New-York tribune., 1921-06-30
Never Directs
Light on Police
Money Records
E,nright's Cash Books Under
Scrutiny and Captains Ex-
aunined: Annual Field
Dav Ticket Sales Traced
Bloch Criticizes Expense
Only Aggrieved Because He
Cannot Place Followers.
Committee Head Retorts

Senator Schuyler NJ. Meyer, chairman
sshe Joint legislative committee lnves-
4xating city departments, put in the
greater part Of yesterday with his staff
~n;ng over Police Commissioner En-
r;ghts financial records. Three or four
neliee captains were on the grill and
che cash books of the Police Depart
ment were brought down for the in
sneetion of Senator Meyer, former As
s;stsnt District Attorney James E.
Smith, Leonard NJ Wallstein and
others.
Senator Meyer said last night that
he was not ready to discuss the days
work.
disposal of the money raised by the
sale Of tickets for the annual police
field days in the last three years. This
subiect was under the scrutiny of for
mer Governor Whitman and his special
committee early this year.
Assemblyman Maurice Bloch, one of
4be Tsmmany members OF the Meyer
committee, enlivened the proceedings
~ the headquarters in the Potter Build
ing yesterday by writing Senator Meyer
4 letter in which he said the committee
stands largely To exceed its 100000
appropriation.
Mr.. Bloch's letter says in part:
1T appears from the partial list OF
Never committee employees herewith
that the weekly pay roll of the COM
nittee thus early in the investigation
amounts TO SS,475.4S. The life of the
committee viii be approximately thirty
-
rate your committee viii eXpeHd for
services alone approximately S112,000.
Since it appears that additional
charges will swell tue touaI expendi-
ture to from S200,60 to $500, 900, /
bring the matter 10 Your attention and
protest in the name Of public decency
against such extravaganza.
"Eight of the thirteen members of
your committee represent upstate dis
triets, and are entitled TO and win re-
esive full compensation for expenses in
Cured during the thirty-two weeks of
the investigation. At conservative
estimate Of SO day. this will amount
to approximately $4,000, a sum which
must De added 10 the ray roll expense
slready cited.
an addition, the personal expenses
OF your investigators, lawyers and
process servers. set forth in your pay
roll. must be paid and added to the sum
of the above"
The Assemblymau includes in his let
ter list ef the pad employees that he
obtained from the State Comptroller's
Office The list includes nfty-four names,
and does not cover several of the spe.
cisl counsel.
Quite strlkI.-g demonstration Of
solicitude on the part Of an aspiring
Ta5fmany Assemblyman, with charac-
seristie regard for the public treasury"
sesajd Senator Meyer, after reading Mr.
Bloch "iettaE... Thereupon the Senator
dictated letter to Mr. Bloch, in which
he said, am part: s''I can only assume
tEat TINS alleged protest against the
expenses OF the committee is due to
ny refusal so Tar TO appoint any of the
deserving Democrats from your district
as member of the committees staff
HaweFer, | shall not hold this against
you, and, as | told you the other day,
when the public hearings start, if we
have need of additional process servers
snail be very glad 30 appoint man
from Your district who is properly
qualified.
Your estimate of the cost of the
committee may or may not be correct.
in my judgment, instead of thirty-two
weeks, about twenty weeks will be suf-
Hcient for the committee to make its
survey. when the work will be u. der
taken BY the charter revision commits
soh
However, in regard to the compen-
satlon Of the Individual members of
the staff, l consider most of the sal
ares absurdly low for the quality of
me services rendered The staff is
WORKING on the principle that they are
saxing their compensation largely in
CIVIC duty and public service. Only two
Upstate men have been working regu-
lIsfiy with the committee and both have
heen paying their own expenses.
AS some one said the other day, the
ssiy season is on and I trust that
sAe hot weather will not continue to
worry you"