New-York tribune., 1921-10-12
axi xiLicenses
Given tO2l7
Ex-Conviicts
Granting of City Permits
to Men With Criminal
Records Barred by Testi~
mony at Meyer Inquiry
Witness TO Face
Charge of Perjury
Chauffeur Says He Paid
10 Have Car Approved
bv Bureau Officials

bv Bureau Officials
There are PIT convicted criminals
driving taxicabs through the streets
OF New York City. according to evis
dence submitted TO the Meyer legiS-
lative investigating committee yes-
terday. They are operating undev
licenses Of the Department oe
Licenses, Division of Vehicles, tbs
bureau now under examination by
the committee.
Of this number, it was shown by
the testimony that so had been
convicted Of felonies, including such
crimes as grand larceny, burglary,
felonious assault, bribery, forgery
and the possession of drugs, and ISL
for lesser offenses.
Mystery Surrounds Permits
The rules of the department provide
that licenses be issued only 90 men os
clean records and after thorough go
animation of the history OF applicants.
How these chauffeurs obtained theis
permits and were enabled to retain
them Leonard NJ. Wallstein. associate
counsel for the committee, said he
would like to know"
Mr.. Wallstein. however. exonerate6
License Commissioner John +. GiIchr,sy
OF any dereliction in connection with
the disclosures, but added that he
couldn't say this for all the subordi.
mates who are or have been in the de-
partment during Mr.. Gilehrist's term.
1t was recalled that Deputy Commits
sloner James +. Geraghty was forced
to resign from the department. on Sop
tembcr Is as result of facts uncovered
by Investigators for the Meyer commit
tee.
Some explanation Of certain practiecs
IN the department was offered bv wit
nesses VINO told of giving money to in
spectors for passing" their cars. Sain~
uel Eckstein, chauffeur, named Cal
iagher and Walsh as the inspectors who
accepted money from him for "passirg'
his car. According 10 the record Ecs-
stein said, II could not get my car
passed unless ! paid it
License Change Fought
Evidence also was introduced tend
ms u FIOH liGL emp OtCeS OF me de-
partment had been active in gathering
fund TO be used to fiRht measure
that had been placed before the LcGis-
iature proposing to transfer the licens-
ing OF chauffeurs to the jurisdiction og
the Police Department. The bill, in-
troduced by Senator Schuyler NJ
Meyer, chairman Of the present COM
mittee, was defeated.
RenjaInin g. Singer, If 116 Wcss
f.l n 4
New York Sightseeing Company, was
charged with perjury by counsel foS
the committee when he ~ccantol Ger.
tain testimony ne had gwen before
subcommittee relating TO tho alleged
activities Of license department ems
plCyees in collecting the fund Just ic-
ferre0 to. Singer said Yesterday thss
tis previous testimony vas false. ill.
" a. stein held it was clear case %
perjury and asked 0hat the case be
sen6 to tie District Attorney fer IN.
mediate action. Caai1ma8 Meyer c.
rected tha. the record be at once sens
TO District Attorney Swami.
Maurice z. Connolly, Borough Presis
dent Of Queens. was recalled for -
short tine during the morning session
and went into the matter Of the bor-
oughs budget, which he said should
have been bigger this year than last
by the Board of Estimate and Appor-
tionmen,. The comparatively high coss
20 Queens o. the product % the Lock
JOINT Pine Company for sewer con-
srrUctioa ard The PAT John II. Phillips
unofficial head a. tho sewer depart
ment o. the no1ouea" lad IN she bors
ough's affairs were reierred to agaii..
Applicants Routine Barred
The evidence Of the routine through
which applicants for taxicab driverss
licenses must pass Ind statistics Of tho
department we're obtained for the rec
ord from John 5. Egan, Inspector oS
licensed veaicies in the Departments
Of licenses; John Drannen, chief of tho
licensed vehicles division, and Cap.
tain Francis J. Finn, in charge of the
Investigating squad OF the Police De-
partment.
in summarizing the testimony and
.igures introduced Mr. u Wallstein as
serted that in the active files and
based upon only partial examination
o. those active files indicating as tho
witnesses have testified that they refer
TO cnaNffeurs VINO are now actively
plying taNicabs, there are twenty-five
convicted felons, OF whom four were
convicted OF grand larceny. four o.
g..
sour OF assault IN tie second degree
and eight Tor crime ranging from
bribery and forgery TO Illegal voting
ana the possession OF drugs
In addition 10 those instances OF
felonios IN the active files OF the de-
7artment." went on NJ. Wsllstein.
there are l57 Instances disclosing that
applicants mad been guilty OF other
crimes, ninety OF whom mad been
guilty q petty larceny. In very many
Instances, where there was a charge
o. burglary, there was plea Of guilty
entered and sentences administered on
a plea Of guilty TO petit larceny"
Fingerprint Record Ignored
Mr Wallstein pointed out as worthy
o. note that in the case Of thirtv-nine
o. these ninety their convictions were
disclosed by the Gngerprnt records
which were before the License Bureau
when the license WAS issued, accord~
ing TO the general routine of the de-
partment. No explanation was forth~
as to why these iingerprint rec
ords were overlooked. OF the l07 tho
OF siXty-nine were recorded
in the tingerprint records available to
the bureau.
A partial study Of the suspended
-