The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-25
BILL DRAWN
TO CUT POWER
OF P. s. BOARD
Thompson Has Act to Take
Away Control Over
New Sideways.
SHONTS ANGERED BY
QUESTIONS OF MOSS

Long forgotten letters dug out OF th,
City Hall cellar and from the files o.
J. r. Morgan a. Co. were read into tn,
record of the Thompson committee h,
frank Moss. the committees counsel
yesterday In an effort TO Jog the memor,
Of President Theodore T.. Shonts OF tiis
1nterborough regarding the subway ne
Eotiations with Mayor Gaynor that pre-
ceded the signing OF the dual system
con;.s.cts. The continued pounding. prod
ding and poking seldom ruined Mr.
Shonts. who IN spite of his hazincss or
points which the committee thinks Vita
IN word and manner challenged Mr.. Mos.
TO call attention {, a single conflict Ii
Al0 long drawn out testimony.
From the correspondence and It's inter.
related testimony the committee learned
many things which are considered sig.
nitcant 10y Senator Thompson. The
salient points developed were these:
Prs~lden, Shonts testified that the
late Andrew freedman told him that
nc CFr.edmanl had seen Mayor Gay
nor once in the course OF the subway
negotiations. but denied vigorously
that he ,Shonts) and Freedman were
dealing "con.ident!ally" with the late
executive.
"ShOuts Letter tn GaynOr.
In January. 1912, \ few weeks be-
fore the marlborough dual contract
was negotiated. President Shouts ad
- f,sr o. 80.
Caynor following a talk with NJ.
Freedman in chicagc. Mr.. Shonts en-
closed I'm accordance with" u talk
between Mr.. Freedman and Mr.. Gay
nor a cop Of a draft OF subway mat
tiers under discussion which was pre-
pared 10y a. j. County. assistant 10
Samuel Ra. OF the Pennsylvania Rail
road system. Mr.. Moss tried to show
that the enclosure contained the same
terms which wer, not disclosed 10
former Chairman Wilcox of the Pub
lie Service commission until "A month
later.
several letters from the Morgan niles
Nerc produced to prove that the Nor
gan trm wac advised by President
Hhonts of the terms contained in the
unsigned subway offer" OF March 22,
1919. and stood ready to back the
Interborvugh On such a proposition.
This Is the much heralded OFFER"
which the committee believes II ac-
cepted would have saved the city
$4,000 900 subway expenditures.
Another letter from President Shonts
60 Henry i. Dawson OF J. l.. Morgan
4 Co was read In which President
Shonts on November 80, 1910. asked
MIR. Davison's criticism OF the sub
way proposition to dase. "as our mu-
NnAI friend hlS Indicated fh.t ln
thinks the time is about right TO send
u in MIR. Stonts was not certain
whether the mutual friend" was Sam.
uel Rea. Andrew Freedman or Mayor
Gaynor. \ letter from J. p. Morgan.
Jr.. to President Shonts the following
July advised the marlborough presi-
dent that 1t would be wiser for the
company not To appear to De SUBJ
way hunting"
Freedman Every ThOughtfuI."
The committee also heard read a
letter from Mayor Gaynor to Andrew
Freedman under date of August 2.
1911, in which the late Mayor wrote
"My dear Mr.. Freedman: ! AIN very
glad 10 receive you kin letter. and
Il was very thoughtful Of % to write
b to me"
At the morning session Of the commit.
tee William Il. Ellison. former Corpora.
ton Counsel. told the committee OF a
subway Offer" presented 10 Mayor Gay
nor by two men who said they had the
..h;nh t""uaiu ~ interests
.uh,. ','.s.'ns f'v"'"o''""" IN
ieIi -, 49, I,n"e"'' yul!,
49,. "" f",.ei,nS' oas.s' Mayor
sh. r,n,o.i,; -, 'o""v" On
and .dyi..d ,h. .s"nuSv,n
y,ii,,n, Ia ,a -" nous Mr.
49, va, ~ '"'"n nc was serious III
ouuh 10 h,uia a. '"t''uo'-
IsIi;so, r.u"rdoL ~ ms ar
a.. hu, D., =, nv, az BONA