New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-05

tired Of the whole show and ready to
call IL of IL Senator Wagner and his
friends were satisfied.
Reports from the conference room
indicate a radical difference Of opinion
a. 10 the res solution 20 be drafted and
adopted BY the Senate. The Wagner
advocates and many of the Republican
Senators who are opposed 70 the Mayor
are standing out for severe censure
OF the Mayor Senator Brown, the ma
jority leader. however, is reported to
be urging the simplest solution that
will end the proceeding and let the
Senate get back 20 its normal duties.
The presentation Of the Mayors case
was interrupted az the most interesting
part by the Senate's decision 70 so into
secret session. The Mayor himself had
been interrupted just before dinner
recess 70 permit Colonel Frederick '.
Abbott. L. s. 4. Engineering Corps, TO
testify
Mayor Mitchell. Mr. Hughes, Mr.. Lit
tleton. Senator Hinman and Samrel
Untermyer are sitting in the Senate
Chamber awaiting the outcome Of the
secret session. Senator Brown and
Senator Mills arc striving TO curb the
attempt Of most Of the Senate to vote
a severe cenSurc Of the Mayor. As a
sort Of compromise the suggestion has
been made 90 cNonerate Senator Nag-
ner and order an investigation Of the
whole Rockaway project.
Tired Galleries Aroused
The tired. evidently bored an rap
idly depicting galleries perkel ~ for
only one hrief period, when II devel-
oped that there were three OPTIONS OBJ
tanned by me government on the Rock
away Pacifc Corporations land
Ii was on this point that Mr.. Unter-
myer attempted TO prove that the
Mills bill would have permitted a land
deal that vas diSsdvantageOus 10 the
city.
Mr. Unte~mver cndcavored 20 show
that the cjty's proposal TO sell $50
acres of underwater land to the cor
poration Tor $500 an acre would have
permitted the private owners 70 FIJI II IN
inside a marginal right of way on the
waterfront and near 1OO-foo.-wlde
channel 20 be dredged IN Jamai-a Bay
for comm arciel shipping. This pro
posed Jamaica Bay Improvement would
have operated TO the benefit Of the
Rockaway Pacific Corporation a sub
sidiary IF the Southern Pac'fc Rail
WAY.
In connection With the options. Mr..
Untermyer brought out the point that
the third option provided for right
Of way for the Rockaway Pacific Cor
poration around the government roscr-
walton. II IS contended thst his pro
vision obviated the necessity Of the
city's transferring the loo EOS Of
underwater land TO the corporation,
and. if carried into effect. pc~naps
would have Obviated also tho :rtire
controversy over the Rockaway fort.
Senator Wagner's counsel empha-
sized the fact that other under waite"
property throughout the city had been
lost 70 the city and that the city later
had TO reclaim il at q cost OF many
millions of dollars The same would
follow in the Rockaway Pacific Cor
poration's case, he argued, by reason
Of the proposed Jamaica Bay improve
ment.
Senator Wagner's counsel endeavored
at the outset of the cross examination
to show that Mayor Mitchell on the day
after he made the anti-Wsgner state
ment, repeated his libel" by a chain
Of facts which the Senator's counsel re-
earded as "the most conclusive evil
dence of malice you can possibly con
ceiye Of" He based this on the fact
tina. the Mayor was aware of the CON
struction that Governor Whitman, Sen
ator Brown. and the public placed upon
the Mayors words but that he did not
attempt to mollify them, but rather ag.-.
gravated the grave and monstrouc'
charge.
Mayors Judgment Unchanged
"Then. as I understand you" asked
Mr.. Untermyer that on March % Cthe
day after the Wagner statement), you