The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14


TO Meet Politicians Turned Down Ou,.
side Son Of the Things Or. wood
bury Has Achieved for tho City.
Commissioner John McGaw Woodbury.
sent in his resignation as head OF the Depart
ment Of Street Cleaning last Thursday after
Mayor Mcclellan had made what virtually
amounted to a demand upon him that the
Street Cleaning Department in the Borough
Of Brooklyn should be turned over to Sena-
tor McCarren and his organization.
Commissioner Woodbury's resignation
sent TO the Mayor four hours after he
had been summoned to the Mayors office
and Senator MoCarren had there made h
demand that Major Woodbury. remove his
superintendent in Brooklyn, William s.
Clarke. and put in his place a man whom
McCarren should name. When the Mayor
approved Of this Commissioner Woodbury.
decided that he was no longer to be allowed
to act Independently OF the politicians and
that his usefulness as the head Of the depart
ment was at an end. His resignation fol-
lowed forthwith.
Mayor Mcclellan accepted the resignation
yesterday, and in reply to Major Wood
bury's charge that he was insistent now that
politics should be injected into the Street
Cleaning Department the Mayor said that
his position had been misunderstood and
that his best efforts had been directed to-I
ward keeping politics out Of the department.
This Major Woodbury. fatty denies.
Following is the letter which Commits
sioner Woodbury. sent to the Mayor last
Thursday, with the Mayors reply:
DIR wooDBURY's HAR0H
772 MADISON AVENUE
October II. 1905.
To the Honorable George B. McCIeldn, Mayor
the Cav Of NeV York.
SIR: l beg leave to tender you my resigns
ton as Commissioner OF Street Cleaning, to
take effect Immediately. When you Informed
me that you desired to continue me Com
missioner you said to me that 1t was your
wish that | should discharge my duties as l mad
dischar ged them under the administrations
OF Mr.. Low and that you would keep the poll
ticians OF my back, = to quote your own ex-
preston. Your attitude has undergone 30
marked q change In the last particular and
you are now so i~nsistent upon the injection OF
politics into my department that | am salts
fed that my utility and effectiveness as Com
missioner must presently cease and determine.
As II is therefore no longer possible for me to
administer the office with a decent regard for
the public service or consistently with the
maintenance OF my self-respect, I demand
that be relieved Of my responsibilities.
Respectfully. JOHN McGAw WOODBURY..
MAYOR SAYS HE WAS Misunderstood.
CITY OF NEW YORK.
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR.
SIR: beg to acknowledge the receipt Of
your letter Of resignation. dated October II,
1909, addressed to me at 10 Washin gtOn square
and forwarded to me at Princeton, N. j.
where | stayed Thursday and Friday nightA
| regret exceedingly that you should have %
misunderstood me as TO consider that / have
tried TO inject politics into your department.
As a matter OF fact l have been using my beet
efforts TO prevent politics from creeping into
the Department Of Street Cleaning. ! accept
your resignation. Respectfully.
GORGE b. MCCLELLAN. Mayor.
Hon. John McGaw Woodbury.. Commissions
OF Street Cleaning. New York.
THIS Is THE MAYORS VERSION.
In addition TO his letter Frank M. o'Brien,
secretary to the Mayor, gave out this state
ment from the Mayor regarding Commits
sioner Woodbury. resignation:
Senator McCarren informed me that
the Department OF Street Cleaning in the
Borough OF Brooklyn wa being used for
political purposes and specified active
political work On the part Of certain city
employees in the borough. Such a COM
plant was not unfamiliar. In the CAM
paign OF a year ago I was told that en-
ployees Of the department were politically
busy, but az their activity was directed
against me and I was q candidate for once
as well as Mayor I was not as well placed
a. I am now to resent such conduct.
Il laid Senator McCarren's charges be-
fore Commissioner Woodbury. and asked
him whether the approximations in charge
OF the department in Brooklyn had better
be transferred, at least temporarily, And
his place filed by some one who would put
an end to a scandalous situation. Commits
sioner Woodbury. asked me whether I
ordered him to make the change and I re-
Piled that I did not. This was on Thurs.
day afternoon and Commissioner Woodbury.
left my Office, promising to return on Friday
afternoon at 2 O'Clock. He did NOT koep
the appointment, and when I arrived az
Princeton last night I found his letter al
resignation. I judge hat he sent IL to my
city house on Thursday evening. but a. l
was in Princeton that night 7 aid not ges
the letter.
Dr. WOODBURY. STANDS BIT HIS LKrrKn-
In regard 10 tho roasons for HIS Hse1Aag
out and thu Statement his r~eignmeiun had
called forth from tho Mayor. Major Wood
bury had this to say at his offer: