New-York tribune., 1916-05-13
Thompson Aid Names Him
in Mention of $780,
900 Offer"
GAYNOR QUESTION
STARTLES B. R. T. HEAD
Silent When Ex-Borough Presi-
dent of Brooklyn Is Named
Calls p. S. c Law Failure"

The name OF the late J. Edward
Swanstrom, ex-Borough President Of
Brooklyn, was mentioned at the hear
ing of the Thompson legislative COM
mittee yesterday as the man who may
have gone to Colonel Timothy s. WILL
iams, president of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company, during early subway
negotiations, and told him that s500,000
might obtain the favor Of "a certain
city Official" Colonel Williams had
testified at a previous hearing that he
had been approached in that manner,
but declined to give the name Of the
man who came TO him.
Colonel Williams was on the witness
stand yesterday. when Frank Moss,
counsel TO the committee, asked him If
Swanstrom was the man. The witness
declined TO answer.
"Mr. Williams, was IL J. E. Swan
strom who spoke to you about the
Mayor Gsynor natter" asked Mr.,
Moss.
Somewhat taken by surprise at the
directness OF the question, Mr.. Will
Jams replied:
what do you mean about Mayor
/ Gaynor?"
williams Won't Answer.
About the matter we had under dis
| cussion when you were here before"
said Mr. Moss.
al decline to answer said Colonel
Williams.
"was it J. f. Swanstrom7 Won't you
say no." Mr.. Moss insisted.
~ prefer to make no further state
ment or addition to my previous testi-
mony," the witness replied.
Mr.. Swanstrom died on February 10,
1911. He was known to have been ono
of the closest friends of the late Mayor
Gaynor. 1t WAS to Swanstrom that
Mayor Gaynor wrote lengthy letter
on December 20, 1910. discussing the
subway situation and declaring that
he would stand for no monopoly.
Under examination by Senator Thomp-
son. Colonel Williams had an oppor-
tunity to express his criticism of the
manner in which the Public Service
Commission regulated public utilities
corporations.
"The principle Of regulation Is a
good one" said the witness, but regu-
lation has been so poorly administered
/ by the regulating bodies that eventual
ly think 1t will break down Of It's own
weight"
( Colonel Williams declared the Public
Service commissions law had been an
awful failure" from the point OF pub
licity alone, a feature in which the
present commission was expected to
specialize. He said that no informa-
ton about the companies under con-
troll of the commission was obtainable
in printed form, and that the only way
to find out anything was to 60 to the
commission itself.
Too Many Statistics.
"They will give it to YOU" he said,
"but you will meet with such a maze
of statistics that when you get the IN
formation you will need an expert
accountant to interpret what it all
means"
The witness emphasized the anomal-
Gus position in which the city was
placed because of the fact that $500
000 900 worth of city rapid transit work
is controlled by a commission which is
not responsible to the city and whose
members are not appointed by it. The
same thing will be true, he said, after
construction ceases and operation be-
gins. In fact, he believed the situation
will then be worse.
Mr.. Moss questioned the B. R. 7.
head about the refusal Of his company
to pay rental for the use Of the Centre
Street loop, thereby preventing the
operation of this 100000 tunnel which
is now completed. Colonel Williams
explained that so far his company had
not found 1t useful. He said that II
he could get assurances from Bridge
Commissioners Kracke that they could
operate steel cars over Brooklyn Bridge
from the loop he would be glad to take
the matter up.
The witness declared that the steel
cars would not be any heavier, per
foot, than the wooden cars, but tina,
they would carry double the capacity
and add to the weight in that way. He
said that Brooklyn Bridge would not
need strengthening to accommodate the
steel cars.
The committee adjourned until Mon
day.