The New York herald., 1921-07-11
MEYER DENIES ANY
DISCORD IN INQUIRY
Public Hearings Probably to
Be Postponed Again, but
Will Begin Soon.
OLD CHARTERS SCANNED
Mayor of New York Can Hunt
or Fish Anywhere in City
Despite State Laws.
OLD CHARTERS SCANNED

The Meyer legislative committee in ali
probability will not begin its public hear
ings this week in connection with It's IN
vestigation of the municipal administra-
ton. The regular weekly announcement
of the postponement until next week"
is expected to be made to-day for the
fifth time
Senator Meyer, chairman of the COM
mittee. said yesterday that the hearings
probably could not be started as sched-
uled and at the same time made official
denial OF reports that the delays are due
to dissensions within the committee,
conflict among the counsel or dissatis-
faction of the lawyers with tho evidence
worked up by the staff of Investigators.
Reports that there are factions with
In the committee; that there 10 trouble
between Elon r. Brown, the senior coun-
sci. and Leonard Wallstein of counsa'.
and that Mr.. Brown is displeased with
the evidence on which he is working are
absolutely and completely wrong" Sem
ator Meyer said.
Working In Entire Harmony.
The majority members OF the conf
mittee and the counsel and the investi-
gators are working In complete and per-
feet accord and there is no trouble.
The Tammany members are trying 10
make 1t appear that there Is discord,
but that is all there is to it. Any state
ments that Mr.. Brown has been trying
to get Mr.. Wallstein out of the contnit-
tee or that Mr.. Brown has thrown out
a lot of the data given him are unfair
and totally unfounded.
The committee has never fixed pos
tive date for starting the hearings. We
shall begin as soon as we are prepared
and not before. We are not going off
half cooked simply because some one is
in hurry to have public hearings. We
are here to make a complete and thor
ough investigation, and that we are doing
and when the public learns exactly what
we have done think it's opinion will in
dorse our work"
Mr. Browns part In the investigation
remains more or less mystery. At the
committees offices it Is given out that
he is at a hotel or club working over the
cases prepared by the assistant counsel
and investigators in the secret hearings
held for the last six weeks. He has de-
clined to make any statement or indicate
in any way what he thought of the
progress of the inquiry.
Early City Charters Searched.
The committee has discovered that un-
der terms of the Dongan Charter of 1856
the Mayor of New York Is entitled to go
hunting or fishing anywhere in the city
he wishes. regardless of all State laws,
and, further, that one beaver skin was
the price paid for extensive lands and
privileges covering Manhattan Island.
The committees publicity department
gave out yesterday a detailed statement
regarding the Dongan Charter. The
publicity management has been criti-
cised by the Tammany men. who say it
is costing several hundred dollars
week for statements explaining the early
charters.
The Tammany men, in their efforts
to make light of the investigation, have
drawn up a resolution which they insist
they will offer tomorrow in the Board
of Aldermen offering Senator Meyer the
freedom of the city in recognition of his
effective work" in helping to make
certain the denomination and reelection
of Mayor Hylan. The Investigation is
helping more than it is hurting the
Mayor. the Tammany men say. In an
swer, Meyer said that the committee had
not really got started and that the Tam
many politicians will be offering quite
different resolutions thirty days after
the presentation OF evidence begins.