New-York tribune., 1920-02-06
Estimate Board Is Told
Strike Leader Received
Motorman'sW WageWhile
Guiding Brotherhood
Craig Threatens to
Probe Grand Jury
100000 Salary Roll of
Officials Is Under Fire:
Many Items Reviewed

Evidence of the Glove and affection !"
as Comptroller Craig called it, existing
between the Interborough Rapid Tran
sit Company officials and P. j. Connolly.
president Of the Brotherhood of Inter
borough Employees, who led the traction
strike last summer, was produced at
the hearing yesterday of the traction
investigation of the Board of Estimate.
James L. Quackenbush, counsel for the
lnterborough, submitted a memoran-
dunn for the month o. December,
1919, which showed that Connolly had
worked half that month for the broth
crhood and half at his regular occupa-
tton as motorman, being paid for the
whole period by the Interborough.
This exhibit led to a lively discus
sion of the relations between the COM
pany and the brotherhood and threat
by the Comptroller that the Board of
Estimate probably would investigate
the recent proceedings before the
e .eextraordinary grand jury, which failed
to support the charge of Mayor Hylan
that a conspiracy existed between the
lnterborough officials and the broth
erhood to obtain an increase in fare
through the strike Of last August
100000 Pay Roll Shown
The Connolly incident and $500, 900
pay roll of the Interboroueh which in
cluded only officials and employees
who received over $4,000 a year. intro
duced by Mr.. Quackcnbush~ at the re-
quest of Corporation Counsel Burr,
were the outstanding features of yes-
terday's hearing. When Mr.. Qunckcn-
bush offered the Connolly memoran-
dunn in evidence Mayor Hylan sat up
and took notice.
"Have you something there about
Connolly?" asked the Mayor. ~ didn't
get that"
Mr.. Quackenbush said he was sub
mitting the information the Mayor
wanted on that subject, and he handed
the memorandum to Mr.. Burr, who read
off the items showing that Connolly
divided hisstirne about equally during
December, 1919, between the brother
hood andrhisy Job asa motorman. The
Mayor wanted to know if the Inter
borough paid Connolly for the time he
worked for the brotherhood. The In
terborough lawyer replied that there
was not the slightest doubt about that;
that the company paid every one of the
brotherhood men for the time they de-
voted to the employees organization.
That is because it is an INTERIOR
ough institution" said Corporation
Counsel Burr. ''Thc Interborough drew
its constitution, and no amendment to
that constitution could be made with
out the consent of the company"
Didn't Connolly amend it couple
Of times?" asked Mayor Hylan.
"Oh, Connolly and his friends amend
ed it without the consent of the Inter-
borough, and they declared the STRIKE"
said Mr. Burr.
Craig Gets a Surprise
Comptroller Craig appeared sur
prised that Mr.. Quackenbush admitted
the full month of December, and
pressed several questions in regard TO
it. Mr.. Quackenbush repeated that
there was no doubt about it.
"Was Mr.. Almirall acquainted with
that when he was holding the grand
jury proceeding asked the Comp
troller.
Mr.. Quackenbush said he was not
permitted 10 be present during the Civ.
ing of evidence or the deliberation of
the grand jury. Comptroller Craig
asked him if this evidence had been
FURNISHED by anybody to the grand
jury. Mr.. Quackenbush said he had
not read the minutes, he had been so
little interested.
Perhaps we will inquire into that
grand jury before we get through
here" said the Comptroller.
THAT is not of the slightest conse-
quence to me-" said Mr.. Quackenbush
Borough President Ricgclmann Of
Brooklyn asked the witness if he had
sent copy of the Connolly memo
randum to the grand jury. Mr..
Quacl:enbush said he had not been
asked to do it. The lawyer said he
had not the slightest doubt that the
fact that Connolly's time and that Of
other members of the brotherhood was
paid for by the Interborough Com
peny was known to the grand jury.
He said there was no reason why it
should not be.
Mayor Hylan asked Mr.. Quackenbush
to furnish the board with statement
of Connolly's working time for the
company and the brotherhood for the
whole calender year of 1919.
Hylan Seeks Information
81 would like to find out whether
Brother Connolly was working for
DIOCHCT neulcy uuTlHS ldSC f1uR uSI \tNc
time of the strike) or not" said the
Mayor.
Mr.. Quackenbush promised to produce
the information the Mayor wanted, but
declared he believed it would show
that Connolly was not paid by the COM
pany when the brotherhood was on
strike. The lawyer said Connolly
ought to have been docked for the time
he was "out," if it developed he had
not been.
An item on the list of employees of
the lnterborough who receive more
than $4,000 salary annually which par
ticularly attracted the attention of
Mr.. Burr was that Of Ivy L. Lee, as
publicity adviser, at $1,000 month.
In answer to further questions, Mr..
Quackenbush said that the publicity
expenses under Mr.. Lees organization
in addition to his salary, had been
$65,S06 from April, 1916, to November
80, 1919. The witness said that Mr..
Lee was responsible for the propaganda
appearing in both "The Subway Sun"
and "The Elevated Express" 1t was
brought out that the publication of
these two "papers" by the INTERIOR
ourh had cost the company a total of
about $1,000 for the last year and a
half.
Addressing Mr.. Burr, Mayor Hylan
said:
"Well, you know. Mr.. Burr, if they
had in The Subway Sun and The Ele-
Continued on page eight