New-York tribune., 1921-04-29
Lusk and Machold Will
Meet Here at Noon to
Select Legislators to In
vestigate Hylan Rule
Meyer Is Slated
For Chairmanship
Members Meet Monday to
Begin Work livingston
Tries to Choose Chief

The joint legislative committee
which is to inquire into the Hearst
Hylan Tammany administration viii, be
selected at noon to-day at the Murray
Hill Hotel by Senator Clayton r. Lusk
and Speaker II. Edmund Machold, the
leaders of the two branches of the
Legislature.
1t is practically assured that Senator
Schuyler M. Meyer will be chairman of
the committee. Senator Meyer, with Sem
ator Theodore Douglas Robinson and
Assemblyman Joseph Steinberg, fought
hard for Legislative investigation
when most of the New York City lead
ers, led by Jacob A. Livingston, of
Brooklyn, opposed one.
To-day's conference was arranged yes
terday by Senator Lusk over the long
distance telephone. Speaker Machold
was at his Office in the State Capitol.
Silent on Personnel
Neither Senator Lusk nor Speaker
Machold would divulge the probable
personnel Of the committee, but from
other sources it was learned that the
Investigators most likely will include:
Senators Meyer, Theodore Douglas
Robinson, of Herkimer; William T.
Simpson, Kings; c. Ernest Smith, of
Staten Island, or Ward V. Tolbert, of
Manhattan, Republicans, and Martin
G. McCue, Democrat. Senator Lusk
and the minority leader, James l..
Walker. by virtue Of their positions,
also will be members of the COM
mittee.
Assemblymen Joseph Steinberg, of
Manhattan; George N. Jesse, Manhat-
tan; Sol Ullman, Manhattan; Walter
f. Clayton, Kings, Republicans, and
Joseph B. Mckee, of the Bronx, or John
j. O'Connor, of Manhattan, Democrats.
The two floor leaders of the House,
Majority Leader Simon L. Adler, of
and Minority Leader Charles
D. Donohue, of Manhattan, go on the
committee automatically.
The committee after being appointed
will meet next Monday for organiza-
tion, when counsel will be chosen. In
all probability the appointee will be
Elon r. Brown, former majority leader
of the Senate. Leonard M. Wallstein
and Samuel Berger, who aided in the
Lockwood committee inquiry, will be
named as assistant counsel
1t will be at least six weeks before
the committee will hold it's first public
hearing. The most important work, the
preparation of the mass of material TO
lay the groundwork for the examina-
tlon of witnesses, will be done quietly
and without publicity. This task will
be assigned to various subcommittee
to be appointed next week.
Sub-Committees Have Big job
In recent talks both Senator Iusk
and Speaker Machold declared that th;s
preliminary work could not be done in
side OF month and a half. One sub
G committee will be charged with going
INTO the evidence piled up against the
Fol1ce department., another will work
on the affidavits and other papers af
fecting the Office of District Attornev
Swami, third will inquire into the
charges against the Dock Department
and other departments of the Hearst
IL 20 All aiii many government.
The graft investigation committee
will not only pile up material for it,
own investigation, but will gather mat
ter for use by the Charter Revision
Commission, which will be appointed
by Governor Miller this fall to inquire
into the framework of the citv gov
ernment with view to changes tend
ing to minimize the possibilities of ex-
travagance, waste and graft.
The measures creating these two in
yestigating bodies were fought by Mr..
Livingston and his following openly
Yesterday the Brooklyn leader tried to
have his spokesman in the upper house.
Senator Alvah Burlingame jr., ap-
pointed chairman of the graft investi-
eating committee. No one but Mr.. Liy-
ingston took the attempt seriously.
The graft Investigators will function
under the broadest power which the
can confer. They have the
right to accord immunity to witnesses.
This is the first time this power has
been delegated by the Legislature to
a municipal investigating committee
Thy have the usual powers to subpoena
books, documents and papers and to
compel witnesses to attend. In addf-
ton, they have the extraordinary power
of commanding any and every board,
bureau, Office, commission and depart
ment of the city government to give
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