New-York tribune., 1922-11-17
Hylaal Accused
OF 1hrottlirl.g!. 9.
Real Bus Plan
Fully Capitalized Concern
Offered 10 Start SYSTEM
in 1913 and Sell to CITY
at Cost, Swears Weaver
Politics Got in The WAY
Mayors Friend Turner Came
Hunting for Stock, He
Says, and Scheme Died


priag all the years III which
Mayor Hylan has been preaching tho
cause of municipal bus operation he
had before him what its proponents de-
clare was practlcaj plan for the inu
nieipal operation Of a, eity-wide syster,
OF busses which required no new leg
lsiation and into which the city could
legally venture under the provisions os
the existing charter. This was brought
cut at yesterdays hearing Of the Tran
sa Commission In its investigation into
the operation of the Hylan emergency
bus system, which, with it's political ap.
pendages, was shown 10 have been un-
necessary had the Mayor only availed
himself of the legal means at his elbow.
Within month after the Hylan adj.
'ninistration took Office in 1918 such s.
pisE was laid before the Mayor, ac.
ecording to the testimony OF Harold b.
weaver, who at that time was cor.
nected with the New York Motor Bus
company The plan. provided thas
uhaet she provisions of tho charter the
company would accept franchise giv-
ing the city the right 10 buy baek ~
cost and operate all OF its plant and
equipment at any time after one years.
Points 10 Mayors Friend
The plan languished, however. and
after some time ii became evident that
there was opposition somewhere, both
ln the city departments ard in fh,,
Mayors office, Mr. Weaver said. FINALLY
ne heard from various sources that
the man to get 1t through was Charles
y Turner, the Mayors close personal
friend ard business associate for
twenty years. Turner had already
osen IN touch with tho bus company
ofhelals and had made repeated vague
ana indefinite suggestions about a
biock OF stock in the new company for
bis friends" who were understood by
the witness to be politicians. These
fsuggestions were frowned on by
weaver and his associates, he testified,
and the franchise never was granted
Earlier in the session, when the
staten Island trackless trolleys were
under investigation, it was testified that
the failure of manufacturer to en-
ploy William Crompton at $4,000
salary only preceded by week or two
a change in the specifications for
tsackless trolleys which the city was
about to purchase and that this change
practically put the firm out of the bid
ding. Crompton, who also was called as
witness, admitted living at the Hotel
fiaza for several years and since then
GA West End Avenue. The only busi-
ness venture in which he has been in
serested in the last five years Is the
promotion of Long Island golf club.
He described himself as a salesman, but
it was testified that as proof of his
ability to sell trackless trolleys to the
city for the Atlas Truck Company he
cited the fact that he was a member of
the Tammany Society and exhibited
parade picture in which he appeared
between Mayor Hylan and Charles T.
Murphy.
The bus plan which would have
made municipal operation discretion
airy with Mayor Hylan at any time
after one year was prepared in CON
junction with Mr.. McCullum, of the
Hoard Of Estimates Bureau of Fran
chises, FIR. Weaver testified. This
procedure was made possible under
Section IS of the city charter and had
been examined by attorneys and engi-
neers. The New York Motor Bus Com
pany, through an affiliated concern,
also was manufacturing buses of az
Improved type and was quite willing,
the witness said, to sell the buses to
the city If the city administration
wanted to go into the business of oper-
ating them. MIR. Weaver said the
Mayor was at that time attempting 10
get enabling legislation through at AL
bany, which seemed likely TO fail, and
Tor that reason the one year franchise
plan was offered him as legal way
out.
In the mean time, Turner, the
mayors friend, was talking Of blocks
OF stock and aid In financing, although.
according to Weaver, the company Was
already financed. Turner held himself
ont as the unofficial representative of
Mayor Hylan and represented that he
WAS acting in q quasi-officiai capacity.
The company persistently refused to
pay any attention TO the financing
propositions limited at. and told Tur-
ner, according TO Weaver, that it
would dispose of stock In only one
way-~at par and for cash. No deci-
SION vas ever given on it's plan for
municipal operation or its proposal to
operate the routes for which it had
originally applied.
IN the absence OF Mayor Hylan, Com
missioner of Accounts David Hirsb-
held stepped in as q pinch-hitter yes
terdey and issued statement lashing
the Transit Commission for It's most
rscont disclosure involving the Mayors
friend Turner. Clarence ]. Shearn,
counse! to the commission, is accused
Of using Cheap, dirty and unprofes-
sional methods" and the continuance
OF the "mudslnging" campaign is
termed "the dying kick of the jackags
who is ahaut TO be put ont of his mis-
cry"