New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28

HEREENDS WITH
BITTER WORDS
uoItbie and Williams
Sharp in Answers to Crit
icisms Of Their Work.
WHITMAN TO GET
REPORT AND EVIDENCE
Wooden Wedges for Subway
Sensation Peters Cut on
Quick Investigation.

Quick Investigation.
Work o. investigating the Public Ser
,ice Commission Of the 1st District was
4r,sbed late Yesterday Afternoon by the
legislative committee. The preparation
~ the report is being pushed. II will
ho considered by the committee not
later than Wednesday, and when ap-
~-ovcd Will be forwarded to the Gov
e--or. Although Colonel William Hay
,.sv5. counsel, is certain he will be able
~ convince the full committee Of the
vie5or, of presenting conclusions as to
Oh. efficiency OF the individual COM
nissiorers. the temper Of large ma
ior.tv Of the Investigators is that this
should not be done.
Senator Thompson. chairman Of the
committee. sent letter 10 Albany last
night in reply 20 the inquiries Of the
Governor on efficiency. In effect he
celia the Governor that while they will
make q report to him, they are also
sending copy Of the testimony, the in
,~a,on being that the Governor may
d.g thercfrom his own conclusions on
efficiency
The committee will begin its public
hearings on the work Of the upstate
commission in the Capitol at Albany
Tuesday morning.
The session, which ended late yester-
day afternoon, had been set aside for
tho grievances Of citizens. Only four
took advantage Of the opportunity, and
the day was marked by an answer Of
Commissioner G. V. s. Williams to the
charge that he had once been a lawyer
in the employ Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company; the reply of Joseph
Johnson, transit man Of the commits
sion, 10 criticisms by Colonel Timothy
S. Williams. president Of the B. r. T.,
and hot attack by Commissioner Malt
bic on the latter. who had spoken OF
him in the most scathlng terms on the
day before.
The Maltbic attack, which compared
Colonel Williams 10 mad dog and
said he desired a "tractable' commits
sioner, was not presented before the
committee, but handed out 10 the news
papers.
Wooden Wedges Charge.
What seemed to be a sensation for
the moment WAS prunG by Michael
O'Sullivan. a supervising constructor, of
Brooklyn, who said that wooden wedges
had been put under the steel columns
Of the subway in Fourth Avenue, be
tween Forty-second and Eighty sixth
streets. When they rotted away, ne de-
clared. the subway structure would be
weakened.
The 3. Z. T. SAYS have brain
storms and that | am a nut he said
later. "but If my noiRhbors who know
me say ! am all right / don't care
However, Colonel Hayward decided
20 have the witness placed under oath f.
after his story was half over, and he .
swore that all he had said and would .
say was ;rue. He offered to show the
committee where the wooden blocks /
were. and after adjournment Senator
Thompson. Mr.. Hayward, Assemblymen 4
Burr and Donohue. Travis H. Whitney,
secretary of the Public Service Com /
mission, and Robert Ridgwsy, the sub /.
wav engineer. went il two Public Ser /.
vice Commission automobiles 20 the /.
scene Of the scandal
Before they went Mr.. Ridgway ex- (
planned that in order 10 get the con-
crete base for the columns il was nee .
tssary 20 block them up with small
wedges al each corner The concrete /
was then poured in. After il had hard .
ned 10 was impossible TO remove the
wedges. but the concrete preserved .
them. and even if they did rot away in .
time that would not affect the base. /.
While steel wedges were preferred, I
wood was not at all impracucable.
When Mr.. O'Sulliyan, whose home IS 1
az $40 Fifty-ffth Street, led the party /
through the subway il was found that .
none Of the wedges were visible. /
O'Sullivan said he had data at home to .
thoW Just where they were. Mr.. Rldg-
way promised il this was produced and
the committee wanted TO 70 back on
Monday he would have the concrete /
clipped away, 80 as 20 show how little F.
part tho wedges really were OF the I
foundation. IL is not certain that the .
committee will consider it of enough T.
importance 70 make another trip to .
BROOKLYN O'Sullivan said there were .
several hundred pillars 50 wedged.
On the stand Mr.. O'Sullivan com ,
planned Of being treated with contempt
HfNN ne sought lNIofUldllOu ~ lit W.
tCcs Of the commission.
That is what the commission is for, |
20 listen 10 men like you" remarked .
Senator Thompson.
Amory Attacks Figures.
William \. Amory. who for years /
las been known as the active and i'm F.
placable foe Of the traction corpora /
tons in Manhattan, was permitted 10 +
cir his views on the stand. He de- /.
clsred the corporations were insOlvent
and making false reports 10 the com
son, which was a party TO the fraud 4
O. the stockholders
You might g. well take the weight .
and fneuess stamped on . gold brick .
as 20 take the figures from a railway /
report filed with this commission" he .
declared
Sir. Amory denounced the subway as .
fretrap, and said II a short circuit .
IRE ever occurred on the third-rail sys-
TEN there would be terrible disaster. 1
This is the illumination of Commits /
slOner Msltbie in reply 20 the critl- .
cisms Of the had Of the Brooklyn .
Rapid Transit Company:
when testifyinR before the legis- /
lative committee yesterday Colonel 7. I
S. Williams, president Of the b. X. T. !
system. released an accumulation Of .
venom, as he is won't 20 do toward 4
those who cross him. Like Mr.. Whit /
ridge, he can no more tolerate opposi- I
ton than a mad dog can change ms .
course; each must snap and bite at
kaH