The New York herald., 1922-10-21
BROTHER or HYLANS
SON-N-LAW PROFITS
ON BUS INSURANCE
James P. Sinnott, Jr., Son OF
Tax Commissioner, Named
in Transit Inquiry.
S885,OOO FOR PAVING
ConcOurse Resurfaced End
to End-Bronx Official
Gets $4,000 for Garage.
TAMMANY MEN INVOLVED
Shearn Understands Mayors
'Solicitous Interest for Pick
ings for Politicians
TAMMANY MEN INVOLVED

Commissioner Grover A. Whalen's
municipality operated bus lines en-
countered some rough going yester-
day. In the examination before the
Transit Commission Clarence ].
Shearn. former Supreme Court JUS
tice, its special counsel, spread on the
record one sensational disclosure
after another.
In examining James p. Sinnott,
Jr., brother of Mayor Hylan's secre-
tary and son-in-law, John p. Sinnott.
and son of James p. Sinnott, Sr., Tax
Commissioner, Mr.. Shearn showed
that young Sinnott is member OF
Sinnott & Canty, a year old firm
which specializes in insuring buses
of the kind for which Mayor Hylan
has been urging the Legislature to
authorize ali expenditure of S25.-
100000.
Other witnesses-all in the employ
of the Hylan administration and re-
luctant for the most part-disclosed
from their borough records that since
Commissioner Whalen started his
buses the city has been sued for
s1,35O,175 for alleged injuries to
pedestrians or passengers. But under
the policies. il the city repudiates re-
sponsibility for these Independently
operated buses" the largest sum any
person injured by them may hope to
collect is s2,5oo.
Used Comm issioner's Garage,
Emile Leindorf of 1860 Grand Con-
course, The Bronx. who operated the
first line in that thoroughfare, asserted
that his municipal permit was timed
with an agreement to store his buses
an empty garage owned by William
;. Flynn. Bronx Commissioner of Pub
tic Works. The rental he paid TO
Commissioner Flynn during the four
months pending remodeling of his own
garage aggregated $4,000, said Mr..
Leindorf.
Mr.. Shearn then read from the pro-
. ccedlngs OF the local board in The
Bronx, of which Commissioner Flynn
was powerful factor, and from the
minutes of the Board of Estimate, ex-
racts showing that about July I, the
date of Leindorf's permit. the Board of
Estimate authorized the repaving at a
cost Of s25.500. to be assessed on the
proDerty owners, of certain streets on
.he route of the buses to the Flynn
garage.
sSs5,OOO for Concoursc Paving.
II was shown also from official rec
ords that, as Judge Shearn phrased II,
or this fateful July L. though the
Improvement had long been urged In
vain. the Board OF Estimate finally au-
thorized the Comptroller TO issue serial
bonds of the city of New York for
seS5.0o0 for paving and improving the
central drive of the Grand Concourse
and Boulevard from East 161st street
20 Fordhem road.
Tire witness said the paving after
waru was continued. by subsequent
action of the board, to Mosholu Park
way, the northern terminus OF the
parkway. This involved an additional
cost OF si72,5oo. making the total
qharge on the city nearly $sS5,00o for
this improvement.
- these Bronx improvements We're
strongly advocated by Commissioner
Flynn and his fellow members of the
iccal board. When they finally were
soted by the Board Of Estimate they
received the favorable votes of Mayor
Hylan and all other members present
except Comptroller Craig, who was
recorded as mot voting" When Com
missioner Hardness asked Mr.. Shearn
why he supposed the Comptroller had
withheld his affirmative vote the ex-
aminer replied:
II suppose. like Br'er Rabbit nc was
wing low"
Tell Of Petty Graft.
other witnesses testified TO incidents
Indicating that the \Vh1lpn bua e1e-