UNHAPPY MAYOR

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 52, 30 August 1932, Page 9

UNHAPPY MAYOR

NEW.,YORK INQUIRY

GRANT OF BUS FRANCHISE

WALKER COLLAPSES

Every once in a while, remarks "The Literary Digest," out pops a lively rabbit from, the normally unexciting silk , hat of prestidigitator'Seabury's New [York City investigation. There were all those "tin boxes" and mysteriously swollen bank accounts, and a sheriff spectacularly accused and •then dismissed from office by the Governor. And now the investigation comes back to the front pages of the New .York papers with strange references to ,the "boy friend" and the "public enemy" and cryptic telegrams and a near assault upon the person of Mr. Seabury. This time it seems to be a matter of buses. According to the New- York papers, Mayor Walker ran for office on a pledge to give the city an adequate system of buses, and now the Mayor's Ijrotracted attempts to carry out Ms promises come within the range of J>rober Seabury. The New Yorker reading his morning paper in the subway or commuters' .train has been finding some fresh development each day. Here comes City Controller Charles W. Berry to relate, in response to Seabury questioning, how Mayor Walker managed to force through the Board of Estimate, late :n 1926, the grant of a franchise for ■bus operation to the Equitable Coach Company. The'-very next day wo hear more about this Equitable Company, which seemed to bo dying for lack of support after it had secured the necessary franchise. The Mayor called in vain, upon important bankers and business v men for financial aid. One of the Equitable backers, Prank E. Fageol, Ohio bus manufacturer, received a telegram from his New York representative about this .time, which read mysteriously as folio ws:— ■ . "2so answer yet your Suggested financing. He advises War Board notified Boy Friend time limit was 15th April. ,Have made progress -upstairs and arranged meeting late yesterday between 'Budge and Boy Friend before he left for Florida, Judge reported favourable ■progress and expected see Ms boss to-, May and advise me Monday. His boss Jpoor health ordered away for months, but if he says yes we,can'get extension. Will keep-you advised." A SIGNIFICANT DATE. Putting the recipient of this telegram on the stand, Mr. Seabury reminded him. that it was dated 17th March, 1928, and that that happened to be the /very date on' Which Mayor James J. !,Walkcr went to Florida for a rest. The invitness would make no direct admissions butj according to the "New York /Times" reporter, after many 'promptings and suggestions, agreed that this might be a more or less "plausible" translation:— ' *No answer yet your suggested financing. Senator Hastings advises Tammany Hall notified the Mayor time limit was 15th April. Have made progress with General Electric Company and arranged meeting late yesterday between the attorney for the company and the Mayor before he left for Florida. The lawyer • reported favourable progress and expected to see his boss (either Owen D. Young or Gerard Swope) to-day." According to Carl Bandau, of "The "World-Telegram," the significance of Mayor Walker's interest in the Equitable financing rests on "earlier testimony showing that the promoters expectea earnings of 19,000,0.00 dollars in the first ten years, and that of 210,000 shares of common stock one-third were to be allotted to Mr. Hastings, whoso annual dividends were estimated at 200,000 dollars." ' ' And this brings us to State Senator John A. Hastings, who is described in the Press as a "political contact man" in the Equitable deal. AN EXCITED SENATOE. After Mr. Seabury had brought out testimony; involving Mr.-. Hastings, the Senator turned up one day at the hearings "resplendently tailored, with a gardenia in his lapel, but without his •white spats." As the papers tell the story, he interrupted the proceedings by bursting out again and again; with loud lioaTSO laughs. Finally, they simply had to call a recess to quiet Mr. Hastings. But Mr. Hastings didn't quiet so easily. As the investigator entered the back loom with the committee, Senator Hastings, a heavily-built man in hia early thirties, rushed at the white-hair-ed Seabury, shaking his fist under his nose, grabbing at his coat lapel, and screaming, "You coward, you political blackmailer you/you are afraid to call me on the stand!" There were calls for the cops, for the sergeant-at'arms, as an ex-football man on the: Seabury staff jumped between his chief and the Senator. Later, Mr. Seabury let it be understood that Senator Hastings would have his day on" the stand, and, as the committee delved into the obscure details of past and present bus franchises, public attention turned to a less spectacular but politically more important fight' staged in. the- New York City Hall. This was still a matter of buses. It concerned the granting of franchises in the Borough of Queens. The New York City Board of Estimate was giving a public, hearing, and' these particular franchises were boing inquired into rather closely by Controller. Berry's deputy, Mr. Frank J. Prial. After a while, Mayor Walker tola Mr. Prial he was acting as if he had an understanding ''with these enemies of the public, who havo made vituperative and false statements about this Board of Estimate and its members." Well, then, who are these enemies of the public? Mr. Norman Thomas and Mr. Paul Blanshard, of the City Affairs Committee, which has' been helping push investigations into alleged graft in New OTork, at once assumed that they were designated. And then Controller Berry seemed to think that he was implicated. For he came out with this statement, which newspapers both in and out of New York consider full of political significance: "I confidently assert that the loyal, honest Democrats in this city will not believe that graft and corruption are assets to their party, or that those who oppose such things in our Government are in any sense public enemies. "I believe any one who calls himself a Democrat, and who tolerates such contemptible practices as have been described on the front pages of the daily newspapers for weeks past, does not truly represent the Democrats of the City of New York." SOME PRESS COMMENTS. Aa a sample of the outside interest shown in this statement, "The Digest" quoted these paragraphs from the Demo- . cratic Boston""Globe":— "This is no tempest in a teapot. Hitherto, there have been feuds within the Tammany group. But these have all concerned questions of organisation and inside tactics, not major issues of city policy. Controller Berry's assault, which follows a thinly veiled attack upon hun by the Mayor, because of testimony given before the Seabury investigators, promises to break Tammany wide open. "The issue happens to be not local merely, but national. Here it verges upon Presidential politics. It is not im-

possible that Berry's aetioti may be taken by Governor BoosevoH". as a cue, for the Tammany problem will have to be faced and decided upon soon by the Chief Executive of New Yc>rk State. From bow on there will be political excitement galore in Gotham.1" "Say it ain't so, Jimmy," runs tho head-line to a Now York "Daily News" editorial, in which that newspaper speaks of Mayor Walker as a beloved and ehayniing persoua.lity, "a man who is true to his friends," and says that his admirers would like assurance from him that ho did not profit personally "from the Equitable bus deals, which finally blew up." ' Senator McNSTboe, of the Democratic minority of tho Hofstadter Inv6*stigating Committee, for which Seabury is acting as counsel, has been quoted as saying that the committee "will never find the Mayor in a position wrusre he is in the slightest degree corrupt or dishonest." , But "the boy friend" is now deep in a sinister mess, the New York "WorldTelegram" is convinced. "That a Mayor of New York should be in. any way, directly or indirectly, mixed up with the financial manoeuvcrings of such interests," it adds, "is nvuch more than sordid—it is scandalous.'" WALKER ON THE STAND. Mr. Samuel Seabury, who is a former 3STew York' Judge, declared- that the Mayor, Mr. James Walker, was the fountain head of New York's huge graft operations. Scowling' and angry, Mr. Walker (known as "the city's famous playbaj Magistrate") snapped back in ah exchange of lude remarks, but the situation took on new seriousness when Mr. Seabury demanded Mr. Walker's removal from, the Mayoralty at the hands, of the Governor, Mr. Franklin Roose-i velt. Nationally it might help Mr. Roosevelt's Presidential chances if he dramatically broke with Tammany aiid Tammany's leaders. " ' Mr. Walker fulfilled his part by putting on an appealing show. In a tearful outbnrst ho: besought Mr. Roosevelt's permission to nullify tho evidence that Mr. Seabury had submitted against, him. Gone was the Mayor's jaunty air and sparkling vrit. He was in deadly earnest as he said with voice husky and gestures nervous: "If I do" not have a chance to crpss-examino witnesses, it means the end' of my career. There must be some place for me. You cannot drive'me out this way. If you do (here he sobbed) out goes my reputation; out goes my ' past and my future." . r. * The words fairly tumbled from the Mayor's mouth. His shining black hair was disarranged, and his collar wilted as'perspiration mingled with the tears that ran down his face.