The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-31
POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST.
The Investigating Committee to Inquire Into
the Raising of the Corruption Fund.

ALLAN March 3O.-The names OF the men,
bers Of the Assembly special committee which
Ia to be appointed to investigate the raising OF
a big corruption fund among the member OF
the New York city police force. with a view OF
defeating in the Senate the New York City
Police bill, which already has passed the AS
sembly. will be announced tomorrow by the
Speaker Of the Assembly. While this commit
tee is empowered to investigate the admins
tration OF any and every city or county Office
within the limits OF the city Of New York. 1t
will first turn its attention to the Police De
partment. Mr.. Mazet. who is to be Chairman
OF the investigating committee by reason OF
the fact that he is Chairman OF the Assembly
Cities Com mittee. tonight said he would not
talk for publication regarding the plans OF the
committee until after 1t had been appointed.
All he would say was that the committee would
ges to work at once.
Gov. Roosevelt had not much comment to
make on the passage of the investigating reso-
luton. He said he was decidedly opposed to
any legislation like that recently introduced to
prohibit transfers OF policemen. If he were
connected with the management OF the Police
Department. he.should certainly feel like trans
ferring some members Of the force TO en-
tirely allen territory. The Governor has re-
ceived over q hundred letters from members
OF the recent attempts made to force %contri.
buttons from them. to be made use OF In IN
fluencing legislation at Albany.
The Governor said he received a letter or
two "at.ilrst. and then probably the writer's told
others what they had done. with the result
that.he received a shoal of letters. Some OF the
letters we're signed and some were not: ana,
OF course. the Governor gave little heed to the
signed their'lettars told him they wrote him
because they knew he would not give them
way. They usually gave in heir letters In
formation as to the exact sum- that r~oundsmen:
Sergeants and patrolmen were assessed. ana
also told him that. tho word had been, PASSED
to them that the Chief had said that they had
got to pony up. The Governors information
had thus far withstood the pressure brought to
bear upon them ana had generally refused to
make payments. They were assessed, 80
each and the Sergeants were assessed s15
each. The Governor said lie had no informa-
ton as TO what the roundsmen and Captains
had to pay. He was told verbally BY one Of
the Cnptaips that he had been obliged to pay.
but he had received no letters from precinct
commanders.
The Governors correspondents agree that
the money was being collected under color OF
being intended for benevolent purposes. The
Governor says he will not give the names OF
his correspondents and that they will not fig
ure as witnesses before tho legislative in
yestiRating committee. The committee can
have the information he has received through
the letters to aid IT In it's work. but not
the names OF the writer's: II he.wrlters Of
the letters were to DO called as witnesses. they
would not be removed from the force on ac-
count OF that. but In the future. some six
months hence. their heads would come of be-
cause they had stopDed to gaze in a shop win
dow while engaged in official duties"