New-York tribune., 1901-01-11
VIEWS ON NEW POLICE BILL
SOME LIKE IT'S PROVISIONS, SOME DO
NOT.

NO USE TC ASK Mr.. ABELL TO BECOME THE
SINGLE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The problem as 20 whether Chief Devery will
or win not resign or be removed from Office by
the Commissioners became of second rate i'm
portance yesterday in police circles, where in
terest centred chiefly upon the new bill intro
duced at Albany to put the entire force under
the rule of a single Commissioner. Opinions
varied widely as TO the wisdom Of each pro-
vision Of the proposed new law. President York
said:
in the 9 akd fs g so nf SeaaeS G0 5h TPDa and hPs s
lutey that there is no need Of me mesa saving vi anythtnG %
the Eist % ~ me 3l 6e 1e any Is rt4SGh nT o3e 9e
thing that want to talk a3&out bout That is the part art
Department over to the Controiler think this
S2Yld hf Wordsd % SO as to & he % more definite Inc
trustee Of re pension fund Of the Department % and
at 5 5e Of h m Is Of % m r 9yT int
ttention Of the biz it ought 10 be made more definite
made cot oo-trustee % with i5 the commissioner '1
Mr.. Commissioner" began one of the report
ers. speaking TO him, IF you were asked TO be-
come"-
Now, that is one Of the non-essentiaIs we
were talking about" interrupted the president,
Commissioner Abel thinks the bill places a
heavier burden upon the shoulders of one man
than could be borne. He would not take the job
for anything. He said:
This bill makes one man the head OF the force.
gives him the business of transferring and direct
ihings @ to anEbodS S eise He eant assign to any
other man whether ether he be trained Inc ar man or not
trained man now. He will have to look out for
Dsee 10 that e An emergency y arises there is
riot a strike. The Commissioned must person
other. He may be in bed, on his back. He may
him puI Here eI is This man who has been picked out
L do +he work that four Commissioners have been
Tnissioners have always been glad to leave to the
Chief l don't think that civilian; appoInted 20
take charge Of the force under these circum-
man, It can't be done There have been four
Commissioners here trying to run this DEPARTMENT
b I RSss R5 Of af the eBSPs DPsrtmemf and the ABUSE
1hat is inevitable upon the head Of ne Fohce &C. of
all, with the impossible task he will have, too:
Il FOR the Standard Oh Company. all it owns, and
frie5naIdRsz fs5aIRz ~ 'l' '=''' my '''''''
Commissioner AbelI said he had especial
injections 10 the divorce Of the Elections Bureau
from the Police Department but he thought
the advantages were mostly sentimental
Commissioner Abel said he regarded the pro-
sision giving the Governor and Mayor power Of
removal as plainly unconstitutional He de-
clared that the giving Of the Governor power to
remove at will equal to taking away from
the Mayor the power to appoint. as any of the
Iatter's appointments could he removed the day
sfter. The Constitution, he said. named officers
removal hle by the Governor for cause He did
TOT think the Legislature had power by sn en-
actment 70 give such power 10 the Governor in
The case of the Police Cemn7issioner.
Recorder Gof said:
am thoroughly. in sympathy with the bill ! he
except the state Board Of Charities should be gov
erned by The State Board Of Charities IS
m Heogsye All the 9S Taora1 6paqmeHt ara sF no
iroIled by one man. a4ed-thes- es-sre successful.
Frank Moss said he had no fault to find with
that provision of the bill which allows the Gov
ernor the Mayor to remove the Police Com
missioner from Office at viii and without
proved II II provided for q Chief Of Police as
well as a Commissioner, instead of rolling those
IHo important offices into one. Mr.. Moss speaks
from experience Of the workings Of the force
as he once was . Commissioner and president
Of the Board himself He added.
Suppose the Mayor Of New-York City should ap-
SfoWer1oT Of NeEyork State should ren5dye that
good Commissioner for partisan or unworthy rea-
Mayor could appoint another good Com
missioner Of the same stamp as the one wrong
fully removed and Governor dare face the
storm ~ public disapprovaI which would arise
on The other hand. no Mayor would care to ap-
point bad Commissioner II he thought the Gov
SrnoT would him. The absolute
power Of removal vested in Mayor and Governor
both but the appointing power vested IN the Mayor
alone rs, n my mind. the best safeguard perhaps.
that could he designed When people tell you that
violates the principle Of home rule. remind them
that the city is the creature of the Statethe State
ma de f. and all the of sef-government that
II has came from the State which still retains
vita! lively and an important interest and Just
right to that the city governs itself properly
integral part Of the State.
Mayor Van Wyck would not tell a Tribune re-
porter yesterday whether he would veto the bill
not. Some think he Will IL for the os-
terslble reason that II violates home rule but
with the real motive Of keeping the Police De-
partrnent under absolute Tammany domination
up TO the last moment possible. He hold
the bill for fifteen days. Then. If he vetoes IT,
the bill can be repassed over his head Guesses
At the Commissioner were numerous yester-
day Bernard York Lewis Nixon and Fire
Commissioner Scannell seemed be the IA
NoritnS.
MIR. PHILRIN'S ECONOMY
HE FINDS THAT GARDENERS STAFF WAS