The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-08-29
ALDERMEN SPLIT OVER
HIRING EXTRA LAWYERS
bowling Says Inquiry Is Start
ing Out With Wanton
Waste Of Money.
BUCkNER DEFENDS ACTION
Pay Of Four Assistants Fixed
at $500 and $3.50 q Month
Flynn to Get $500.
BUCKNER DEFENDS ACTION

Trouble between the Tammanv and the
fusionsmembers Of the Aldermanic in
vestigating committee developed when it
met at the City Hall yesterday morning
to select assistants 10 aid Emory X. Buck
ner in getting evidence Of graft in the
Police Department and to ratifv the ap-
pointment OF William j. Flynn as police
expert
Alderman Frank J bowling, who is
the Tammany leader on the board. was
strongly opposed 10 hiring four lawyers
20 assist the committee : counsel His OH
iections were overruled and Nathan 4.
Smyth was made associate counsel at a
"a larry Of $500 a month with three others.
each Of whom is to receive $3.50 month
They are William 4. Moore. Charles y.
Guthrie and Louis Lande. MIR Flynn
was appointed for five months at a salary
Of $500 a month
The meeting was not open to the pub
lie but Mr.. Downing. after it was over,
said that he considered IL was "vanton
waste of public money to hire five lawyers
10 do the work Of the committee.
MIR Dowling does not understand the
situation said Mr. Buckner. The wav
itdNC Bldhitl lilS liluG Ou' ! COulu use
twelve lawyers right now This investi-
CATION is 10 be big thing and is not to be
dropped in a minute as some have been"
Nathan A. Smyth. who was appointed
| associate counsel. is member OF the firm
of Gerard 4 Smyth of 80 Broadway. He
Is 80 years old and a graduate of the Yale
Law School. He was Assistant District
Attorney under William 1ravers Jerome
from 1902 to 1910 and recently was as
sociate counsel for Gifford Pinchot during
the Ballinger investigation.
William A. Moore was for two wears a
special deputy under Attorney General
OMalley and later was Assistant United
States Attorney in New York He is 2.
wears old and member OF the firm of
Surpless. Moore 4 Williams
Louis Lande is - years old and has
an Office at go Broadway Charles $.
Guthrie il Harvard graduate and is a
member of the firm of Hotter. ingalls,
4 Guthrie
II was made plain in letter written
( 10 the committee by MIR Buckner that
! there Will be no attempt To turn up sensa-
| tlonai evidence against individuals for
The purpose Of advertising the com
mi,,ee. The INQUIRY will be rather a
! hi'uuS W iuDTONt service IMAM 10
| hunt men, he said. He hopes for aid
| through the Dis riot Attorneys public
John Doe proceedings and genera inves-
ltlgation by the citizens committee and
city officials.
| Mr.. Flynn said that he had not yet re-
ceived any official notification from the
| treasury Department thar he had been
released from his Job in the secret ser
vice. When he was asked whether or
not there was any truth in the report that
some one had asked him TO accept the
Police Commissionership he replied:
| That is absolutely untrue. Mayor
Gaynor has not spoken TO me about It =,
| nor has anv one else
! Ihe secret service man said that his re-
lat ions with the Mayor had been cordial
when he was in the Police Depart ment
as Second Deputy Commissioner and had
remained 40 ever since.
Allan Robinson. chairman of the cjti-
Hens committee, made public the lteter
which he received from Mayor Gaynor in
reply 10 his offer TO give any assistance
that he could in bettering conditions in
me city. The Mayors letter, which was
written on August ~. follows:
| am very Glad indeed to receive Your
letter. Up TO the present time | have re-
| ce!ved no assistance, but rather oppo-
sitlon and embarrassment in the reor-
gan!zation OF the Police Department.
| which has been gradually going on ever
| since I became Mayor ] suppose that
your committee knows that the way to
| stop graft in the Police Department with
| gamblers and the like Is 10 reduce con-
tact with the sources OF graft down 10
| the least possibe-to one contact IL pos
| sible. II YOU allow the inspectors and
cal aptains all along the line to deal with
the matter you cannot possibly avoid
graft.
| | trust that you will get list Of the
captains and inspectors and study their
personalities carefully. ! shall always be
| glad to have your assistance
| OF course, ! notice that the Mayor
| was not invited to the public meeting.
| and from the tone OF IL felt that II was
| not organized to assist the Mayor
| trust that 1t will turn out that was mis-
| taken in that respect, Every one in this
| city knows how hard I have worked since
I have been Mayor to eliminate graft from
all the departments. hope I shall now
be supported from ali quarters.