; and, if so, for how long.-A. I took Mr. Searle's place, and have been on the board ever since.

Q. What has been the valuation of this mill property in question, from that time, and what is it at present?-A. It essentially remained the same. Of course the valuation of stock would vary in different years, but essentially the valuation of the mills, the real estate, and that part has remained the same as it was when I came on the board.

Q. What is it now?-A. It is somewhere from $450,000 to $480,000. On motion of Mr. McDONALD, the committee adjourned to meet at the call of the chairman.

INDEX.

Testimony of Henry L. Hallett, chief supervisor of elections...

Joseph M. Wightman, chairman of Boston board of registration..
Edward J. Howard, of Boston board of registration.....

George G. Crocker, secretary Republican State committee, sworn..
recalled

Adin Thayer, chairman Republican State committee

John D. Washburne, chairman Republican city committee of Wor

cester...

James H. Mellen, of Worcester, an ex-legislator.

RELATING TO MANCHAUG CORPORATION, ETC.