New-York tribune., 1922-05-02
lannn1any Out
10 Bar Voting
Machines Here
Estimate Committee Holds
Up Appropriation, A Craig
and Hubert Opposing the
Outlay, Law or No Law
Hylan Calls Hirshfeld
Wants Peculiar Stories Run
Down; Elections Official
Confident City, Must Buy

N' N1uSt Du
Iammany is out to fight the install
laton of voting machines in this CITY
to n finish and prevent their introduc-
uon altogether, if possible Obstructive
tactics by the Board Of Estimate. simi
lar to those used against the Transit
Commission, in an unsuccessful at
tempt to have the law creating the
board declared unconstitutional arc
expected to be used in the drive against
the machines
Inc campaign was disclosed yester-
day at the meeting of the committee
OF the whole of the Board of Estimate
when that body refused to consider fla
Voraoly the application for the $415.-
900 appropriation to purchase 425 ma
chines for use at the fall elections. as
required under the state law. The mat
ter was deferred for a week, but Conn
troller Craig, Adermanic president
hubert and other members of the COM
m'ttce declared that they would vote
against the appropriations, cav or no
law" ''
Lyons Selected Type of Machine
When the Board of Elections war
deadlocked recently and failed to des
ignate type of voting machine Sec
Tetary of State Lyons was required un
DER the law to make such designation.
ne selected the machine manufactured
oy the Automatic gistering Machine
company, of jamestown, N. Y John
r. WORMS, president, and James Kane,
temperate members of the board
voted against this choice and Charles
r. Heydt. secretary, and Jacob Living
ston, Republican members, voted for It.
Mr. Heydt appeared before the com
mlttee yesterday to make the applica-
tioh for the appropriation. The law
requires the Board of Elections to
make the contract and provide the
machines by Mays15, and failing to do
so that authority again rests in the
Secretary of State. The same partisan
deadlock in all probability will pre-
vent the Board from letting the con-
tract. The Board Of Estimate is cx-
pected to continue to refuse the ap-
preparation when Secretary Heydt lets
the contract, and the matter will reach
the courts on mandamus proceeding
against the city authorities
Commissioner Voorhis admitted YES.
terday that when proceedings reached
tins point the city probably would at
t>ck the consttutionality of any law
which made it mandatory upon the
city 30 appropriate money for alleged
state purposes, assuming in this in
stance that the state was represented
hN it's Secretary of State He said
"eminent lawyers" had been consulted
and they had expressed grave doubts
as to whether the city would be com
PEELED the appropriate money for any
purpose designated by state officials.
llrshfcid to Look Up Stories
When the matter came before the
Committee of the Whole yesterday
Mayor Hylan declared that there was
"a peculiar story connected with the
selection made by Lyons. The Mayor
said he didn't want to mention any
names, but he thought these stories
should be run down He told Mr.
Heydt he was having Commissioner
Hirshfeld look into the matter and
thought his report may be interest
ing
Mr.. Heydt said aftcrward that it now
meant a fight to the finish
81 am convinced by the attitude of
the Mayor, Comptroller and other
mcmDerSOl Lne BOaTu OF C.SlllHaIc,
said Mr.. Heydt, that they intend to
employ the old obstructive tactics
again. The Mayor, Commissioner
Voorhis and the Tammany men do not
want voting machines. We do, and if
they are looking for a fight we will
give it to them. 1t will be the Transit
Commission fight over again, with the
city wasting time and money and get
ting nowhere. The question as to
whether a state body can levy on the
city for funds will be raised again.
The Court Of Appeals decided it could
in the case Of the Transit Commission.
drew the law providing for voting
machines, using practically the same
language as is in the transit law, and
| guess it will stand the test.
"If the Board of Estimate refuses
to grant the required appropriation we
will bring mandamus proceedings to
make it act. I will bring them myself,
if necessary, or it may be done through
a taxpaver's action or the Attorney
General may take some action. The
Mayors remarks about peculiar
stories is the same old bunk. The
only peculiar thing about it is that
Tammany doesn't want voting ma
chimes, and perhaps thpt is not 50 pc
culiar when you come to think about 1t. -