The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-18
NAGLE'S SUCCESSOR AHUSTLER
DIR. WOODBURY THE SORT or MAN
TO KEEP NEW YORK CLEAN.
He Isn't Ready 10 Talk About Ills Plans
for the street Cleaning Department,
TIL He's Formally Appointed. but His
Porto Rican Record speaks for Him.

He Isn't Ready 70 Ihh Auout III ''s''
for the street Cleaning Department.
TIL He's Formally Appointed. but Ills
Porto Rican Record speaks for Him.
DR.. John McGaw Woodbury., who will
be Mayor Lows Commissioned OF Street
Cleaning, said last night that he was not
ready yet to make any statement about
his plans for carrying on the work OF the
Street Cleaning Department.
Il cannot feel, he said, that 1t Is proper
for me to say before my appointment has
come to me officially what my acts under
hat appointment will be. My conception
OF the duty Of a public officer IL not that he
shall begin to talk about his authority
before that authority is given to him.
Il realize, however. h a the people are
probably "a much Interested in the Street
Cleaning Department a. in any other; 1t
Is only natural. because the work OF that
department is before their eyes directly
all the time. and II it is not conducted prop
| erly Is apt to be before their noses TOO.
| This general interest in the work of the
department ought 10 be Of great help; l
shall depend on the newspapers TO make
IL 80. | shall look to the newspapers as
my best assistants outside of the depart
ment itself. / ask them to let me know
what is being neglected or improperly
done. | ask them not to use their ability
to accumulate facts of that sort as basis
for oavilling at our administration. but TO
let us know about IL SO that We can remedy
that which needs r~emedying'
do YOU mean 10 conduct the department
as Col. Wsring conducted it?' asked an
interviewer.
Il only hope that l may merit such a
comparison said DR.. Woodbury.. but that
Is a very long hope"
Don't you hope to improve on the present
state of Affairs. asked another reporter.
Wouldn't you" retorted DR.. Woodbury.,
quickly. Then he continued. "Of course,
I shall make mistakes. The sooner | know
of them the sooner | will be able to correct
| them. Now, as to present conditions, | do
not feel that 1t would be anything but in'rd
din. for me to make any statement OF my
spinion now. either TO c%riticisc or to make
any promises "a TO the future conduct OF
affairs. i IN profoundly CONSCIOUS OF the
/ fact that | may AXE the very worst failure
as a Commissioner that New York ever
heard Of"
Arc you going TO attempt TO familiarize
That depends. | shall not do 80 unless l
am asked. As i understand II. what New
York people want Is T. put New York in
order. We want 10 make IL right and clean
ana Keep u so, lndl II nat we III VAIN
Asked whether he would put the depart
mcnt on a military bass, DIR. Woodbury.
said that the organization of a force Of men
as great as that under tio control OF the
Street Cleaning Department depended in a
great measure upon the temperament OF
the man at the head Of the department.
He could not tell what his actions in the
matter of organization would be. however,
until his commission was put In his hands,
Il don't want TO be premature" he said.
Il don't want 10 put myself In the position
of a subordinate who il commenting upon
q general movement before the commanding
Officer has issued his orders. That was
! what our unfortunate friend Schlcy did
Turning to a reporter who had been a
war correspondent Perhaps you were
! there at the cable Office when he started TO
send out some dispatches which had 10 be
| hauled over and pulled back and suppressed
l don't want to do anything like that. But
when We are ready 10 60 ahead and the
new administrator Ia begun ] hope TO be
able 20 satisfy public curiosity with a rather
detailed account Of the methods we will
try TO pursue
Though DR.. Woodbury. Is not willing to tell
for himself what sort Of an administr ration
the Street Cleaning Department may ex-
pect under him, his friends hold that he
las a record that speaks for itself on that
| point. DR.. Woodbury. was with the First
Army Corps n ChickamGuga in 1898. tie
sailed from Charleston with the First Army
Corps as chief surgeon of the army in the
field under Gen. Miles. In the brief Porto
Rican campaign he gained IA reputation
for great coolnoes under fire. but his
great work was lone " hen Gen J. IL. vii
son set out 70 establish a Temporary civil
government in the island and especially ia
Ponce.
Gen. Wilson gave DR. Woodbury. the
Office OF Medical Director General Of Ponce
under the provisional government and
told him that his powers were general.
DR.. Woodbury. az once started an inspec-
stables and sinks ~ the city He reported
TO Gen Wilson that he thought that all
~ those places needed to he cleaned and
then 10 h. kept clean. Gen Wilson told
him TO 20 ahead Then the tWeuty-faur
most prominent physicians Of the city
were called together and were informed
that they were a Boari 81 Health They
were 20 select a President from among
their own number
Nep' the citv was divided into four In
spection districts. There Werr 10 funds
20 ray 'or cleaning. 80 Dr Woodbury.. Who
Rad tho rank q VI Jor, employed a." Sr-
Vioes 81 th" short torn prisoners Ia the
isil as soaveugcrr They were not hile
To clean tho Whole city. - 'a"h merchant.
stall keeper. static keeT.r and hot'l keeper
vas required 20 keep Tho street 'riI william
a cersin distance 90 hir place - business
H. tile way tie city vac kept 'l'au ana
free from am 10 and htt'r Nltluut any
aBprupris Ion AZ all Df NooluUN found
tLnt the pCIrs OsMetFry vas oN'IDfsNdud
and that ssch grave lad a. hari -four iru-
ante He al ouco - about la3iIg uut a
nov crmrier. within a ItuI"T and sanitary
disiAIos ~ tie pfN Tic Porto luDIt
said that bt Noeihury otd nIufr f"T usm