The evening world., 1893-12-05
Mr.. M'CLAvE'S
SIDE OF IT.
he Explains the Delay in Pro,
yiding a Signal and Patrol
Wagon Service,
ADMITTING THE NECESSITY.
But He Does Not Clear the Police
Board of tie Juggling
Charge.
MYERS AND HEWITT ATTACKED.
What Part Does the Telephone
Monopoly Play in This
Matter?
MYERS AND HEWITT ATTACKED.

In view of the unanlmity displayed by
the Police Commissioners and public off,
Gals generally upon the subject of a
new and complete police signal system
AMI patrol wagon service since 1.-THE
Evening World" began throwing light
upon this dark spot in municipal govern
ment. 1t is a mystery that ways and
means are not devised for proceeding
with the work forthwith. Every one
of the city officials has now fallen into
line. They are. in fact. clamoring for
it. Besides clamoring. they are seeking
to throw the blame upon the others for
the delay.
The whole matter has now narrowed
down to a question of responsibility be-
tween the Police Commissioners on one
hand and Comptroller Theodore w.
Myers IN the other. Mr.. Myers's posi-
ton is already we'll known. He has him
self insisted that he is not responsible:
that, instead, he has tried to remedy a
great wrong. but that the wrangling and
quar- relling Of the Police Commissioners
anu OTHERS mas really DeeH IN u VI
setting the whole matter back.
Now comes forward Police Commits
sioner McClave. Smarting under what
he considers unfair criticisms of his
Department. he seeks to throw the en-
tire responsibility upon Comptroller
Myers and ex-Mayor Hewitt. He speaks
in no uncertain manner either. but in the
telling of his side of the story he has
forgotten many things that serve to
answer his own arguments.
Il was Myers and Hewitt, nobody but
Ny ers and Hewitt, according to his
sto'y. but when brought face to face
with the fact that ex-Mayor Hewitt
has been out of office for many years
and that the delay continued. he said
the Comptroller was the stumbling
mock. When 1t was charged that the
commissioners own Corporation Coun-
eel, William NJ. Clark. was the real
stumbling block: hat he had given
opinions. worse than even Beekman on
the SINE question; that he had delayed
in one case nearly two years to answer
an Important question put to him. Com
missioner McClave paused a full minute
before replying.
We'll. he said at length. at is true
that Mr.. Clark has written the opinions
you speak about. But what are we to
do? He Is the legal counsel to this
Boaru. and we must tax our law from
him.
Such Is the whole story in a nutshell
and William NJ. Clark is the stumbling
block in the way of this reform, OF
rather opinions which he has written
still stand. No SAINT man believes they
would stand before any court in the
world. But they are there nevertheless
Even II all the money in the world were
at the disposal of the Police Commits
sioners, 1t is doubtful whether they could
20 on with the reform as the case stands
There would be only one ~way-throw
Mr.. Clark and his opinions to the vino
or have them broken in court.
Mr.. McClave takes umbrage at "Th'
Evening World's'' charge that there ha'
been juggling. What THE Evening
World" did say. and reiterates now, Il
that there has been juggling of tn
worst kind on the part of somebody
Otherwise how can the seven years o
delay he accounted for. Whether tn
telephone monopoly which for years ha
controlled the politics of the city an
which is against the accepted sigma
system, or The officials in Mr.. Clark
own office are or have been intereste
In a rival company. or that other official
and high eX-officials own blocks of stoc,
In various rival concerns. is immateria
Jugglery is stamped Upon the face O
every move heretofore made.
Here is Mr.. McClave's own Language
1t was his own suggestion that a
Evening World' reporter should TAX
his statement An appointment ha
been made twenty. four hours before. 6
nat when he undertook to speak for hi
own Department he had it's license care
fully prepared
Il have" he said. read carefully tn
articles showing the deep interest take
by The Evening World in the subjec
of procuring a proper police signal sy.
tenn, as well as a proper patrol WACO
service. for the Department. Speakin
now for myself as well as on behalf c
my fellow-Commissioners, l want to sa
mat anything and everything TN
the public to help US In procuring thi
much needed necessity viii be thoi
onShly satisfactory to the Commi.
sionerS and gratefully accepted. Til
thlng else In the Department.
ihe subject or a new and complex
polgS signal system, as well as patrt
wagon service. has long been under tn
consideration of the Department, and. I
give you a history Of what has bee
lone In that respect. j will have to 6
pack a number OF years, and to say,
NE beginning, that no juggling has bee
attempted on the part of the preser
Ioitce commissioners to prevent TIL
reform. The facts in the case are thes,
several years ago the COMMISSIONS
recognized the fact that we were ava
Dehlnd every other city In the countr
on tho subject OF police signalling an
patrol wagons.
After fully discussing the matter b,
Inte our Board. We had placed In ou
rStilna'e n sun of 500, 00h, asking III
board of Estimate and Apportionmer
10 give us that amount, that we mIgf
CVmmenCe-mlRht make a h%eglnnlnp q