Evening star., 1932-08-23
PAUL BLOCK DENIES
ANY CITY CONTRACT
Publisher Who Cut Mayor In
on Stock Transaction
Testifies.
Continued From First Page.)


as a witness"
Doree testified he had made survey
in Europe Of the taxicab situation and
had also studied the problem in New
York
"Tell u.s." Curtin asked, what con-
ditions you found"
A. The outstanding condition found
was that there we're more cabs than
there was business to afford a ivel-
hood to the drivers.
@. What about the fly-by-night COM
panies?
A There was some racketeering In
the business.
@. Were you ever approached by
Mayor Walker or any other person as
to what should appear in the report of
the committee?
Al was not
Q.-Did j. A. sisto (broker men
toned in the allegations Of procuring
taxi legislation through Walker) ever
approach you?
A.-No.
After saying that Walker had never
mentioned to him the names Of Sisto.
the Parmalee Taxi Co. or the stock
firm of Ungerleider, Loree was excused.
Curtin, questioning Block, asked:
Did you have in mind when this
account was opened that you might
some day ask the Mayor for a favor?"
mo. certainly not" Block replied.
One of the Is conclusions prepared
by Samuel Seabury, counsel to the Hof-
stadter Legislative Committee, which
investigated the Mayors affairs, said:
THE Mayor permitted himself to be
placed in a position inconsistent with
the position, which he as a public Off
cer should at all times have main
tanned, by accepting gratuities, which
he calls 'beneficences,' from persons
who might seek benefits from the
municipal authorities.
In the case of Paul Block, such
'benefcences' were accepted from a per-
son who subsequently became interested
in a corporation which sought, and
procured. approval from the Board of
Transportation of tile which said
company intended to manufacture for
use in the subway"
Denies Business Deals.
Now Mr.. Block" Curtin asked did
you ever have any business transactions
with the City of New York since Mr..
Walker became mayor?"
Il did not" Block replied.
Block then testified, in reply to a
question, that he had put up $4,000
to back chemist who was experiment.
ing with tile. No tile was ever pro-
duced however, Block said.
@. Did you ever attempt to sell any
of that tile-even in its experimental
A. /? Certainly not!
@. Did you ever ask the mayor to
do anything about the tile?
nf course not
@. Did you have in mind when this
account was opened that you might
some day ask the mayor for favor.
A. No. certainly not
@. In the private hearing were you
asked about the Boyer Corporation and
did you answer as you do now? (The
Boyer Corporation was the name of the
organization for which the chemist was
experimenting in tile)
A. Yes. although perhaps I didn't ex-
plain quite SO extensively as I do now.
@. When you were in the public
hearing we're any questions put to you
by Mr.. Seabury about the Boyer Cor
poration?
A. Not a word.
@. Did you feel it was very unjust to
draw any connection between the tile
matter and the joint account?
A. certainly did.
Curtin asked Block first about
check for $4,000 drawn, Curtin said.
from the joint account and Endorsed
to the John Wanamaker store.
THE mayor had wondered" Block
said, IF 1 could get money from the
Joint account to clear up the Wana-
maker account, and l did"
Curtin next asked him about $500
check drawn on the joint account to
the unknown person"
Were you ever asked about the 'un-
known person by Mr.. Seabury in the
private hearing?" Curtin asked.
Not by me-" Seabury interrupted.
Il asked Judge Seabury," Block re-
piled, 'if he was investigating Mayor
Walkers private life. He said he was
not interested in Mayor Walkers pri-
vate life.
Judge Seabury at the private hear
ing asked me to explain the two checks,
which 1 did"
$25,o00 Check in Evidence.
Seabury put In evidence the s25,00O
check as he started to cross-examine
Block
You saw only two checks in my
office, you say?" was Seabury's first
question.
A-Yes.
Q.-One is this $4,000 check made
out to Wanamakers Store and dated
November 28, 1923?
A-Yes.
Q.-You remember you loaned s5,20C
to the mayor?
Aft the records on the check book
so show, I did. I'd want to see the
books before I'd answer
An argument arose over the SIS ,20(
check and whether the voucher wa.
lost
! Il never knew that one little check
could cause so much trouble" Block re-
marked in an aside.
Those two loans to the mayor-fol
S25,OOO and $5,20o-were quite apart
from the profits from the joint account
were they not?" Seabury asked.
And then, before Block had answered
he demanded:
You mean to say this 5000 was
ever paid back by the mayor out of the
joint account?"
I'm not able to answer that" Block
replied.
Block testified, under direct exami-
nation, that he became interested In the
Boyer Cooperation several months attel
who else was in the company" Sea-
bury asked him, under cross -examira-
| ton.
Il knew of no one else then" Block
replied, but later heard that Senator
John A. Hastings was"
@. Wasn't Senator Hastings the mar
who introduced you to Boyer?
A. Yes.
@. You will swear that you went into
this company, having been introduced
to Boyer by Hastings, without knowing
Hastings had an interest in the com.
pany?
A. Yes.
Young Son Watches Scene.
: @. You knew an application had beer
made to the Board of Transportation tc
test the title to see whether it would
be available for subway use, did you
| not?