New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-18

Moss said the investigation had not
been completed and would be con-
tinued to-day.
Moss Promises Proper Action.
81 cannot discuss the testimony az
the proceedings, as It is a private III
curry by the court" he said nut Il
| evidence OF a crime in suppressins evil
dence IS found it will be presented 10
the grand jury in due time.
Through the means usually employed
by Mayor Gaynor TO make known MS
views publicly described by him Wheh
a witness before the aldermanic com
mittee as the best way he knew TO get
his ideas on record. he wrote letter
yesterday to Corporation Counsel wat
son. in which he INDUCED in little
! back fire" i'm regard 10 the aldermanic
committees graft investigation ana
! particularly in reference to certain
questions that were asked him Whlle
! on the witness stand
| lie wrote that he had learned since
! he testified THAI the rate for burglary
insurance in this city had not been IN
creased at all, instead Of an Increase oil
| 35 per cent, as Mr.. Buckner, counsel
! for the committee. intimated in ques-
tioning the Mayor. The Mayor ac-
! cused the committee Of asking such
questions in bad faith, and instructed
/ Mr. Watson 10 object TO such meth
DDS" declaring that the representative
of the Corporation Counsefs Office
should withdraw entirely from the
hearings unless the tactics were
/ changed. The Mayors letter was as
follows:
| September L., 1912
| Sir: When ! was testifying before the
committee of the aldermen inquirlng INTO
police conditions, was asktu w4er vi -
I did not know that the insurance rate
for burglary had been increased 50 per
| cent within the past year. DeileN'
responded that | did not know a. ana
that | believed the questOner dd not
know il Since ther ! have been fuzzy
! Informed by the insurance authorluts'
/ Including the president OF the Ne" ;AIl-
| sterdam Casualty Company. that 5ltle
! has been 10 such increase. anu lnuttu,
! no increase at all. and that the lowest
ate I'm the whole country obtains in the
| citv of New York / enclose 10 you
/ copy Of President MOOre's letter
! / was asked several similar question:
and Mi Waldo was also. That is To say,
questions are asked whether Tie witness
does not know certain thing, the ques-
ton itself being false ana the oDJttI
! being to have the quesnoh taktIl a. a. u ~, "
Jv the newspapers and the public. fitdSe
/ object 10 such questions II theN continue
| 10 be asked You are the legal adviser
| 10 the Common Council and To the com
nittee and YOU should see th'tt huyI
| methods are not resorted to. II your
| advice be not taken. then II may pe h'c-
| essary for you TO withdraw entirely from
the hearings. The attempt 70 lalsil& Hhu
break down the discipline Of me PoHcc
! Department has now pretty wen sSh,
itself and II should not be continued ny
| This committee with our acqWescenr".
Very truly your W j. GAINOR'
Archibald r. Watson. ESQ, Mayor
Corporation Counsel,
New York Ciiy.
Chairman Henry II. Curran Of the al
dermanic committee. in answer to the
Mayors letter 10 Corporation Counsel
Watson. gave ont statement on in
surance rates, prepared at his request
by A. L. Quint general manager of tho
burglary insurance department Of the
National Surety Company, which
showed that there had been a big ad-
vance in burglary insurance rates since
October. 1911.
Prior to October. 1911, burglary in
surance was divided into three groups
and the rates. as published by the
tariffs Of the National Surety Company
for 800. were $15, S1S and $24, re-
spectively, in each group. on October
the company created a new group
covering practically the same articles
insured. with the rates advanced SOB 81
for the first $1,000 Of insurance. as
compared with the maximum rate of
s24 under the old groups For each
additional $1,000 Of insurance $40 was
charged. although prior TO October
1911. the highest additional price
charged a thousand was 50, Mr.. Quint
said All the rates on the various
classes Of insurance under the bur
glary head have been advanced pro-
portionately. according to the report
Alderman Curran filed papers in the
Supreme Court yesterday in libel suit
against Mayor Gaynor growing out Of
the publication Of recent letter Of the
Mayor in which he charged the chair
man of the aldermanic Investigating
committee with being concerned in the
news stand graft in his district. Mr..
| Curran asks 100000 damages 4 copy
of the papers was served on the Mayor
at the City Hall In his complaint Mr..
! Curran declares that the statements in
the Mayors letter were false and were
known by him TO be false when he
made them. and were made by the
Mayor maliciously and with intent 10
injure the plaintiff.
Samuel j. Rosensohn, who is asso-
| ciated with Wallace Macfarlane and
Robert Grier Monroe. appeared on the
papers as counsel OF record for the
plaintiff
In discussing the suit, Alderman Cur
ran said IL was the natural outcome
of the statements made by the Mayor
I'm the letter which formed the basis
OF the action. He said the Mayor had
evidently attempted TO divert the in
vestigation Of the committee into the
| I,,tice ncnarfneut la. his attack uDOn