The New York herald., 1921-10-19
CITY inquiry Off
FOR The ELECTION
Auditore Repeats Charge
and Challenges Enright
to Public Debate.
MORE EXPOSES COMING
Brown Says Inquiry Is Not
Partisan and Has Helped
Charter Revision.
MORE EXPOSES COMING

Every effort made by the Meyer
Committee, TO expose corruption, waste
or inefficiency in the city government
has been met with stubborn opposition
by the Eylan administration on the
ground that 1t was a hostile act,"
Elon r. Brown, counsel for the COM
mittee, charged yesterday in a state
ment defining what the investigators
have sought and stiIl hope to accom-
plish
Instead of seeking to cooperate in
an endeavor to find out what is tho
matter with the city government and
how sound administration can be es-
tablished through better laws Mr..
Brown said the city officials had done
nothing but cry partisanshipa
James Auditore Of the firm OF James
Auditorc & Sons, general contractors
of % Beaver street. made public last
night letter which he says he has
sent to Poiice Commissioner Richard T..
Enright. taking issue With the Commits
sioner because of Mr.. Errights charac-
Longing the Commissioner to debate
on the merits of Auditore's testimony
before the Meyer Committee. Auditore
testified that his piers were guarded by
the Edward p. Hughes detective agency,
and that Hughes had told him that he
and Commissioner E.nright were "hfty-
fifty" in the agency. Auditore's letter
follows
This mornings papers print writ
ten statement by you In which you
characterize me as a 'ruffian' and in
which you charge that I had been
coached before giving my testimony be-
fore the Meyer Investigating Commit
tee.
"Both of these statements are false
and malicious and known by you to be
such.
II hereby demand that you make pub
lie disclaimer of such statements, and
IL you refuse to do so / challenge you
herewith to a public debate as to the
merits OF my Testimony before the Meyer
Committee, at which time ! will offer
proof substantiating the truth OF my
statements such debate TO be held when
and where you please and all expense
connected Herewith TO be borne by me.
You may recall that in the presence
Of others told you Of the power welded
by Edward p. Hughes in the Police De-
partment with your approval and sup
port. Try to recall such conference.
IL do repeat that Edward p. Hughes
repeatedly told me that you were fifty
fifty with him in his agency.
~ nm sending copies OF this letter to
the various newspapers"
While the committee has suspended
public hearings until after election, so as
not to Interfere with the rWnicipal cam
paiyning. It's work will coh3lnue without
interruption. Public sessions will be re-
surned soon after election "A great mass
OF material .reiatin, TO city departments
is Yet to be presented
Ten city departments have been under
inquiry at the hearings. A. many more
are yet to be Investigated. In half a
dozen at least various Irregularities have
been shown. The departments concern
.Gg which testimony has been taken in
clude Finance, Police. Education, Mar
kets, Licenses. Street Cei.rng. Docks,
the Mayors office Welfare and Queens
Borough.
Perhaps the most impot tan. revela-
tons made as affecting the welfare Of
Ire entire city relate to peers. 1t has
been established that valuable piers are
leased by the city TO contractors at small
rcn.ais and sublct at big figures. The
'esStcS are IltthlDE lOTluflcS Nv IuERllnR
the pier; while legitimate shipping in
tercsts are forced to pay the penalties or
turn their ships to other por:s.
Material for Charter Revision.
Much eviderce is yet to be offered
dealing with. the overlapping OF city bu-
reavs and offices. the duJi.cation TO be
eliminated by consolidating bureaus do
ing simi.ar work. and the great expense
which results from overinspecting and
overregu,ating through Numerous bu-
reaus. The Information on these sab
5ects viii be the basis for charter re-
vision.
TamJnary members Of the committee
and politicians generally speculating on
the outcome OF the Inquiry so far ex-
pressed their satisfaction with the re-
<uits Their opinion wes that the com
1nittees work was OF negative political
valuc and would have little effect on the