The New York herald., 1921-06-12
LEAD IN MASKED BALLS
Permits Range From S. to
500, Tough Clubs Get
ting Lowest Rates.
SILENCE LID JUMPING OFF
Meyer and Brown Puzzled by
Continued Leaks in News Of
PrObers' Activities.

by the Joint legislative committee, Of
which Senator Schuyler M. Meyer is
chairman, have been busy at Police
Headquarters for the last few days, it
was learned yesterday. These women
have been examining confidential rec
ords in various branches of the depart
ment. especially those involving mat
ters in which the women police and
detectives have figured.
One of the matters which the COM
mittee's Investigators will go into
thoroughly is the mystery surrounding
the sudden departure of Mrs. Ellen
OGrady from the Police Department
She was Fifth Deputy Police Commits
sioner and resigned in circumstances
believed to conceal a scandal involving
confidential attache of Commissioner
Enright, now no longer connected with
the department.
Mrs. O'Grady is now q probation Of
fcer in Brooklyn. She made study OF
white slave traffic and Of the dance hall
situation throughout the city while she
was in the Police Department. and from
information that has reached the Meyer
committee II has been deemed advisable
to look over many of the records that
accumulated during Mrs OGrady's ten
ure of office.
Failure to take proper police action
against certain places and persons men
toned In some of Mrs. O'Gradys re-
pft cfro
the committees counsel has been in
formed, and when she protested and
forced action in certain cases, ner posi-
ton in the department.. became so un-
comfortable, as she has told friends. that
she had to resign. She did so last De-
cember.
Wide Range In Permit Rates.
| Another curious phase of police ac-
tivitIes relates to the varying charges
| made for permits for masquerade or
!. masked balls The committees investi-
gators have discovered that the fees
charged for such permits ran all the way
from SIS to 500 or more. The varia-
tion is supposed to be based upon the
"sze" of the hall used for the ball. No
masquerade ball may be held without a
police permit and the amount of the fee
charged seems to have been quite dis
cretionary. For instance. permit
granted to Hugh g. Harvey on April 10
for masquerade ball in the Ritz-Carl-
ton cost 500. while one granted on the
same day to the Finnish Socialist Club
at large Brooklyn hall cost only s5.
! A large number OF these permits are
issued during the year and the commit
tees Investigators are seeking to learn
| by what basis OF measurement the
| amount of the fee was fixed and whether
political pull or influence figured in the
matter. II has developed already that
most OF the many masked affairs pulled
off by the neighborhood associations of
young men. such as the Tough Guys"
Hudson Busters" and the like. generally
operate under a s5 permit.
Chairman Meyer and ex-senator Elon
! r. Brown, chief counsel to the commit
! tee, had a consultation at the University
/ Club yesterday concerning Justice Whit
aker's decision upholding Deputy Police
! Commissioner Leach in refusing to be
| sworn before Senator Meyer as a SUBJ
! committee of one member of the commit
| tee. After the conference Senator Brown
said that he had not yet read Justice
whitaker's decision and could not say
definitely II he would appeal from II.
/ but he thought he would, on the ground
/ that the legislative committee. being
| special body and not a standing COM
mittee, can make Its own rules as to
how many members shall constitute
subcommittee. For standing commit
tees the smallest number permissible Is
/ three.
subcommittee Plan Changed.
But for two weeks. Senator Brown
explained. the practice of having only
one member on subcommittee had
been discontinued. so that the effect OF
Justice whitaker's decision is purely
formal in that respect. But there Is
question raised by the decision as to
whether IL will be necessary for the
whole committee to meet again and or
! ganize its subcommittee.
Chairman Meyer said that n an ap-
| peal was taken Gov. Miller would be
asked to direct the Appellate Division to
/ hear argument on II on July S, when the
/ Appellate Court will reconvene for one
| day to hear original motions and not
! appeals The chairman pooh-poohed the
| idea that en- extra session OF the Legis-
iature might be necessary to expand the
! committees powers. but said that " the
/ necessity arose he would not hesitate to
! request Gov Miller TO take whatever
! action might be needed to add to the
! committees power. Such situation he
did not anticipate. he said. but II might
arise II policy OF obstruction and en-
nifty were consistently pursued by the
city administration against the commit
tee and Its representatives.
Chairman Meyer and Senator Brown
are frankly puzzled and annoyed over the
fact that edspite the secrecy which they
| have ordered thrown over all the work
OF the committee and its investigators
I nendine the beptnnine of public hearjn rs
the newspapers are still learning and
! printing Information concernig these
supposedly closely guarded secrets Ad-
ditional silence clamps have been dis
tributed among the staff of the COM
mittee in a desperate attempt to prevent
/ further leaks.
The Municipal Civil Service Commits
sion's rulings and general activities will
engage the attention Of the committee
and form an important part Of the eyi-
1 ..f- NJ.