The New York herald., 1921-01-06
LOCKWOOD SEEKS
IMMUNITY POWER
IN GRAFT BATTLE
Inability to Grant 1t Hides
Guilty in Court House
Contracts.
PLEA TO LEGISLATURE
Demands Authority to Car.
ry Inquiry Through
to Finish.
rs OPPOSED BY WALKER
Action On Resolution for Hy-
Ian Probe Waits Word
From Miller.
rs OPPOSED BY WALKER
Special Despatch TO THE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
AIbauy. Jan. g..


give to the committee of which he is
chairman the power to grant immun-
ity, Senator Lockwood told the Senate
to-day he would have been able to
prove who was to get the S1.0O0,0OO
graft from the Court House job in
New York had the hands Of the in
vestigators not been tied.
Meeting the challenge of the Tam
many members. who fought hard to
sidetack the Lockwood committee and
to block the proposed investigation
of the HyIan administration. Senator
Lockwood demanded that his commit
tee have the authority it needs to
carry it's inquiry through to the finish.
resolution for the extension OF its life
and broadening of its powers and the
Robinson Steinberg resolution calling
for an investigation Of the New York
administration were referred to COM
mittee.
Senator Lusk, majority leader. de-
clared he would insist on the Lockwood
resolution coming out Of the Finance
Committee when the session meets %
begin it's regular business next Wednes-
day. He denied emphatically he had
any intention of trying to halt the
Lockwood investigation. He said he
would use his office to see the inquiry
was not blocked.
-se,
mendation that he be given sweeping
powers of investigation over city and
county officers, through extension or
the Moreland act, the disposition of
the legislative leaders is to take no
action on demand for a Hylan probe
until Mr.. Miller has made known his
plan. 1t Is believed the Robinson-Stein-
berg resolution will rest in committee.
Untermycr .Assailed.
Senator Walker. Tamnlany spokesman
In the upper house. assailed Samuel
Untermyer and damned the Lockwood
Committee by faint praise when NJ.
Lockwood presented his report and his
resolution asking for the further life
and authority. While insisting that he
and the Tammany members did not
wish to stand in the way OF the housing
committee, whose work he said was
helpful to the entire country, Walker
in the mex. breath poked fun at the
committee. ridiculed Mr.. Untcrnyer
and charged the committee were mere
automatons not acting in good faith.
Senator Walker evidently mistakes
noise and cheap comedy for real work"
Senator Lockwood said Indignantly
1.-THE members of the committee are
not automatons. They are real mon
who have worked night and day to help
the housing situation and who have
withstood terrific pressure brought to
bear on them to make them forget
their duty.
''The State architect told me to-day
the State had saved 100000 on con-
tracts as result of our work. 1t comes
with bad grace for any Senator to stand
here and criticise Mr.. Untermyer. who
has given all his time and who has spent
$4,000 of his own money to make this
inquiry q success. The committee has
spent less than S12. 600. and IL the Senate
does not care to pay the bills we will get
the money outside to complete the job.
Need Immunity Power.
eve must have the power to grant
immunity II we are to do what we have
in mind 1t has been a big handicap all
along not having IT, We went into the
Court House contract and learned that
the limestone bids amounted TO $3.50.
900. We learned that the same work
would have cost any contractor $500, 900
at the same time.
"There were men in that limestone
ring who were ready and willing to go
on the stand and tell where that $1,000
900 OF graft was going If we would give
them immunity. We could not do 1t. III
we had the authority we could have
shown very startling things as yet un-
known. There is no occasion here for
your cheap comedy In trying to reflect on
she committee" the Senator concluded.
sroking at Walker The latter again
<issailed Urtermyer, and said the COM
mittee had suppressed facts regarding
plus cost pronteering made by the
Thompson -Starrett Company.
Senator Lockwood asked for immedi-
ate consideration OF his resolution. but
Senator Hewitt, chairman OF the Finance
Committee. objected because the request
carried an appropriation. and the reso-
luton went to the Finance COMMITTEES
after Mr.. Lusk had given his word that
Il would be brought out and acted on
the first moment the COMMITTEES was
organized next week
Resolution Goes over.
The MISUNDERSTANDING resolution was
dealt with In short order. In the A.
sembly N was put over for ten days and
in the Senate referred to the Finance
Committee. Mr.. Robinson said ne had
no wish to interfere In any way with
the Governors wishes or programme in
dealing with the question of Investigate
ing the New York administration. The
resolution recites that the city admins
tration is demoralIzed on account of in
competency and corruption and has
broken down completely In several
branches. including the Offices Of the
Police Commissioner and District Attor-
ney, and the failure to provide for
schools. II called for a joint committee
and gave power to grant immunity.
Senator Walker was alone a second
time In the opposition. AN other Tam
many members were silent. Walker
said the resolution was prompted purely
by political motives and that IL there
was not a campaign In sight next year
no one would be thinking of such an in
uuiry lie defended his fair city" and
became quite Indignant because New
York was being made the scapegoat for
politicians seeking 70 get into ONCE.