New-York tribune., 1905-03-20
RECON- NJ ENDATl0NS

The Committee of Nine last night made pubic
its report on police conditions its recommends
tions for the rehabilitation of the force and the
text of the bill. embodying these to amend the
city charter to be introduced to-day IN the
legislature.
The report and recommendations have already
been forecasted in The Tribune, and, as pre-
viously told in these columns. the chief of these
is the appointment of uniformed Inspector TO
be responsible for the efficiency and discipline
of the force his appointment to be revocanie
at the pleasure of the Commissioner; the aboi-
ishment of the Detective Bureau and the place
of detective sergeant, and the establishment OF
the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, to which
the chief inspector shall detail members of the
uniformed rank and Central Office Bureau for
the the control of the liquor traffic and the de-
lection and suppression of houses of prostitution
The committee deems it advisable to allow the
term of the Commissioners Office to remain as
at present five years. and does not recommend
giving to him power Of absolute dismissal from
the force, believing appeals. as allowed at pres
ent, to be best
The formation of the Central Office Bureau for
the control of the liquor traffic and suppression
of gambling and prostitution the committee be-
lieves will be a staggering blow at the graft
system. because it does away with the appoint
ment of wardmen by the captain. Wardmen In
ing link between the system of vice and the
system of protection"
The committee Also to a certain extent, takes
the position of which Justice Gaynor has
been the chief adherent, that the present
system of observing and inspecting Illegal re-
sorts develops tendency to resort tc lawless
methods, and declares that it has been a COM
mon practice to make arrests without warrants.
This also would be done away with by the new
bureau, in the opinion of the committee.
Minor recommendations incorporated with the
others in the bill are increasing the salary
of the commissioner from $500 to $4,000; in
creasng the salary of the first deputy from
$4,000 to S6OO0 making the salaries of the
other two deputies $1,000 each, pensioning men
who have served ten years central office de-
tectives and keeping a record of the efficiency
of each policeman This to count In examna-
ton for promotion.
A striking sentence at the beginning of the
report is: THE commissioner has now great
power. but the efficiency and honesty which
should be attained by the full exercise thereof
have not been secured. We intend to call atten-
ton to these powers at later date"
The report ends as follows:
We regret that we have not enjoyed the benefit
OF the cooperation and assistance Of Mr.. Root,
whose absence from town prevented his attend
ance at first, and who wrote later that his pro-
with giving the attention which he had hoped to
give that he would have TO withdraw.
1t was signed by Austen G. Fox. chairman;
Henry De Forest Baldwin George McAneny,
James McKeen, John G. Milburn, William
Church Osborn, Jacob H. Schiff and Isaac N.
Seligman.
T. Ludlow Chrystie, the secretary, said last
night that he did not know who would be asked
to introduce the bill He also said that, while
the Police Commissioner had been consulted as
to the report and the new bill, the Mayor had
not seen either
Ex-Police Commissioner John N Partridge, of
Brooklyn. when asked last night for
preston Of opinion on the BILL said that he
would rather read it in full before discussing
its clauses. The abolishing of the detective bu-
reau he thought, was an important step, but
he also believed that the substitution of a suit
able bureau to take its place was Of still more
Importance. Concerning the raising of the sal
ary of the Commissioner to $4,000 he said he
thought that was a move in the right direction,
for a good man was worth that amount.
The headings of the report and the COM
mittees remarks on them follow:
CHIEF NSPECTOR-DETECTIvE BUREAU.
Ffrst-That the administrative and supervisory
functions of the Commissioner SIC be separated from
the force are purely executive and that the latter
be vested In q uniformed 'cnle1 inspector.
That the chief inspector be given the power of
assignment and transfer of the men and be made
responsible the efficiency of the force, but that
the Commissioners own general responsibility be
continued by making the chief inspectorship an
assignment for indefinite period. revocabe at
the will of the Commissioner
That provision be made for a trial deputy, and
for broadening the powers of the Commissioner in
Furnishing breaches of discipline. That salaries of
Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners be in
creased.
Second-That the present Detective Bureau be
abolished and its members remanded to police duty
except that members Of ten years service may,
when they retire. retire the pension of a SER
geant that new bureau be organized for detective
service, the members of which shall be drawn from
and be subject to return to- the uniformed force:
that the members shall neither gain nor lose in
their eligibility for promotion because of service in