The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-11-07
Attitude of Mayor of
New York on Trust
Is Questioned.
LETTER WAS IGNORED
Request for Cancellation
of Contracts Received
Only Formal Answer.

NEW YORK, Nov. 6. .-- Arraign-
mcnt OF George Backcr. millionaire
building contractor. on an indict-
ment charging perjury in testimony
before the Joint legislative commit
tee investigating the alleged build
ing trust" here, and n threat by
Samuel rntcrmyer, counsel for the
committee, to summon Mayor Hylan
70 explain failure 10 cancel contracts
for new city buildings, were out
standing developments In the inquiry
today.
Backer was released under SIS
900 bond and directed to appear
Monday.
Mr.. Untcrmycr's threat to call the
mayor before the committee was
contained in q letter to Comptroller
Craig. made public tonight.
Wanted Contracts Cancelled.
Mr.. rntermycr declared that up
wards of two weeks ago he wrote
the mayor and urged particularly
immediate cancellation of contracts
that had been made or were then
under way for the construction OF
schoolhouses on the ground that
there was sufficient justification for
that course as TO many of them from
the evidence that we already have
In hand" No reply was received,
the letter said, until November 3,
"and then only a belatcd formal per-
functory acknowledgment which
reached me eleven days after my
letter TO him"
May Call Hylan to Stand.
Yesterday. Mr.. Untermycr de-
clared, he warned missioner OF
Accounts Hirschfield that 'if the
mayor persists in delaying action
shall feel that my duty as counsel
to the committee will require me to
call him TO the witness stand to ex'
plain his reasons"
zone Of the peculiar features
which / have not been able to com
prehcnd about the solitary bid fol
the limestone work on the court,
house" Mr.. Untermyer's letter
added, "is found in the fact thai
although the insulting letter Of Johr
r Hettrick. counsel for the Master
Plumbers association. to the mayor
in which Hettrick undertook e
pledge 10 the mayor the politica
votes and support OF the unions
virtually as a bribc IL the mayor
would approve the contract received
by the mayor almost two months
ago, was not made public and nc
mention Or iatimation was given OF
its receipt until after HettriCk's Of
flee had been raided under n search
warrant Issued on the complaint OF
the attorney general at the request
Of the committee.
Tho fact that the letters were
undated Is also significant. as is the
further circumstances that no steps
were made to cancel the courthouse
contracts until after our invcstiGa
ton was well under way and the
conspiracy to swindle the city was
published."
Mayor Hylan in a statement to.
night concerning Mr.. Untermyers +
letter to the comptroller. declared
the statement OF the committee $
counsel that no action was taken 10
cancel the courthouse contracts until
after his investigation was well on
the way, is absolutely kaise."
The mayor explained that he had
been busy with the city budget for
several weeks and delayed answer
ing Mr.. Untermyer's letter, that nc
had been at the city hall every day
during the investigation and will
be glad to appear anI day that Mr.
Untermyer desires his presence"