New-York tribune., 1907-12-31
PLAN TRANSIT FIGHT.
STOCKHOLDERS ORGANIZE
metropolitan Committee May Seek
Criminal ActiOn.

.rr,++a. of ,,ino-1tv stockholders Of the Met
ropolitan Street Railway Company was ioiiiieu 80
terday to cooperate with the criminal au'iioi -
for the purpose of bringing to the bar OF 'us'ic0
,d furnishing anv of the officers, directors or man
ayers of the street railway systems of this city VINO
have been guilty of acts of a criminal chalao'ei
and also to push civil suits for the resti'utioh -
the company of any moneys wrongfuly olVer'eo
and to nromote legislation to prevent similar CRIMES
in the future
This is going to be serious business. said VIII
lam F. King, ex-president of the Merchants Asso
citation, who has been chosen chairman OF te eo
mittee. I'VE. are in mood to trife' ana uo no'
think the people want any trling IN thls hat'ei'
1t will be a long job but we are gong at II 'iioi
oughly and will it through TO the end
Isaac Blum, a retired merchant or NO 90 HooI
Slst street was chosen secretary some h1'e7i I'M
nority stockholders Of the Metropolitan Were at
the meeting in the offices of Griggs. BALDWIN q
Pierce No 27 Pine street. who. with Eugene u
Kremer of No. 40 Wall street, have been apPoih'eu
counsel TO the committee No list OF those present
was given ouS. it said some Oh theih uiu i''
want to appear in the case publicly f1fteen thou
sand shares of stock pledged to the commit
tee and it was said that much more thal 'hd'
would be available before long Inose TAKING up
this movement were among the non-aSsehIihs stooh
holders representing 5000 shares, who opposeo 'e
merger into the Interborough metropolitan COM
pany.
The committee named yesterday is composed OF
Mr. King Mr. Blum. George L. Degner, broker
of No 90 Broad street; William Mas. a leather
goods manufacturer of No. 81 Fifth avenue; Ma
than H. Heyman. a retired merchant, OF NO a''
East 29th street, and John d. Parsons OF ALBANY
The first work of the committee Will be the con-
salidaton of two committees of nonassenting stock
holders who opposed the merger 1t mas also peeh
instructed to employ counsel to take such steps as
seem advisable to secure the following objects:
l. To institute and to prosecute vigorously civli
suits for the restitution 10 the corporation. anu
ultimately to the stockhoiders OF any ,, sun "a %
money which may have been wronSiuIiy oi'efteu
from the corporation and the stockholdeTS- ,., :.
. To cooperate with the proper auli3 ,n IN
charge of the criminal prosecutions Tor tle state,
county and city for the purpose or pLlnSIS ao tIl
bar of justice and Furnishing any OF me oliCsls,
directors and managers of the street railway system
of this city who have been guilty OF acts oi d
3 To obtain such legislation, if any, may be
necessary to prohibit absolutely the commission OF
any such crimes acts hereafter, so that nnocehi
the benefits which ought to come TO them thhouSA
their stock ownership.
Mr King said that a campaign fund of 81 a snare
would be collected. He intimated that more than
s1500 900 would be needed to carry out the work
the committee had in mind. He issued state
ment in which he asked for cooperation on the part
of the stockholders and all citizens interested In
the future integrity of investments.
.eThe financial consnirators have thus far man
aged TO escape punishment" he said. They are OF
the class of men who have been characterized by
the President of the United States law honest
From the testimony, however, that has been taken
thus far In the various Investigations into the ac-
tions of some Of these men who have conducted the
MANAGEMENT of the railway corporations. II
would seem as though they had stepped beyond their
fancied security of legal protection and rendered
themselves liable to the public crininaly and the
corporations cvilly."