The evening world., 1893-12-08
money
i DIVERTED.
4 Sum Was Appropriated to
Y Establish a Patrol {
4 Wagon Service.
INVENT HOUSE
One Of the Ways Of Keeping
Il New York Behind
z the Age,
ceNsuRED BY A GRAND JURY.
- -
n a Presentmenf the Need Of a
ii poIicefsigna' system Was
H. Set Forth. ..
ceNsURED BY A GRAND Jury

As far back as the month OF July. 1881,
she Grand Jury Of this county felt called
upon to take action upon the deplorable
condition of the city in regard to
rolice signal system and patrol-wagon
psrvice, or rather lack Of II. The
Grand TUTORS had spent much time In
vestigatiLg the subject. They had also
inquired into the condition Of the streets
ana the ambulance service. The pre-
sentiment which they handed UP attracted
attention everywhere. -
II was a sSathing rebuke to city Of
ncials for. wilful neglect OF duties. The
ambulance service was said to be OF the
very wors: kind. and not half adequate
for the needs of great city. 1t
spoke Of the hundreds of accidents which
took placer every month. and OF the
Delay in taking Victims to hospitals for
treatment The delay In nearly every
cese lay, the Grand Jury said. in the
, fact that there was no police signal
dystem, and no patrol wagons Here is
an extract from that presentment:
a.Tn view OF the needs in this great
city. in which 1t is far below smaller
Cities, we deem 1t opr duty to urge
upon the Board of Police Commissioners
%
perfect system by which the entire pa
troll force OF that Department may be
ct all times in complete and rapid COM
inunication with their station houses.
both for police purposes and the relief
Of the ambulance service.
when this selection shall have been
made, after exhaustive competitive tests
by the Police Department. we urge upon
the Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
A1ent prompt action in making the ap-
preparation necessary to bring into ex-
istence this greatly needed addition to
the useful functions Of our city"
= That presentment aroused the Police
Board to action, and plans OF all kinds
were suggested to properly equip the
city. No longer would the officials be
.febuked. They would do something. and
do It quickly. r.,..
+! It must not be forgotten that the Po-
lice Commissioners had then been tin
kering with the same subject for four
years. However. they did get down to
business, and in their departmental es-
climates for the year they asked for a
sum OF money to initiate the reform.
+ The Board OF Estimate and Apportion-
ment Of that time took kindly TO the sug-
, was allowed the Police Board to start
with. That was simply the getting in
OF the wedge. as 1t were. n being dis
tinctly understood that all the money
necessary would be appropriated at the
proper time.
Great things were looked for from the
Psee a., and Ereas, 1hngs
tpresentment was still fresh in the public
: mind. But when the memory Of that
document died away, az i did. the
and years have rolled away since then.
But where are the patrol wagons?
-. Police Commissioner McClave. when he
explained his side OF the case and denied
that there had been any juggling. said
that he was heartily in favor of the
Iecheme. He wanted to see New York
pality. not years behind little countr,
villages. as 1t is. He did not mention &c
the reporter that any money had sveI
Therefore, ne never said that not only
had the money not been used for thai
purpose: but that instead 1t had beer
This Is not made on
has been published in the city Record
missioners to so divert it to another pur
pose is still on file in the Police Com
'missioners' office. Here 1t is:
To the Honorable. the Board Of Estimate
Gentlemen: Al meeting OF the Board Of Polic
\ = Resolved. That the Board 0: Estimate and Al
s Or.aoSSmsnt be and 10 nSIeoy ,rrSssneer'tny Re
% aSs Inc the pT Police IL 81 Sm
~ year 1892 entitled For patrol wagons horses
harness. subsistence ami repairs" which is 4
excesH OF the amount received for the purpose an
objects thereof to the appropriation made TO tn
same Department for the year 1892 entitled 20
{ tion. house. &c, for the Ninth Precinct which
Insufficient to enable the Mayor Aldermen an
lots Nos. isa 1856 and 1877 Charles street Tor m
purpose az herein expressed
agreed to sell the lots for this purpose ior the su
Of $1,000 WILLIAM DE IA MATER.
First Deputy rlo-S
1t will be seen that the request wa
made on Aug. 8 last, and that the Boar
Nsbf Estimate and AppOrtionmcnt promp
~ considered II. The request WI
lice patrol wagon service was eaten u
In another way. In that request the con
S1nissioners say that the Sl2,jno was in p!
cess of the amount required. In 9th,
words, the Police COMMISSIONS, p,
themselves on record as saying they ,
spot want the patrol-wagon service at a
they do want IL He admits that the eli
needs the service and that the public,
respective II psTtN Gre helsm%oring for
Nyand called tie stumbling block, YET 1t
q fact that~he WAC about the only Of
Il who objected to '',that transfer. /
GS that was thc e patro Ior war s
tgwere necessity and yielded only l.
cause his holding out could accompli
nothing. ~.
That however. is not all. In view
sCommissioner McClayc's remarks, Z
i-unnitiated might be led to imagine IN
owing 10 Mr.. Myers the reform both
police signalling and patrol wagon Sc
Vice had been put back a century. !
told the reporter that absolutely not
\ ing could be accomplished until ne
year, when the Board of Estimate wou
consider the estimates for the year IS
or unless the Legislature could be
Aduced to take action.
III Now. although :l2,50o, appropriated {
the year 1897 was diverted 10 anoih
purpose by the Police Commissioners, I
.Sacf remains that similar sum W
appropriated for 1893, and SO far as c.
he-aeeertainaazit haA-pot yet been a
t,peBd1d- Hefa-Is a fHtfhcr faclI =
har In MT m ii n