The New York herald., 1922-11-17

| willing to take a short. or one year.
| franchise, permitting the city to take
over the property at the end of the year
| and to exercise its option to operate. as
suming II had been determined not TO
grant your application for franchise
on the ground that 1t was the policy of
the city to have city owned and operated
| buses This section of the charter pro-
| vided the way. And you were perfectly
willing to como in that way?"
Yes. exactly; 1t was to me and the
company's lawyer a very feasible. prac-
tcable plan and we were prepared to
put in into effect.
"It really comes down to this COM
| mented Commissioner Harkness: 'In
1918 Mr.. Weaver evidently worked out
a very clever plan whereby the Mayor
legally and without getting any new
legislation"
That would seem to be the conclu-
sion," said Mr.. Shearn. The witness
went on TO say that he never had re-
ceived any definite reply to his sugges-
ton except that Mr.. McCallum had said
that he was unable to get any vital in
terest In 1t on the part of the Board of
Estimate" Mr.. Weaver declared he had
persistently refused to enter into
any agreement with Turner for turn
ing over any of the stock to be
disposed of to politicians or any
other persons. Turner" he said.
replying to a question asked by
Commissioner Hardness as he was Ieav-
! ing the witness chair. 'in all these inter-
views held himself out as close per-
sonal friend Of Mayor Hylan---repre-
ksented that he was sort of acting in a
| quasi-off1cial capacity"
During the morning session OF the In
hn eff 90
who described himself as salesman
with offices at Ill Broadway. to obtain
$4,000 from the Atlas Truck Corpora
| tion in return for Influence which
would enable that concern to market a
large number of trackless trolley buses
In this city, were described by John J.
Watson, president of the corporation.
According to Mr.. Watson, Crompton,
member of the Tammany Society.
whose only business for the last five
years, as brought out in his own ex-
animation. was the promotion of a
golf course on Long Island. told him he
was close to City Hall and could see to it
that Atlas buses were accepted by the
city. When Mr.. Watson refused to ac-
cede to the conditions laid down by
Crompton, despite the fact that In the
fall of 1921 the company already had
mado a delivery of seven of the new
trackless trolley vehicles for service on
Staten Island, the specifications of a
new contract he (the witness) was ne
gotiating with the city were so changed
that he was unable to do any more busi-
ness with the municipality.
Crompton denied that he had offered
to Mr.. Watson any other services than
those of an efficient salesman. After a
brief cross-examination Mr.. Shearn re-
marked: "1t appears that you haven't
sold anything to anybody In the last
five years" When Crompton protested
that questions concerning his private
affairs were not germane to the inquiry.
Mr.. Shearn shot at him this explana-
ton:
'I'li tell you why am questioning you
this way IL you want to know. The evil
dence shows that after you were turned
down by the Atlas Truck Corporation the
specifications on a new contract that
company was making with the city were
held up within the Department of Plant
and Structures, and that subsequently
the company lost all It's business with
the city"
There was much amusement when Mr.
Shearn asked Crompton: do you re-
member showing A. r. Coegrove (execu-
tive head of the Atlas corporation in
York, Pa.). a photograph of parade
showing himself marching with Mayor
HyIan on one side and Mr.. Murphy on
the other, and saying to Mr.. Cosgrove.
That shows how l stand with the city
administration?"
Crompton protested that was untrue,
at least as regards the Murphy and
Hylan part of 1t.
The investigation will be resumed
next Monday at 10 80 A. NJ.