The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
haplan Gives his version.

Kaplan's statement was as follows
"The telegram Of Chairman Lockwood,
sent to Samuel Untermyer last night.
is a violation Of the rules of the COM
mittee which make executive sessions
secret II does not state what occurred
I'm the executive session yesterday. Since
Senator Lockwood has seen fit 10 make
this statement as 70 what occurred,
il is my duty TO state the facts. II
must first be remembered that / fought
10 have the hearing held in the open
and public session, and that my motion
was overruled AMI my right to appeal
cut off without reason.
when the committee went into ses-
son after a discussion, Mr.. Untermyer
insisted upon obtaining a resolution sup
porting him In his desire for a fine
against the limestone ring. He drafted
the resolution in his own handwriting
and il was put TO a vote. Mr.. INTER-
myers resolution was defeated by a
vote Of four 70 three. At least two
Republicans voted against the resolution.
Senator Lockwood voted against Mr..
Untermyer's resolution and was the
fourth vote necessary to defeat it. l
voted against the resolution.
up to this time Mr. Wallstein had
not engaged in the discussion, but he
finally stated that he wanted TO ex-
press his views. He said he was OPP
posed to fine against the limestone
ring, and was in favor of Jail terms.
He then wrote out his resignation and
gave it to Senator Lockwood. At this
time Mr.. Untermyer left and Senator
Lockwood remained drafting a resolu-
ton which was neutral in form and SUP
stance. 1t simply sidetracked the de-
feat of the Untermye~ resolution.
i1Cf on nt1fI a
olution, but stated that I approved of
that part of its substance which ex-
pressed confidence in counsel and which
congratulated counsel in the wonderful
results produced This declared to be
the window dressing part of the resolu-
ton, and said that what l was opposed
to was seeing the limestone ring walk
out of court with a fine when its MEM
bers had mulcted the people out of
millions of dollars and seriously hamp-
cred and interfered with the building
situation during the crisis. I said that
l was willing to offer my services to
convict these men and all the Other
violators of the law. including those
against whom they could testify. without
charge to the State or city"
Kaplan added that he had favored
postponement of sentence until the COM
mittee should be able to weigh the worth
OF the evidence which the cut stone men.
had furnished or had promised to fur
nish. He said that Mr.. Wallstein's
resignation was torn up by Assembly
man Leininger.
According to reports obtainable from
other sources the defeat of the first
resolution was not due, as Kaplan would
make 1t appear. to any lack of confidence
in Mr. Untermyers Judgment, but to the
fact that the majority of the members
of the committee did not think II proper
or advisable for their body to go on
record one way or the other in the mat
ter of punishment of defendants. They
felt that this was properly a thing for
the consideration of the prosecuting
officers and the court
United States Senator William NJ.
Calder on visiting City Hall yesterday
said he was endcavoring to obtain the
services of some able lawyer TO conduct
the investigation by his Senate Commit
tee on Reconstruction into the building
situation. He said he wished his COM
mittee might have Mr.. Untermyer's
services.
"The Senate investigation into housing
conditions will be all embracing" he
said. The hearings will take place here
and in Washington. and the prospect Is
that we will be ready to begin this phase
of the work soon after the holidays"