New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-01
ia
'ExanineLllsk's
Entire Record
Hylan's Chief investigator
Admits He's Going to Do
All He Can to Discredit
Meyer Committees Work
Attacks Subway Measure
Asks Senator's Motives i'm
Getting DO to 20 Millions
Extra for Contractors

When the Investigation into the slush
fund, raised to grease the bill Of SEN
ator Clayton r. Lusk, providing for
nigher salaries and permanent Jobs for
New York City detectives, is finished
an inquiry into other legislative acts of
the majority leader of the Senate will
De made, according to an announce
ment of Commissioner of Accounts
Hirshfeld.
Mayor Hylan's chief Investigator.
who makes no secret of the fact that
ne is attacking Lusk in an effort to dis
credit the Meyer committee, Of which
senator Lusk is 3 member. said that he
would next investigate the so-called
New York City subway contractors bill.
which was unexpectedly introduced bv
Lusk in the closing days of the Legis-
iature and jammed through without loss
OF time.
Charges s7o,ooo.ooo Grab
This bill, now law, according to
Hirshfeld, will mean the payment Of
S4o,ooo,ooo to s7o,0oo,000 of the city's
money TO the contractors over and
Similar legislation had been intro
duced at previous sessions, but when it
came before the Mayor. he vetoed If.
when Senator Lusk introduced tho Hill
on March 26 of the 1921 session he
made 1t a statewide bill, which took it
out of the hands of the Mayor. It 10
now now law, and. according to Hirsfeld.
the corporation Counsel is fighting the
the courts. -
why did Senator Lusk, of Cortland
county, introduce that bill which affects
only the City of New York;" asked
Hirshtield in formal statement yes
terday. '''-
What was Senator Lusk's motive in
passing the bill in the face of opposi-
ton by the Board of Estimate and Ap-
portionment of the City of New York i?
why was the bill so drafted as to
circumvent the requirements of the
state constitution providing that local
approval or veto?
WHAT interest actuated' Senator Lusk
70 introduce this bill, which, if not de-
ieated in the courts, will exact from the
taxpayers and rentpayers OF this city
sum estimated between $40 900 900 and
s70.0o0,000 and hand it over to the
contractors ?"
peiies Meyer Committee
HirssAeld added that he proposed to
make thorough investigation so that
ne could answer these questions. and
that neither annoyance by Senator
Meyer or his committee nor throat hv
Senator Lusk" would force him to dron
the investigation.
The bill, in whose interests the New
YORK City contractors maintained an
aDie lobby IN Albany, provides that
any increased cost and expense of the
work under any contract. bv reason 81
The war between the United States and
the Imperial German government. is
hereby declared to be made 3 valid
claim against the state, county, munich
patty or political division of the
State of New York with or for which
said contract shall have been made"
Commissioner Hirshfeid reviewed
the history of the contracts under
which the contractors hope to collect
between S40,000,000 and $7o,O00,oo0
from New York City by virtue of the
Lusk bill. Hirshfeld said that if the
contractors had proceeded with their
work as speedily as the contracts
called for, the subway lines on which
they worked would have been COM
pieted before the United States en-
tered the war
Hirshlield said that he expected to
complete the investigation into the
siush fund to promote the Lusk detec-
tives higher salary and permanent job
bill very shortly. and would turn over
the facts he had gathered to the dis
trict attorneys of New York and AL
bany counties.
At Senator Lusk's hotel last night 1t
was said that he was away over the
week end.