New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-12

. AFTER they mad been opened pN lne
Brooklyn Rapid Transit which lets the
contracts. although they have TO be
approved by the commission, the Cen
cral said II had a new system OF can
control The Brooklyn Rapid Transit
SAID ii would receive now bids based
on tho improved system. The second
proposition Of he Federal, William
said. was satisfactory neither 20 the
commission nnr the company. The Cen
eral dropped its bid to $1,000, 900. NAL
inc il 100000 under the Fedora and
$500 900 under its own original bid.
Williams. Cram and Wood voted to
approve awarding the contract 10 the
. General. Mccall and Maltbie were op'
posed. Their opposition. Williams
. said. was due 10 their Discrimination TO
approve = deviation from the princi-
/ ples of secret bidding. Wood 81 first
/ took the position that the new patents
would not work, but finally swung
around
Secretary Whitney was called to the
stand to say he hadn't liked the looks
Of things in the signal case and he
thought there was something thdt
ought not to be" but he would not
malc stronger statement
Signal Probe Plans.
y God vas not present while TINS
/ testimony was going on. Told about
. il he said:
Three years ago President Salmon,
/ Of the General Company, said he would
! like to retain me in getting contracts
| for signal service on the new subways.
/ He and went TO see Chairman WILCOX.
We decided il was too early 70 al
4 1A% |
matter. had not seer Mr.. Salmon for
two and a half years until he came
into the Office recently on matters con-
I corning these contracts.
81 asked that the Centre Street loop
contract be assigned TO me for invest
, CATION because ! had been interested
Always in electrical matters. di-
vorced myself from any of my old
business interests before ] entered the
commission.
81 ct first opposed the Federal Com
pany's bid because ! knew the other
companies held patents on which they
might sue for infringement. Later !
became convinced that a bond would
cover all liability for such litigation
Williams chowcd up with ready an
swers IN the short quiz on the law and
| declared with much positivencss:
"lf YOU find out that at any time |
was not ready to act on subwey mat
tcrs shall be willing to write out my
resignation"
Commissioner Cram vas laying for
counsel Of the commission when the
session started Yesterday.
AN investigation OF this Kind has
considerable latitude. but don't think
II ought TO misrcpresent facts he de-
clarCd.
Cram Shows Temper.
Reading z letter 10 George s. Cole
man. counsel of the commission, direct
ing him to issue an order for service
on the Queens County line, Cram init
mated that Hayward on Wednes day had
suppressed it in reading the record
Walking up 10 the witness stand and
/ shaking the record in the face of the
witness, Hayward challenged him to
find the letter there.
How could | find il if it wasn't
there" he demanded. Continuing to
! hammer him, Hayward brought out that
the order had never been issued
A minute later Hayward asked Cram
il he had not made certain statement
and the witness jumped off the reser-
yation again.
81 said nothing of the sort he
snapped out. ''lf you want 10 testify
/ for me you'd better be sworn. will
I refuse TO testify if you do this"
/ Again, when Hayward intimsted that
. the reason an order had not been is
sued in the Queens County case was
} because the Commissioner feared the
/ courts would ovcrturn IT, Cram shot
out:
"a deny it. will not answer impu-
/ dent and foolish questions.
! When Hayward again took up the
meetings of the committee of the whole.
which Cram would not attend because
/ they decided things in secret, the Wit
ness declared:
publicity is the only protection of
this republic, and propose TO have it.
Censures OverIegislation.
! Later he said:
"Too much legislation is the curse OF
/ this country"
Evidently getting weary Of the in
sistent questions of counsel as TO how
: he could fsmilisrize himself with the
acts of the commission. if he did not
[ hear the discussions AT the secret
meetings, Cram finally remarked,
YEARLY:
| ar il was wrong in not attending
those meetings, III admit it. II ! was
wrong you have got good case 10
remove me, and ! would go on doing
/ il if / were you
( At ono time he said:
81 don't ask the Governor TO retain
me until my time expires"
when Hayward began asking some
questions on the record OF the Inter
borough's milking Of the Queens
! County line, Cram referred once or
twice 10 "your assistant counsel
"Who is this man?' asked Foley.
"J,et US have his name
| Then il developed that man who
lh.d becn sitting at the counsel table
Tor two days was John Holley Clark,
r,bo has brought charges against the
commission for the Flushing assoels-
ton. r .I. &C.,
d;sarpointed litigsnts.' said Foley.
w. have class seeking publicity.
We should not give II TO them.
81 hone can stay here long enough
IN besr all the grouohes against the
} Tnblic Service Commission SAID Sen
a,or Thompson. -. NJ c1arL
,rss not acting as assistant eounsel'
H., he Rad volunteered valuable m
| formatiou. and had got no puoIlclty
until Foley I'd dragged out MS name