New-York tribune., 1921-05-04

be filled In later by clerks and others
and that this WAS what took place al
the Welfare Committee meeting in con
nection with the meter. Collins said
Inis was 4 common practice under
Major La GuardiR and that it also was
done at Albany. :"
Ine last eemark Senator Lockwood,
chairmap of the. committee, emphati-
caliy denied, saying that in his eight
years experience he had never known
such thing to take place in Albany.
Collins then went on to say that the
thing had created stink" and that
he had Expressed his desire that the
committee report it out at once. AL
derman Ferrand had asked Cetti IL he
mad ever been approached by an Alder
nan and he answered, mo- said Col
lins. Weeks before" added Collins,
.vice-Chairman Kenneally had asked
Alderman Allyn, who introduced the
last resolution, How much Of re-
tainer did you get for this?' And 40.
after hearing all this, my position
was out on the floor with it, quick"
II told Cetti." said Collins, IT would
report out this matter. but l did not
say l would report it out favorably,"
"You know, Alderman" interiected
Mr.. Untermyer, "that the falsification
of that record, if it was falsificd.
would be crime %
"Yes."
"And that all who participated in IT
would be guilty ?"
eyes"
AAnd you changed your mind about
voting in favor of the matter after you
heard Alderman Allyn's remarks re-
hectlng on Tammany politicians?"
mat influenced me to certain ex-
tent" replied Collins. "He said that if
Tammany voted against it everybody
would know why. There was nothing
lett for me to do but accept his chal-
lenge."
Had No Other Recourse
"Do you mean to say that just be-
cause member of the minority made
speech attacking Che motives OF the
majority q meritorious measure should
be killed 2"
When my vote was going to be chal-
lenged on the ground that it was going
to be dishonest I had no other re-
course"
After Flaherty's testimony regard
ing the attachment of the "no recon-
mInendation" paster, Mrs. Anna c.
Donner, stcnographer to the Alder
mamc committees, testified she> took
minutes of the hearing before the
Welfare Committee and that she rave
them to Collins. go
She said he could not find her or;s;-
nal notes and Collins denied that he
ever got the transcript from her. At
least, he said, he couldn't find any.
Alderman August Ferrand. the mi
norlty leader of the board, testified
that he had told Alderman Al]yn after
the meeting of the Welfare Committee
that the meter matter had been favor
ably voted upon by the committees
membership. Ferrand at first had re-
FUSED to sign waiver of immunity,
but after consulting counsel signed
waiver and gave his testimony.
Alderman Cunningham was called,
but was excused when he refused to
waive immunity from criminal prose-
cution.
Alderman O'Rourke, who was said to
have opposed the meter resolution be-
fore the board on the ground that the
Badger Meter Company was an outside
f1rm, despite the fact that five of the
eight concerns in the New York COM
bine we're outsiders, was given the on
portunity to make statement, but said
he was not "over-anxious to make q
statement" AS he would not appear
voluntarily, he also was excused.
Second Approach
In connection with the second at
tempt at bribery. Cetti said he was ap-
preached by Skelly the latter part of
1919. He said he had known
Skelly for six years. 1t was after the
resolution had been introduced the
first time before the board. Skelly Mt
first suggested, said Cetti, that at
would never go through unless he