New-York tribune., 1921-03-31
Cotillo CHARGES
HeWas Offered
$4,000 Bribe
Senator Tells of Proffered
Gift if He Would Drop
Bill to Regulate Express
and Steamship Agents
Political Force Alleged
5000, 600 Fund to Beat Him;
Involves Foreign Press;
Names Clynn as Lobbyist
From a Staff Correspondent

ALBANY, March Ex-senator Saliva
tore A. Cotillo, of New York, charged
to-day in the Senate that bribes had
been offered him to drop his bill pro-
vldlng for state regulation of the
agents of express and steamship COM
panies in the transmission of money.
Senator Cotillo also charged that
George A. Glynn, chairman of the Re-
publican State Committee, and Frank
lin B. Lord, former counsel to Gov
ernor Whitman, were lobbying against
the bill.
He said further that fund of $780,
600 was being raised by a committee
in New York City to bring about his
defeat and that some of the foreign
language press in New York City had
been paid to print distorted stories
! about his measure.
He alleged that the treasurer of one
fund raised was member of the Ma
tional Surety Company"
"Committees have called at my home
and made personal threats against me-"
said Senator Cotillo. cone COMMITTEES
told my family that if it was money |
was looking for 1 could have all I
wanted"
In a statement issued before he
launched his attack in the Senate SEN
ator Cotillo said that he had been Of
fered a $4,000 bribe by an unknown
man over the telephone to abandon the
bill.
Cunard Fears World Controversy
During his speech on the floor of
the Senate Mr.. Cotillo referred to the
various conferences which he attended
with representatives of the express
and steamship companies. One of
these conferences, he said, was held in
the Office of the Superintendent of
Banks. The meeting, he said. was at
tended by representatives of the Amer
lean Express Company and the steam
| ship companies. A representative of the
Cunard Steamship Company, he said,
declared that his line did not want any
regulation, saying:
"If there is, there might be an inter
national controversy"
Explaining the purposes Of his bill,
Senator Cotillo said that it would pro
tect the ignorant immigrants VINO are
being fleeced by the agents of the ex-
press and steamship companies in the
transm ;Esion of foreign exchange.
1--WE admit these immigrants and
then we permit the irresponsible agents,
of whom there are more than one thou
sand in New York City alone, to fleece
these immigrants. Senator Pitchers
bill gives them further monopoly The
agents of these corporations, some of
them foreign, should not be immune
from state regulation, a regulation
which is imposed on our domestic banks.
There are more than 10000 claims
against the Adams Express Company
which have not been paid to date. The
poor immigrants who give up their
under the law. The Superintendent Of
Banks is helpless. In appointing these
agents they don't care whether they are
criminals or not. One of their agents
was a partner of Ponz. He had an
agency on Twenty-third Street, New
York City, and was criminal"
Charges Cheating in Exchange
Senator Cotillo then read list of
eight agencies of the Cunard line on
one block in Mulberry Street, New York
City. He told of the practice of the
agents of these various companies in
painting on their windows in letters
of gold legend proclaiming their
service and a statement telling of the
millions of dollars of capital in the
company they represented. This, he
said, lured the ignorant immigrants
who wanted to send money home to
Europe.
1.-THE agents cheat constantly on the
rate of exchange" said Senator Cotillo.
"They are of all nationalitAs. One
man named Bald. in the Bronx. an
agent of the Cunard line, walked off
with $4,000 of money deposited with
him and $4,000 which had been given
him for transmission.
II know of one company, which T
shall tell about later, that has s4,500.-
900 Of the peoples money that cannot
be collected"
At this point Senator John knight.
of Wyoming, observed that Senator
Pitcher, who introduced bill dealing
with the situation, was not in the
chamber, and suggested that the mat
ter be postponed until he could be
found, SO that he could explain his bill.
To this Senator Cotillo agreed. and
the matter was laid over.
1.-THE QUEEN OF SHEBA"
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