Walker to Roosevelt

The Legislative Committee investigating New York City scandals abruptly ceased investigating last week. The inquisitorial phase of his duties over after 14 strenuous months, Counsel Samuel Seabury & wife set off by motor for Washington, Pa. where he delivered a Commencement address and received a law doctorate at Washington & Jefferson College. Behind him he left the case against Mayor James John ("Jimmy") Walker, with a broad hint that it was now up to Governor Roosevelt to act.

Final Findings. During the four final days of his inquiry Counsel Seabury brought forth evidence to show that:

1) Mayor Walker's brother William, a city physician, had split fat fees with doctors who handled city cases (see p. 23).

2) Ten of the bonds which Joseph A. Sisto, a broker interested in securing taxicab legislation, gave the Mayor three years ago were bonds of Reliance Bronze & Steel Co. and convertible into stock. Reliance Bronze & Steel Co. sold the city $43,500 worth of traffic lights for Fifth Avenue last year.

As a result of this last finding, Counsel Seabury thrust the boldest forensic stroke of his inquiry: "I say the Mayor of this city cannot buy stock or hold stock in a company that has city contracts. It is ground for removal, and it has been so held, and it is so provided in Section 1.533 of the City Charter."

Gusty Governor. The day after Inquisitor Seabury's pronouncement on the Mayor's bonds came out, Governor Roosevelt blandly smiled away the Walker case with: "I have nothing to say." One day later when he saw press headlines passing the matter on to him the Governor suddenly began to sound like his late, great, gusty fifth-cousin Theodore.

"Get the law straight!" he cried. "It is the duty of the Legislative Committee and its counsel, if they believe they have sufficient cause, to present evidence to the proper authorities without waiting to make formal report to next year's Legislature. You cannot get away from that obvious public duty. In the case of Sheriff Farley,* Judge Seabury asked the Legislative Committee to present the evidence to the Governor. The Committee refused. Judge Seabury sent it himself; I acted. If the evidence in any case now before the Legislative Committee, in their judgment or that of their counsel, warrants, it is time for the Legislative Committee and their counsel to stop talking and do something. It is not the time for political sniping or buck-passing."

Notified of the Governor's gust in Pittsburgh (whose Mayor Charles Howard Kline is facing a fine and jail sentence for malfeasance), surprised Samuel Seabury promptly promised to send the transcript and "analysis" of Mayor Walker's testimony this week to Albany.

*Last week Sheriff-eject Farley became tsar of New York City's racket-infested cleaning & dyeing industry. Salary: $50,000 a year.

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