The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-03
MCCALL STANDS BY
ELEVATED CONTRACT
Asserts Brooklyn People Who
Are Protesting Have Axes
to Grind.
LEGISLATORS HEAR HIM

Senator Thompson's legislative inves-
tigation committee iabored all day yes
terday trying TO get from Chairman
Edward f.. Mccall Of the Public Service
Commission some admission that would
back UP the contention Of the Fulton
Street Protective Association that the
New Fork Municipal Railways Corpora
ton is violating Its contract with the
city for an elevated structure In Fulton
street. Brooklyn.
Before Deputy Attorney-General
Lewis began to question Judge Mccall
there was an interchange of statements
between members OF the commission and
the committee respecting the assertion
OF Mr.. Lewis last Friday that the
members of the commission had disre-
garded the invitation OF the committee
to appear. All concerned seemed salts
fed when explanations had been made.
When the questioning OF Chairman
Mccall finally began 1t was stated for
the benefit OF the committee that the
reconstruction OF the elevated railroad
In Fulton street. Brooklyn, with the ad-
dition of a third track. was entered
upon after the Public Service Commits
sion and the Board OF Estimate had
approved the plans and that many OF
the matters upon which the committee
sought Information are now before the
courts for adjudication.
Chairman Mccall told the committee
that before the Wagner act authorizing
the construction was passed public hear
ings were held and that citizens OF
Brooklyn appeared and protested
against the proposed construction in
Fulton street. 1t was abandoned.
There was never any protest from the
residents OF Fulton street at that time"
he said, Then there were hearings be-
fore the commission. I gave several
hearings myself and only one man APP
peared TO protest. A certificate was is
sued. The work began and now at the
eleventh hour comes this agitation from
the mmit of one hundred for an
entire change of the plans.
"I1l take II upon myself to tell them
now said Judge Mccall later on. that
these people. many of whom have axes
TO grind. can't get they want. They
have been floating around from Dan to
Beersheba to get us to do something
that We haven't the power 10 do. Their
coming TO your committee Ia nothing
more than an attempt TO coerce this
commission. and now serve notice on
them that this commission will not stand
for terrorism"
Secretary Whitney then said that all
Of the questions which were being asked
OF Chairman Mccall had been asked he
private litigants. and that the Brooklyn
ties were coming before the committee
only in the hope OF getting a,ion
which would aid them in this private
litigation. He aid that one OF the men
Herbert c. Carpenter, president, OF the
Fulton Street Protective Assoc,a tion,
who had been Interested In the private
litigation was sitting with counsel for
the legislative committee and apparently
assisting in the formation OF questions.
Judge Mccall said that II was absurd
for any one to think that the city could
afford to spend from 81 O0O OOo IN IS :
600. 900 more for the subway under Full
ton street which the Protective Associa-
tion now says II would prefer TO an ele-