The New York herald., 1921-12-24
WELCOME SCRUTINY
OF TRANSIT PLANS
Commission Will Aid City At
torney in His Proposed
Inquiry.
MUST BE CONSTRUCTIVE
McAneny in Letter to O'Brien
Assumes His Work Will
BE Helpful.

George McAneny. chairman of the
Transit Commission. in behalf of that
body. addressed yesterday to Corpora
tion Counsel John j. O'Brien letter ac-
knowledging the latter's announcement
of the appointment of William A. De
Ford as special assistant TO study the
commissions plans for transit uni.lca-
ton, with a view of the protection of
the city's interests" Mr.. McApeny's
letter said:
u acknowledge receipt OF your letter
OF the 22d inst, addressed to the Transit
Commission, stating that you have re-
tanned Mr.. William A. De Ford as spe-
ciai assistant to make a comprehensive
survey OF the plan finally to be adopted
by this commission, to analyze such con-
tracts as may thereafter be proposed for
the execution of the plan and TO accumu-
late such Information as you deem es-
sential to enable the city authorities in
telligently to consider It.
Upon the assumption that your pur-
pose s, as indicated by your letter, con-
structive and to enable the city authori-
ties intelligently to consider the fna!
plan, and that it is not, as stated in one
or the morning newspapers, merely OBJ
structive and for the purpose of launch
ing New Fight and New Suit to
Block Transit Board regardless Of the
merits of the final plan, the commission
will welcome such an inquiry. and will
be glad to place at the disposal of Mr..
De Ford all pertinent data and informa-
tion when and as rapidly as such data
and information are available.
Will Welcome Inquiry.
"In matter of such vital Importance
to the people of the city of New York as
the proper solution of its pressing transit
problems. it is very much In the public
interest that not only the final plan and
the contracts, but also all figures and un-
derlying data be subjected to the most
thorough scrutiny Such has been and
will continue to be our policy The COM
mission not only will welcome any pro-
posed inquiry, but WILL / may assure
you, facilitate it to the best of its ability,
without regard to honest differences of
opinion. so long as your participation
continues along constructive lines"
The quotations embodied in Mr. Nc
Aneny's letter are from headlines in the
morning newspaper of William X.
Hearst. Significance was attached to
this treatment of the news in some
quarters from the fact that for Ions
time Mr.. De Ford has been counsel TO
Mr. Hearst.
DepIored Papers Attitude.
Persons in the confidence OF Mr.. De
Ford said. yesterday, however. that the
phrases quoted utterly misrepresented
his attitude toward his appointed task,
and that he personally greatly deplored
the Hearst newspapers method OF treat
| ing the matter. When the text OF
| Chairman McAnenys letter to the Cor
poration Counsel was read to Mr.. De
Ford late in the afternoon he said he
did not care TO add any comment TO the
statement he had made public earlier In
the day. In that utterance he said:
IL realize the magnitude and impor-
tance of the work which the Corpora
tion Counsel has asked me to perform
under his direction. / shall enter upon
the work with the intention of making
an absolutely fair survey of the plan
which the Transit Commission may pro-
pose and of the contracts which they
may present to the city authorities for
execution. in order to furnish the city
authorities with the fullest possible in
| formation as to the merits or the COM
missions proposals. The Corporation
Ccunsel's letter to the commission fully
states the scope and purpose of my
| employment"