New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-02
Observers Believe Hearing
Will Affect Next City
Election
Friends Prepare for a Long
and Spectacular
Fight

" %
the appearance Of Mayor Mitchell be
fore the Senate on Tuesday, and the
suhsequcn, oratorical fireworks to hc
tho greatest show of its KIND SINCE the
trial OF William Sulzcr. Each Senator
has been allotted two seats IN the
/ chamber and each Assemblyman ono.
/ Senator George A. Slater. chairman OF
the arrangements committee. and his
colleagues. Senators Robinson and BOY
Ian. have been swampcd by other re-
quests. but after the legislators are
! satisfied there will be scant room LOT
any besides the Mayor and his attend
I ants and tho newspaper mon.
II seems n he assured that inc
Mayors hearing on tho charge Of pub
fishing an alleged false and malicious
report OF the conduct AZ Senator Robert
y. Wagner. Democratic leader IN oonncc-
ton with the Mayors thwartod Rocka-
way legislation will he something more
than a tame affair Tho announcement
that Charles +. Hughes would he the
( MAYORS counsel. against Samuel Inter,
mver for Senator Wagner is regarded
as indicating clearly the Mayors inten-
,ion TO defend the original Rocka"aN
Fort land bill. which both Republicans
and Democrats rejected, thereby arouS-
ing the Mayors ire.
The slightest opening Of this KIND
will be wedged wide by half dozen
! Senator's. who arc eager for such an op-
nortunitv 10 delvc into the whole ROCK
away transaction and spread 1t upon
the record Of the Senate.
Wide Opportunity for Questions
The rules adopted for the hearing
hermit that course II the Mayor al
/ fords the least opportunity when ne
has made his own statement IN answer
TO the formal questions propouEded nv
Lieutenant Governor Edward Schoencck
Tho Navor NAV explain through his
coursels questioning but every OK
nlanation may be subject to cross-eN-
animation BY any Senator from the
Aoor. and A few Senators made no Sc
cret OF their intention 10 stand OF 'hcII
rights in this respect
II is the opinion OF most OF the New
York City legislators that the Mayors
reelection chances depend to a large
extent on the outcome or Tuesday s
session. Every effort TO patch M the
controversy short of the MAYORS IN.
ouiSition BY the Senate has had that
idea in mind. The fvc and hall hours
vrangle in the Senate on Wednesday
over the rules to govern the nearing
was precipitated by desire to protect
tho Navor from rerilous heckling. Sen
ator Mills stated frankly in the course
Of the controversy. and in defence OF
dirnifed action by the Senate, that the
Mayor expected to be candidate
Mayor Seems To Be at Bay
/ The Mayors friends at the capital
feel that he is more or less al bay al
This time They believe that the Mayor
regarded the defeat of his RockaWay
/ Fort hill from the first as an efort 10
embarrass his reelection hopes; that II
the record was allowed to stand ms
ornaments next fall would find grounds
for the charge that the Legislature mad
to step in 70 save the city from a cues
Itionable land deal. In the same way u g
realized that the Mayor must Justify
his anti Wagner statement in some dIg,
nifed way before the Senate 10 aVoIu
another political predlcameht'
There is good reason to presume that
TUESDAYS hearing may be long drawn
out affair. 1t certainly VIII be mat j.
the Senate goes into the merits OF me
Rockaway legislation. In that case TN
anti-Mitchel forces will have the great
est support from Senator Henry NJ
Sage. Republican, Of Albany, who dug
MO The Tax Commissions records OF
The last two years and had printed as
Senate documents the reports OF the
Rockaway- Pacific Corporation. owners
~ tho land required by the governm enr
for the Rockaway fort
Gist of Sage Report
The gist of these papers and the Sage
report on them is that the corporation
intended to sell 10 the Federal govern
ment for s750000 land which on us
sworn statements TO the Tax Commls-
sion last year was worth less thaii
$500 900. and that the states INTENDED
condemnation Of the land would entail
consequential damages 10 the corpora
ton of about 100000
The Senate is prepared TO show that
by the action il took 1t prevented
questionable transaction; that IT can
obyiste consequential damages alto
/ together by constructing a right OF way
/ 20 cost about 100000. leaving the value
of the seized land alone to be settled
} by court Of claim, and that its action
I did not delay the fort project.