New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-28
PARTRIDGE RUMORS AGAIN
IdMINENCE OF THE PUBLICATION OF
THE CITY CLUBS REPORT.

The announcement that Commissioner Partridge
is preparing take vacation and for that reason
is clearing up his business is viewed in quar-
tiers indication that the city is TO have
Police Commissioner. For many weeks rumors
have been rife that the retirement OF the present
Commissioner likely. a few weeks ago. when
the City Club actively engaged in its report on
conditions, 1t generally believed that the result
OF this report would be the enforced retirement OF
Colonel Partridge. Then the report suddenly dis
appeared from view. Some believed It had been
suppressed at the request OF the adminstra-
tlon others that the members OF the committee en-
ga ged in the investigation inclined 10 give the
Commissioner another chance before taking so
sweeping a step condemnng the adminstra-
TONS attitude in police matters.
This latter theory substantiated by the later
developments. The Citizens Union. which had been
working in cooperation with the City Club. had a
force OF men in the lower East Side districts nota-
bly, In the Fifth-st precinct a result OF tho
sertion made by Meyer Shoenfeld n fusion candi-
date alderman I'm the With Assembly District
that conditions on the East Side than
in the Red Light days This statement
challenged and the Union began its investigation
AS a result, shoenfed's assertions substan-
tiated
Before the Union could formulate its findings
Commissioner Partridge made his famous shake
up, and transferred the captains in the districts
/ the Union had most complained Of Then both the
Union and the city Club. which had been fur
nished with copy of the report of the nvesti-
eating committee. decided 10 hold their hands and
watch the result. Some time later the Union pub
hshed a statement reporting the conditions in the
districts in which transfers made. This re-
port praised Commissioner Partridge for his action
and declared that in all but two districts there had
been marked Improvement. In the mean time there
great disappointment in the ranks OF the City
Club and the Union over the position of Inspector
Cross
When the Union began its investigation Acting
Captain Churchill offered to furnish the District
man. This evidence was actually furnished. and
came to District Attorney Jerome's hands But in
stead OF using it against Cross Judge Jerome took
1t to Cross and asked what it meant. Then Cross
recognized that the situation was up to" him A
few hours later came the action which resulted in
the trial of Churchill. A member of the Union who
was seen by a Tribune reporter the other day ex-
pressed the feeling OF the Citizens Union in the
Churchill business thus:
I'VE feel that in getting Churchill u,e baya en-,
ceeded in landing smaller man only"
Since this time the union has continued its work
II mas FOUND other examples Of bad conditions
1hese nave been turned over TO the City Club and
have been added to the report which must sooner
or later be published. Il seems unlikely that that
VIII happen before the end OF the summer as most
OF the members are at present out Of the CITY
therefore IL Commissioner Partridge decides to OK.
a ms vacation indefinitely the administration
come from the publication of the City Club report
for reform administration TO be condemned by
the CITY Club, that fountanhead of municipal i'm
provement would be a hard blow
AS for the attitude Of some clements of tho al -
minstration toward Commissioner Partridge there
Is not the slightest question that is one of intense
disappointment Not long ago a prominent member
or the city government said to a Tribune renorter.
IL, we meet our Waterloo at the next election II
VIII be Partridge that is responsible" ~ "
AS persstently as the retirement OF Partridge has
been rumored, so frequently has the name of Com
missioner woodbury. been mentioned as his proba hIa
successor. The continued belief that il is mill
tary discipline that alone eradicate DeVeryisnn
anu DIedh up the system has given air of
probability to the idea that the man who has
brought military discipline into the demoraIized
Street Cleaning Department is the man To do the
same thing for the police. Meantime the Citv CIuh
and the Citizens Union have agents in a nnn1Lar
OF precincts in the lower half Of the city Indus
of immoral conditions and the qualifications ~ fbIs
I report cannot be avoided forever - '''