The New York herald., 1922-10-31
BUS OPERATOR SAYS
/. $4,000 FOR CHIEF
WAS PRICE OF Route
Reidl Charges Shakedown
After Mayor Asked Him
to Start Line.
CHIEF WASN'T HYLAN
Wouldn't Be Blackjacked
and Permit City Granted
Was Revoked.
CASE TO GO TO ,BANTON/
Importer Gives Detailed Ac-
count of Demands for First
Route in 1919.
CASE TO GO TO 'BANTON/

Louis Reidl, an exporter. who for
one week in 1919 held the first hermit
to operate Hy1an bus lines, yesterday
gave the most sensational bus testi-
mony the Transit Commission has
heard
Reidl said he tried the enterprise
at the request of Mayor Hylan, who
previously had sent to him letter
complimenting him upon the good
work his fleet of $50 buses had done
in Brooklyn during the B. r. 7.
strike. The Mayor assured him hir
permit would be granted by the Board
OF Estimate, the witness said.
Mayor Hylan added" to quote Reidl.
"that there was going to be lot
more lines after a WHILE" and he said
"just go ahead and start on this ard
leave the rest to me-"
The permit was voted unanimously
at a meeting of the Board OF Estf-
mate called for the purpose ana
Lewis Nixon, the Transit Commis-
sioner, supplemented it with the
necessary certificate Of convenience
and necessity Reidl, acting on the
Mayors assurance, had gone ahead
assembling his buses and drivers
largely from New Jersey and Connec-
ticut, and incurring an expense. he
testified, of $1,000 or $4,000.
Within three-quarters of an hour
after his conversation with the Mayor
in the City Hall. -Reidl alleged. he was
waited upon by Daniel O'Connor. n
Brooklyn politician. oConnor, the
witness testified, tried to persuade him
to give up $4,000 and assured him his
undertaking would fail unless he did
So The money. the witness quoted
OConnor as saying. was not for Red
Mike" 1t was for the Big Chief"
Efforts of Clarence J. Shearn, the ex-
aminer. to learn whom the witness
understood TO be "the Big Chief" were
futile.
Mr.. Shearn, at the close of the ses-
sion. said he expected TO place in the
hands of District Attorney Banton a
transcript OF yesterdays testimony,
particularly that given by Mr.. Reid.
The Franchise Issued.
For almost a week Reidl said OCon-
nor pestered him, virtually daily, TO
"come across with the money" but
the bus operator asserted that he re-
fused to meet the terms. When Reid
undertook to begin service on the date
agreed upon he found that some of his
buses had been chased back to New
Jersey" that his men had been in
structed to ignore him and that the
Board of Estimate had revoked his
permit on the ground that said Louis
Reidl failed TO commence operation o.
any OF the routes specified on or be-
fore September 90. 1s1o"
Commissioner Grover whalen had
taken over operations.
At the opening of the session Mr..
Shearn said, addressing the Com
missioners:
II wish 10 put in evidence the his
tory of the granting OF the first bus
franchise. in September, 1919. TO Louis
Redl. and how he was blackjacked out
Of il a few days after II was granted"
The counselor then read from the
CitU Record the minutes OF the special
meeting of the Board of Estimate OF
September rs. 1919 at which a resolu-
ton was adopted granting permit 20
Reidl to operate on four routes at 4
1--WE cent fare. the permit 10 be revoca-
BILE on ten days notice and to be opera
tive only until December 81, 1919.
The certificate issued by Commits
sioner Lewis Nixon the day after ac-
ton by the Board OF Estimate also was
read. with the order granting permis-
sion TO Mr.. Reidl to operate. Mr..
Shearn pointed out that Mr. Reldl had
complied with all the regulations.
Mr. Shearn then placed in evidence
the letter from the secretary of the
Board of Estimate. dated September
2s. 1919. setting forth that inasnuch
as the bus routes had not started op-
Grating as agreed on September 20 tho
action OF the board had been rescinded.
He Sees the Mayor.