New-York tribune., 1916-02-27
$4,000 Asked in Bill
for Conveying Inter
borough Wishes.
GILLESPIE KEEPS
HOLD ON PAPERS
Whitney Showed Favorit-
ism to the B. R. T., Sen
ator Lawson Says.

Il va, fo- removing a Crouch from
n. late Mayor GaynOr that Mirabeau
Towns earned the $1,000 he received
rom the InterborougA. Until Mr..
Towns tesuSed before the Thompson
committee yesterday the impression
%. that tie poet-lawyer received TINS
san for playing courier and com
r,nion" 10 Theodore =. Shonts. presi-
dent Of the lnterborough, on his trip
10 Mayor Caynor's home at st. James.
= This was in 1910, when the city con
.smplstsd building and operating its
own subwsys.
NJ. Towns. who seemed to enjoy the
opportunity TO explain this fee. which
VI. Shonts was unable to do with any
Degree of certitude when he was o.
The stand. said it panied him that the
impression got abroad that the fee
was not leeitmately earned. And $4,000
was far from too much for this work,
ior Mr. Towns rendered bill for $lO,-
400. he testified.
towns on subway Mission.
What was that work." asked Frank
Moss. counsel 60 the committee.
Conveying 10 Mayor Gaynor the de-
.'res Of the Interborough.' said Mr'
Towns Mayor Gaynor had written
,s article denouncing the scheme Of
he marlborough to set up a monopoly
Of the transit business in the city OF
New York. had some knowledge OF
he situation. and my purpose was to
ony.nce Mayor Gaynor that his pre-
mises we're wrong. tried to convince
him that it was the best thing for
The city not to have competition with
The lnterborough.'
TO whom did you report IN the In
'erborough 2'
81 reported at FIRST TO Mr. Campbell
q the erboroueh. Mayor Gaynor
vas nv friend. had charge OF tho
Darv case against Police Commission
,r Bingham. which resulted in making
Judge Gaynor a prominent candidate
,or the mayoralty."
DO you remember the suggestion Of
namlng the tunnel under the East
River the Gaynor Tunnel
Yes That was one OF the argu-
nmis used. tried to show Mayor
Gaynor that It would be better to con-
isr a.gr,st benefit on posterity than to
lane an unreasonable crouch
Did you know that in July, 1911.
months after your services ended,
his matter came up in the Board Of
Estimate and Mayor Gaynor voted
against the marlborough and used the
Term 'rascalty'? II that is so. your
accomplishment didn't amount to much,
did it,"
"li would seem so. never had talks
with Mayor Gaynor about this matter
after May 1910. These talks, forty
or fifty Of them. extended to that time
IRON the previous October
Emotion as Tube Builder.
Can .ou tell us why Mayor Gaynor
cd vote for these contracts -
Except that men are emotional.
I''y cry to-day and laugh tomorrow.
Vas not in his thoughts. never
SPOKE to him again about subwsys."
Nr. Moss then elected testimony
h0Sing that Mayor Gaynor before his
Section stood for municipal subway
Vrem. Then he said;
After election you wanted the
Hiyor 10 succeed?"
Yes" said Dir. Towns
I Then how could you advise him to
'sa these contracts?'
l those contracts didn't exist then.
was never consulted about them. |
,s,i TO add that so far as my relations
IN Inc lnterborough are concerned,
IIs was never a suggestion Of any
~r.g Interior OF immoral"
ar Towns said that the meeting be
zen the Mayor and Mr.. Shonts had
Oeen planned by either Both, he
~ wanted 20 meet to clear up the
e situation. Several other appoint
g.'S were made that the Mayor OF
~ shonts, because Of their engage
80 could not keep. He said he
no uo' have 20 introduce the two, a.
II Hsyor recognized Mr.. Shonts when
.ntpped out of an automobile.
/ rief Mr. Towns finished Senator
| AL pson stopped the proceedings and
1 :, s ior copy Of The Tribune. Al
~ veoing 10 he said:
g,5, nave just received letter from
4 "'''m A. Read. will read it,"
4 Letter from W. A. Read.
I5sn he read.
Il nassau Street. February 26. 1916
n ,o.o var Sir: hand you herewith a
floi letter am to-day sending
~ New York Tribune. In view