The New York herald., 1921-10-17
MEYER MEN TO HALT
CITY inquiry TO-DAY
Adjournment Will Continue
Throughout Heat of
Campaign.
MUCH EVIDENCE LEFT
Commissioner EnI.ight to-
Be Questioned About
Police Games.
PROTEST BY GILCHRISTI
Felons Driving Taxicabs Hard
to Trace, but Number Is
Decreasing, He Says.
PROTEST BY GILCHRIsT

After hearing Commissioner Enright
to-day on management of the police
athletic carnivals at Sheepshead Bay
In recent years and clearing away a
few odds and ends regarding other
departments, the Meyer Committee
will take recess for about a month.
When il resumes after election the
committee win have two or three
weeks work on hand.
The only reason for adjournment,
the committee announced, is that it
Goes not wish to run into the city
campaign Senators and Assembly
mon connected with the investigation
have insisted on being free for the
last three weeks of the municipar
political battle Furthermore, the
committee has taken the position all
along that it's purpose is to find out
what is the matter with the city gov
ernment and it's management and
wherein Improvement can be made for
the taxpayer through charter re-
vision.
Susr.nds as Campaign Starts.
The cry of the Tammany- Hylan COM
bination has been that the purpose was
only political. The committee suspends
on the date set for the official opening
Of the city campaign, following the
long established custom of starting to
shoot in the municipal fight as soon as
registration is over.
There IS great amount OF evidence
still in hand ready for presentation. but
1t will be held In reserve until after
election. Some Of that evidence is said
20 be even more sensational than. any
yet offered In the public hearings. Dur
ing the nine weeks it has been holding
almost daily sessions after four months
of preparation the committee has taken
ali the evidence possible to handle. 4
Another reason for taking recess at
this time is to permit the committee TO
prepare a preliminary report embody-
ing its suggestions for charter revision
for presentation to the commission
named by Gov. Miller to meet on No
vember j and take over the findings of
the investigating body.
If the committee makes satisfactory
headway to-day In questioning the po-
lice officials II will take up one or two
other cases OF remarkable transactions
in connection with pier leases.
CiIchrist Explains.
John F. Gilchrist. Commissioner of
Licenses, filed protest with the c)n,-
mittee yesterday with reference to EVIL
dence showing that large number of
criminals are operating taxicabs with
city licenses. The Commissioner said
that he initiated in September. 1919.
the system Of taking finger prints of ap-
plicants for licenses. Up to that time
there was no record Of the drivers. and
the first test showed that S2l of the
10. 900 licensees had been convicted and
that of new applicants 1913 had been
convicted. After consulting with Dis
trict Attorneys and Judges Mr.. Gilchrist
said he issued an order that men with
criminal records should not get licenses.
His statement continued
When your examiner testified that
there were twenty-five licenses still out
standing in the names of persons who
had been convicted of felony he did
not explain that these licensees had
not yet been found by the head Of
my division Of licensed vehicles. and
that the latter had made diligent search
for them. Sometimes 1t Is very diff
cult to. locate licensees. They may have
died or gone to some other city, or
gone out of business without the
License Department. knowing anything
about it. 1t is even possible that some
OF these twenty-five licenses are in
the hands OF persons other than those
to whom they were issued. Until the
licensee reports for renewal of his
license or until he Is picked up by the
police or by some of our inspectors. OF
whom we have all too few. we are un-
able to locate him to retake the license"
| Commissioner John p. Leo of the
Department of Street Cleaning also
criticised the committee because of evil
dencc regarding that department. While
figures were put In showing increase
In the budget. he contended. it was not
brought out that 30 per cent. OF the
increase was due to salary advances
and that the balance was for new equip
ment.