New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-09
THE POLICE BOARD FIGHT.
.crxr TO BE SHIFTED TO ALBANY
TO-DAY.

STATEMrs>
40 ,SpRIWS-TEE DIFFICULTY OVER
srErxil AMPS PROMOTION.
.xo,ble between Commissioners Roosevelt
Inc - which came to head at Tuesdays
letting Of the Ponce Doaiu' WOO o'
,Ioaaouar ters yesterday.
81 IT, IT,. time is expected at Albany to-day when
49, ,iI he A hearing in the Legislature on the
th.'s ,u,r nv Commissioners Roosevelt. Andrews
OIL, Car, giving the majority Of the Board power
anu ,r,ote President Roosevelt is going to Albany
. ,rgue in favor OF the measure anu MI i"i"'
IN ho there 10 oppose him.
VIII ~ ,bc bill become law-and ii is understood
o" ,ha commissioners favoring it have the assnr-
"' ,hs; IT will-Mr. Parker viii have no voice IN
90. roakng of promotions as the other three com
" will be arrayed against him. Ihey
m. , sare Acting Inspectors Brooks and McCul-
W. arn,anent inspectors and also proceed iihihe-
.',,n,v 10 promote other officers
o'a' course of the discussion at Tuesdays meet
.hs impression prevailed from what MT. farker
MS that he had good reasons for opposing the
,o,,on Of Acting Captain Stenkamp re sau
~, ,he meeting. however. that he had investigated
ai'e' ' Elements about Ste.nkamp and found them
GET n,rue and that he had been ready for several
- nranote Steinkamp. He accused Commls-
weehS " Cav, and Andrews of preventing the pro-
motion. -
.xDprVs REPLIES TO PARKER.
-,.s,orar Andrews contradicted the state
~, ~ Mr. Parker that he and commissioner
-, hss stood in the way OF the advancement Oh
- Cantain stenkamp The facts are these'
N''"9 .Uhen we promoted the two acting cap
" o,.oral weeks ago Commissioners Roosevelt.
AM md myself wanted to promote Steinkamp
Ia was next on the list but Commissioner
,,.,r Objected Absolutely the only objection ad-
ond nv Mr. Parker 10 promoting Steinkamp was
49,. .x-Secretary Whitney had written letter
o,ding him. We nothing In this TO war
0.ip i'm, nd We
ass over and over again. hut on each occasion MI
49, uas against him. Finally within three or
. weeks Mr. Parker said he had no further OBJ
sections 10 Seinkamp. and announced his readiness
=, vote for him While had no objection to STEM
,.u, did not wish to vote for his promotion then
smnly because l not inclined 10 wait for Mr..
p.rter's convenience and have him dictate when we
hnula nrornote and when should not. | have no
oh,sc,;ons 10 Acting Captain Steinkamp. and he VIII
doubtless be made captain before long.
commissioner Parker was at Headquarters yes
,erdav and said he going TO Albany to-day to
fight the amendments proposed by his colleagues
IN the Bipartisan law. Speaking OF the amend
m.nts he said: Both provisions of the bin which it
is proposed 10 amend the very features OF the
Bipartisan law which put the methods OF the Ponce
Department business basis. They were the
heart soul and Of the bill. and at the time
they were passed there was not dissenting voice
10 be heard Legislators now sitting in Albany were
in favor of them and voted to pass them because
they were the necessary reforms needed to raise
the Police Department out of the corrupt cohaitoh
II was then In. The only modification OF the Dill
which was then proposed was that the Chief should
have more power than the bill then proposed
POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY.
The Committee Of Ten then In existence went so
far as 10 advocate that the Chief alone should nave
the power of promotion and dismissal and that the
Board should confne itself within the province OF
rf4 hA m
The recognized necessity at that time was the To-
cation of responsibility in the executive head Of the
force. 1t is a self-evident proposition that wheh
you impose responsibility you must also impose
commensurate powers. The Bipartisan bill was the
outcome of the single-headed localizaton OF the
power in the executive head. with the preservation
OF the salutary feature OF a supervisory watcnIu
the bill was discussed did we hear the cry that
the Chiefs power altogether insufficient 10 carry
corrupt officers could rise from rank to rank and
h, h esSa css sSd
ply g Dr. PsTkhursts argument thss whe ne
n WHICH aa n Ss sent to
bany an attempt slide the DEPARTMENT t. back ,S
provisions Of the bill majority Of the Board Of
Police now deem it proper TO change II seeks ,r 20
specive Of party and, indeed. strong party men
which aroused the community 10 revolt ana 10
cure which the Republican party passed the b
partisan law The amendments 81 pr0Possea are pe
who want 10 guide the Department alone and un-
out deprivng him Of his responsibility, and by this
little loophoie the great storm which was raised Tor
ago by giving the Chief increased powers together
with responsibility, was supposed to be sausneu;
coincidence that the Chief and should agree as to
needed reforms in the Depsrtmnsn which my
for fifteen months, cannot readily understand"
Commissioner Andrews made the following reply
EVERY day in the FIRST nine months this Board
has been in power xecutng the very poWers
the efficiency of the Department improved ana p .ne
confidence Of the members OF the force IN the DOsr3
when ceased to execute those powers tnat con-
fdence which We SO well estaosned osgan 20 an
and signs Of incipien but certain denoraiza'oh
OF the force began to appear AS far as the ~
9 bS s6g of its that the
important powers OF making roundsmen and select i
within those functions given TO the Chief under the
recently expanded terms OF transfer or assighenl
Commissioner. by failing to attend the meetings OF
the Board or without any gr0unds theTeIoI; IN
ing 10 act. should absolutely DOCK all pfoio''os az
the Department.
NO PARALLEL IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
Il do not believe that the provisions requiring
Board of four members be unanimous In its seiec-
tons Of men for promotion can be found In the or
ganization Of any other municipal department; We
ask simply that when three members out OF Tour
can agree upon a promotion the fourth man
taking any action whatever except that dictated
by him. The present system divides responsibility
between the Board and the Chief. 1t Is an old
political Trick carefully concealed in the bipartisan
bill for the purpose OF permitting both the Board
and Chief TO escape responsibility.
The situation so far this Department is con-
eerned. has changed absolutely in the last year.
Formerly the Police Board was little than
hsgrehead The present Board has taken an active
and personal interest In and control OF the affairs
OF the Department, and the responsibility for the
administration Of the Department has for the first
time been strictly thrown upon the Board and upon
no one else IT has In very large part been sue
cessful because it has exercised the very powers
which by recent and very unexpected construction
OF me law have been given TO the Chief. II the
public continues % hold the Board of Police re-
sp;nsiole. 1t should in justice give the powers
which have hitherto been exercised. 1t cannot be
100 OFTEN stated that the amendments asked for In
q inrlv 10 lie he ma