Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/414

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

New Haven line. The attempt of the Union Pacific Railway Company to divert profits and evade the payment of dividends to stock holders of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railway Company is being tested by Mr. Untermyer. as counsel to the committee of stockholders of the latter road.

He has been active in putting forth plans for the enforcement of the Sherman law and in seeking the enactment of more stringent laws for federjil regulations of trusts, reform in criminal laws, protection of minority stock holders, and legislation to curb the concentration of wealth through use of cor- porate funds, and these and kindred subjects have been the themes of many public ad- dresses before the National City Federation and the Economic clubs of New York and Boston, and of articles in the "North Amer- ican Review" and elsewhere. Among other essays on these topics may be named "Evils and Remedies in the Administration of Criminal Law ;" "Some Needed Legislative Reforms in Corporate Management ;" "Ex- termination vs. Regulation of the Trusts, Which Shall It Be;" "Government Regula- tion of the Trusts with Special Reference to the Sherman Act." In 191 2, as chairman of the sub-committee on plan, he submitted to the National Civic Federation a scheme for the regulation of trusts and the establish- ment of an industrial commission similar in its scope and powers over industrial cor- porations to the jurisdiction of the inter- state commerce commission over railroads. This recommendation received widespread, favorable comment.

In December, 191 1, Mr. Untermyer de- livered before the Finance Forum in New York an address entitled "Is There A Money Trust," exposing irregular financial condi- tions existing in the country, and pointing out legislation necessary to cure existing abuses. This timely expose of the evils of our banking and currency system so aroused the country that it was followed immediately by a congressional investigation, looking to remedial legislation. Mr. Untermyer was appointed counsel to the committee on bank- ing and currency of the house of representa- tives, which had this matter in hand and conducted the so-called "money trust in- vestigation." A Democrat, with progressive ideas, he is in favor of a direct election of United States senators and other measures tending to give the people their inherent

political rights, and is an ardent believer in woman suffrage. He is strongly opposed to the recall of judges. In 1904 he was chosen delegate to the Democratic state and national conventions, and was a delegate to the national convention at Baltimore in 1912. He is president of the board of man- agers of the State Industrial Farm Colony of New York, to which office he was ap- pointed by Governor Dix. He is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, New York Coimty Lawyers" Association (of which he is a director, chairman of the committee on legislation, and of the committee on jury lists), American Society of International Law, League for Political Education, Metro- politan Museum of Art. He is a director of the Manhattan and Lotus clubs, and a member of others, including National Demo- cratic, Lawyers', Press, Economic and Auto- mobile Club of America. He is now senior member of the firm of Guggenheimer, LTntermyer & Marshall.

A patron of many charities, he does not confine his activities to those of his own race, but is a liberal contributor in many directions. He is a lover of art, and his city and country homes are embellished by collections including the work of both old and modern masters, among them being some of the finest paintings of Whistler, Winslow and other American artists. His country estate, "Greystone," at Yonkers, New York, formerly the home of Samuel J. Tilden, probably has the largest range of private greenhouses in the world, where are grown rare and beautiful flowers that have carried off prizes whenever exhibited. He is rarely to be seen without a baby orchid (the peculiar product of his own green- houses) or a gardenia or carnation in his button-hole. His collie kennels are famous the world over, and he is said to have paid six thousand five hundred dollars for one dog. "The Squire of Tytton," and his prize poultry has won the ribbons at numerous shows.

He married, August 9. 1880, Minnie Carl, of New York.

Raleigh Travers Green. Settlement by the line of Greens of which Raleigh Travers Green, of Culpeper, Virginia, is a member, was made in Culpeper county. Virginia, about 1712 by Robert Green, born in Eng-