The Texas House of Representatives Committee on State Affairs, a standing committee, made a special investigation in response to a House Simple Resolution passed on May 9, 1929 by the 41st Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session. The resolution ordered an investigation into accusations made by C.D. Neff, an oil company investment broker, of incompetency and unfair administration of state laws. Most of Neff's charges concerned the Blue Sky Law (House Bill 177, 38th Legislature, 1923) designed to regulate and supervise investment companies. Neff (no relation to former Texas Governor Pat M. Neff) claimed that members of the Texas Secretary of State Department and the Texas Attorney General's Office had sought monetary favors for the issuance of oil company permits. The House considered these charges serious enough to warrant a special investigation and referred the matter to the House Committee on State Affairs.
The committee first heard the testimony and cross-examination of Neff and placed exhibits from him into evidence. The next day, rebuttal testimony was heard from state officials and other witnesses who refuted Neff's charges. In their report to the House, the committee announced that they found no evidence of any misconduct, incompetency, or violation of the law. The House adopted the report on May 21, 1929 to end the investigation.
(Sources include: the guide survey completed for this material; and the Texas Legislative Reference Library web site, accessed March 2012.)
From the guide to the House of Representatives State Affairs Committee records, 1929, (Texas State Archives)
