New-York tribune., 1921-02-06
MIR. Craig Answers Charge


the following reply to Mr.. Volk:
"This matter was the subject of
conference in this room at 3 o'clock on
the afternoon of June II, 1918, between
Eugene Meyer jr., Mr.. Hylan and my
self The situation was fully discussed,
and my letter Of June 15 was the re-
suit of the course then determined
;upon. The Eugene Meyer letter of
June ID, 1918, while appearing on
/ Washington letterhead, was written in
this city and delivered by messenger to
my office, as was also letter of June
| II, 1918, arranging for the appointment
i with Mayor Hylan and myself"
Mayor IIylan said yesterday that he
tdid not remember any such conference
and that it was his opinion that Comp
troller Craig acted uG2n his own re-
sponsiblity.
81 have no recollection" he said, ''of
any such matter being brought before
the board by Mr. Craig or any one else.
think, in making the recommendation,
! Mr. Craig spoke only for himself"
Craig Makes Demand on La Guardia
| In his, request to Mr. La Guardia
| please to remit for the telegraph, and
/ telephone tolls he had charged to the
betty, Comptroller Craig said that he
had been trying to evade payment and
set a limit within which restitution"
must be made.
/ "Unless this is done within ten
days" said the Comptroller, ~ shall
take appropriate legal proceedings to
compel such payments. Send the cash
and let the credit go"
The Comptroller also stated that fur
ther examination of the accounts of
the Aldermanic Presidents Office in
dicated that "you did not confine your
personal and political business con-
! ducted at the expense of the city to
! telegraph messages"
The Comptroller contends that the
| Aldermanic President owes the city
$12891 for long distance telephone
calls which could not be properly
classed as city business. He also de-
manded the prompt payment of these
telephone charges.
"The city has paid on the certificate
Of your subordinate the sum of S848.70
for telephone service for the same
period referred TO in the communica-
tion regarding your telegraph mes
sages," said he Comptroller in his let
ter. "You evidently used the tele-
phone on the same assumption that
you used the telegraph privileges
that they were all to be paid for by
| the City of New York. and that no one
| would ever discover what they were
about.
"You called up the same people to
whom you telegraphed so frequently
on personal and political matters.
| Distance was no impediment. An ex-
animation of the telephone records
shows that calls to Washington were
very frequent. Sometimes it was Sen
ator Calder; sometimes 1t was Frank
/ Curtis. Senator Lenroot was also fire.
quently talked with over the long dis
tance telephone, doubtless in the in
] fn,t L, N,,1
campaign.
"You pursued Sam Koenig, chairman
of the New York County Republican
/ Committee, to Albany and to the Re-
publican Convention at Saratoga over
| the long-distance telephone On June
you telephoned to Mayor j. Hampton
Moore of Philadelphia. This might be
considered an official exchange of
! courtesies between two cities were it
not for the fact that your telegraphc
messages to Frank Curtis, Lenroot's
were about to try out Mayor Moore
merely as q feeler' on a political ques-
! tion.
THE total amount of the long-dis-
tance calls charged against the City of
| New York for your account for this
4 period is $l23.S1. / must insist that
/ you make restitution to the City of
|, New York for expenditures for your
personal and political purposes
i trust you will forego the bogus
explanations in regard to the tele-
| phone charges that you made concern
ing the kilograms. Send the cash and
let the credit 60"
Discusses Telegraph Charges
| Referring to the telegraph charges,
/ Comptroller Craig said:
hnSyA ~ -aS u.
to the City of New York for the per
sonal and political kilograms sent by
you and referred to in my communica-
tion of January 8. You have tried to
evade payment to the City of New
York of this amount by offering the
Western Union Telegraph Company
the sum of S77.S4 in two separate
checks.
"The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany transmitted these two checks,
one drawn on January II and the othsl
on January 1S, to this office, stating
that reference to our records shows
that our account with the City of New
York, President Of the Board of Alder
men, for the period stated, was PAID
from your office Chat is, Department
of Finance) in December, 1920 The
checks have been returned to the com
pany.
ms roundabout evasion OF pay
ment to the city is unworthy of the
occupant of the important office which
you hold. Further, since it does not
reimburse the city for your personal
and political activities in the directions
indicated in my communication OF Jan
uary 8, l now make demand upon you
for full restitution to the City of New
York"
When the Comptrollers letter was
shown to Major La Guardia last night,
he said
"My personal bill was paid by me to
the telephone company and was cred
tied TO the city on the company's No
Ya,nber bill, which was transmitted TO
the Comptroller last Friday and the
Comptroller knows it. ] sent two cer- |
tiscd checks; to the Western Union
Telegraph Company in payment of my
persomHi- tefcgrams."
IF
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instrueItcn In some prohta6le profession |
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