New-York tribune., 1921-04-04
Resolution Supported by
Majority Leaders Is Put
in Shape for Early Ac-
ton by the Legislature
Final Touches Add
"Teeth'' to Inquiry
Charge That Opponents
Seek to Aid Travis and
Wendell Stirs Albany
FROM a STAT Correspondent

FROM stag Correspondent
ALBANY. April 3.-The resolution
providing for an investigation of the
corruption and inefl'icicncy Of the Po-
lice Department, District Attorney
Swann's office and other departments
Ct the Hearst Hylan- Tammany admin
lstration in New York City will be
whipped into shape within the next
forty eight hours and reported out for
&ction by the Legislature.
This inquiry will be patterned along
the lines fixed in the resolution offered
by Senator Theodore Douglas Robin
son, nephew Of the late Colonel Roose-
velt, and Assemblyman Joseph Stein
berg, also one of the Republicans who
followed the Colonel in 1912, when the
Progressive party was organized, and
in addition will cmbody the construc-
tive features Of the resolution of Sena-
tor Schuyler NJ. Meyer. The Meyer
plan not only called for an invcstiga
ton of the graft and general inof-
ticiency Of the Hearst II ylan- Tammany
regime; it sought for remedial charter
changes to eliminate so far as possible
the opportunities for graft.
Tammany Chiefs and Kin in Peril
The graft trail will lead to the doors
Of several Tammany district leaders
and their immediate relatives. Mil
ons, i. is sale, have been made away
with under the guise of city contracts
IN the last three years. Senator Charles
c. Lockwood declared on the floor of
the Senate that in one contract for
S1,S00,000 on the new courthouse more
than half of the sum, or $1,000,000, in
graft was to be divided among few
politicians and contractors.
The only leader in the Republican
party of moment who is opposing the
investigation is Jacob A. Livingston, of
Kings County. State Chairman Glynn
and other county heads, with hardly an
exception. are Tor the inquiry. Gov
crnoH Miller is also on record as favor
ing it.
The evidence submitted to the Gov
ernor and the legislative leaders in
volycs not only the Police Department
whore the Whitman inquiry already has
exposed widespread evils, and District
Attorney Swann's Office, but other de-
partmerts.
James 7. Carroll. one of the Brook
lyn Republican members, speaking in
the Assembly, said that it had come to
his ears that the objection of "ccrtain
gentlemen in Brooklyn" to an investi
cation of the graft conditions in New
York City was a desire on their part to
protect the name of former State Con-
troller Eugene M. Travis and his sue
cessor in Office. James A. Wendell, who
have been indicted for fraud in con-
nection with $230.G50 of the states
money in the sinking fund transactions
in the bond market. The investigation
showed that more than S3,OO0,0O0 had
been 'lost" in these transactions in
part of the Travis administration, dur
ing which time Comptroller Wendell
was Deputy Comptroller.
The failure of District Attorney
Swann's office to take the interest that
many regarded necessary in the prose
cutiof of Travis and Wendell and the
bond broker, Albert l.. Judson, who was
indicted with them. has been the sub
ject of considerable talk among the
legislators.
Opposing Brief Not Filed
Although counsel for the accused
moved last December for an inspection
OF the grand jury minutes, and twice
since Mr.. Swann's Office has announced
that it would file a brief opposing this
inspection no such brief had been
offered up to the closing hours of court
last Saturday
Judge John f. Mcintyre, who has laid
the blame on District Attorney Swann's
office for the case not being moved to
TRIAL, on Friday in New York City an
nounced that he would not wait any
longer for the District Attorney, who
had promised to file brief the previ-
Gus week, but failed to do so, and
would decide the case without waiting
further for the District Attorney.
Why this promise had not been kept.
in the face of the publicity given to
Assem- Lyman Carroll's utterances, is
one of the things which have given rise,
to fresh discussion of Mr.. Carroll's in
timations.