New-York tribune., 1920-11-24
Comptroller Challenges
Sincerity of the Mayor,
O'Brien and Others. and
Won't Give Up'Evidence
Says They Seek
To Shift Blame
Collapse of Investigation
Predicted as Result of
His Attitude of Aloofness

Comptroller Charles L. Craig yester-
day threw wrench into the machinery
of the proposed investigation of city
contracts by the Board of Estimate.
He refused to turn over certain evil
dence in his Office to the Corporation
Counsel at the latter's request. Mr..
Craig charged that the Corporation
Counsel was conducting a private ex-
emination Of contractors in his Office
with view to presenting only such
evidence as he saw fit at the public
hearings before the Board of Estimate.
Other events yesterday presaged the
collapse Of the inquiry started by the
Mayor.
The Comptroller challenged the sin
cerity of the Mayor and Corporation
Counsel in regard to the city investi-
cation and practically announced that
he would have rothing to do with it..
He declared that they and other city
officials were lying to shift the re-
sponsibiity - the Comptroller and
that he consid cred it "highly destruc-
tive of the public interests to deliver
troller has obtained and is now making
use of in the performance Of his own
duties icr the protection Of the City
Of New York"
Craig Sets Forth Reasons
The Comptroller set forth his rea-
sons for refusing to turn over evidence
to Corporation Counsel O'Br;en in q
letter in reply to one from Mr.. O'Brien.
Mr.. Crag's letter follows:
"I have just received at 12:08 to-day
your letter dated November %. 1920, in
which you state that 'on examining GER
tain contractors preparatory to the in
vestigation to be held by the Board Of
Estimate, November %, at II a. m, you
find that in soH<e instances the same
contractors have been under cxamina-
tion by me and have been required to
submit to me certain documents ard
records which you now request be de-
livered to you for the purposes Of inves-
tigation that you state you are now
conu ucting in your office. When the
Board Of Estimate, in spite of my pro-
test. adopted q resolution for its pro-
posed investigation, it IVES stated that
such investigation was to be in public
and not in private.
81 pointed out at the time thaS the
very thing that you proposed to do was
to conduct private Investigation in
your own office and the reafter exhibit
Apportionment such things as you
should selec for that purpose. Your
letter not only confirms this, but it
shows that the first step that you pro-
pose to take is to strike blow at the
Gomptroller's power @ audit.
at is we'll known : you that for q
cons iderablc period | nave been exer
cising the power conferred upon the
Comptroller by the Charter to REQUIRE
contractors in whose favor payment ts
are being vouchered by the Borough
Presidents, the heads Of the Mayors
departments, Board of Education and
others, to submit to examination under
oath before the Comptroller.
Wants Power Unfettered
I'm the course of such examination
various records are required to be pro-
duced Your request would strip the
Comptroller of any power to give effect
to the examination that he is conduct
ing by withdrawing from his considera
tion the evidence available and upon
which his responsibility must be exer-
cised for the protection of the City of
New York against unlawful claims.
"Not only yourself, but the Mayor
and the various heads Of departments
appointed by the Mayor, as we'll as the
Continued on next paso)