The evening world., 1893-12-12
BLOCKED BY MARTIN.
Board Will Not Ask for Money
for Signal System.
Patrol Wagon Service Only fer the
Outlying Districts.
Strange Attitude of the Police Com
nissioncrs' President.

ono week from Thursday the Board OF
Estimate and Apportlonmeut will take
final action upon the estimates OF the
Police Department for the year 1894.
In the provisional estimate sum of
$1,000 has been allowed for patrol
wagon service, and If the Police Com
missioners ask for 1t that sum can be
raised to any amount necessary 1t will
also be possible on that day to have an
amount appropriated to inaugurate n
police signal system. If the opportunity
is lost there will he nothing but to walt
another year or go TO the Legislature.
Police Commissioner James ]. Martin.
President Of the Board prefers to take
the latter course. so that to the seven
question another year shall be added
In view of recent events. in face of
the public cutlery for better means OF
protection; Il seems cd odd that Commits
sue such a course. In spite of all the
efforts of the police under the present
system, or rather the want of system,
crime must continue to increase; chill
dren will witness degrading spectacles
OF drunken men and women dragged
or wheeled through the streets, all be-
cause officials fight lam among themselves;
ord. No one knows better than the
President of the Police Board the abso,
system and patrol wagon service. He
has admitted Its necessity. as well as
the other Commissioners, and says he
fought hard to have the system intro
dlced
"The Board of Estimate and Appor-
tionment has ten working days in which
to dispose of the final estimate. In that
time. Commissioner Martin, what do
nrnnngn do rlpardinU "a nplica
signal, system and patrol wagon ser
vice." asked the reporter yesterday af-
ternoon.
Nothing" was the reply; absolutely
nothing. What can we do under the cir.
cumstances?"
What can you not do.:;" go,
and xpportionineht has already disposed
Of the question and will not reopen 4
again for us"
"Do you intend to ask the Board?"
gone ne; over"thats al" ali. There her IS nothing
that We can do to revive 1t now"
asked the ' reporter. when do '' You ii in.
tend making, any move looking to the
adoption of that SYSTEM"
Il 40 not know" replied the Commits.
sioner. Under ordinary circumstances
we have only the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment to look to for the money
and we cannot go before 1t again, for
year. vi COulSt, we nave
always the Legislature to go to. Which
course We shall pursue ] cannot state
now"
How about the patrol wagon service?
well, what about IL? The Board OF
Estimate and ApDortionment gave us the
money we asked for that purpose. II
was all that we needed. and we can gel
along with It."
DO you consider the $1,000 In the
provisional estimates sufficient for tbs
purpose-to build stables in every pre-,
clnct, purchase wagons and horses and
provide for their maintenance?'
Now, see here" replied Mr.. Martin
What is the use of spending a lot OF
money upon patrol wagons when We
have not got the signal system in opera
ton? 1t would be useless We are moi
going to ask the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment to Increase that $250O
because we do not propose going into a
patrol wagon service on an extensive
will provide wagons for outlying dis
tricts. and that Is all we can hope to
do until we can get the money for the
signal system
TT has been authoritatively stated"
said the reporter, that for purpose of
this kind police signal system,
mean, money can always be obtained
from the Board of Estimate and Appor-
tionment. DO you intend examining that
point" =,
not the case; that it is now Impossible
to get money for such a purpose. The
fact Is that Comptroller Myers has got
himself into such a very bad hole on the
signal system question that he Is I'M
able to crawl out OF II. AS l said be-
fore, we can do nothing whatever now