The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-05
100000 IN NEW PATRONAGE
FOR TAMWANY n EIGHT WAGIS-
TRATES VOTE FOR IT.

lUnTu 1" NdklNNENNFNs NNhltH NIfMIIN
Ii Majority III Inc Plan IL Put Through
To-da, Therein Ic a Fine Offering 20
Make "a Murphy In Advance OF the
judiciary COW cntIOR an October no.
Police Magistrate Charles q. +. Wahle,
presldont Of the Board Of City Magistrates,
issued a call yesterday for a special meet
inc Of the board at 70 p. NJ. to-day at the
West Side court to pass upon the resolu-
lions now pending in the board to appoint
cont attendants for the police courts to
take he places Of the police cour, squad.
The law requires twenty-four hours notice
Of such a meeting. and so urgent is the de-
sire 10 pass upon the matter in question
that the meeting is to he held On the shortest
POSSIBLE notice. Magistrates Moss, Finn
and Finelite made the request for the
meeting.
The PLAIN purpose Of the meeting 10 to
providh not less than eighty-six and prob
ably ninety-two places at salaries a nging
from 1900 to 81, AGO a year for Tammany
Hall patronage and to be distributed under
the direction of Charles r. Murphy. An
insistent advocate of the measure il Magis-
trste Wahle, who secu red his appoint
ment through Mr.. Murphy and who will
have as president OF the board a large
measure Of influence in the selection Of the
attendants. Whether the probability that
President Wahle and his colleagues will
be- able 10 hand over to Murphy to-day
patronage amounting to 500 600 or more
a year will affect Magistrate Wahle's and
Magistrate Nalsh's chances of being nom
mated for the Supreme or the General
Sessions bench, which are said to be waning,
is a matter that may be revealed when the
Tammany judiciary COW entions are held
On October 10.
These places Of court attendants are to
be for life or during good behavior. The
current quotations in police court circles
for appointments are from 81 900 to 81 200,
TO he paid strictly in advance. The board
of Magistrates nominally will do the ap-
pointing. ThGre are fourteen Magistrates
on the board, nine Of whom are classei "a
Tammany men 1t will require eight votes
10 pass the resolution. Three times has
the matter come up before the board. once
In Nav, once in June and once in September,
but each time the resolution has failed to
pass, ow ing to ahsentees. One of the
Magistrates who has had Tammany afhlia-
tons has stood out sturdily against the
scheme because he does not think it wise.
He is Magistrate Mayo. He will probably
vote against it to-day. All the other Tam
many Magistrates will have to he present
and vote for it to pass it. The fact that the
call was signed by Moss. Finn and Finelite
is taken to mean that the votes have either
been rounded mp or that il is thought there
Is a chance for it to go through. The adj
vocates Of the measure assert openly that
If the Magistrates Can deliver the goods
IN Murphy tho least he can do in the way
Of recognition is to name Magistrates Wahle
and Walsh for judicial promotion.
In addition 10 Magistrate Mav0 three
other Magistrates have fought the scheme.
Their opposition has been Of the bitter kind.
They have not hesitated TO assert that it is
simply a Tammany scheme and that its
adoption will result in the further democrat
ization Of the police courts. These three
Magistrates are Barlow. Cornell and Whit
man. There has never been the slightest
question of the integrity, high character
and ability Of these men. The universal
opinion Of them is hat not only have they
dealt out Justice without fear or favor,
that they have never prostituted the bench
10 the purposes of politics, but that they
have adorned it and have been living ex-
amples Of what ar ideal police court bench
ought to be.
The fate of the resolution seems to depend
largely upon the vote Of Magistrate Breen.
He has not committed himself hitherto on
the matter. He was appointed to The
bench by Mayor Low. At that time he
counted il an honor TO be appointed with
the understanding that he vas not to allow
Tammany politics TO play any part in his
Official actions. He assured Mayor Low that
such was his intention. Later he became
lOnaUhaf active in Tammanv hnf uhafhar
like Magistrate Mayo, he will set his face
against an attempt to make the Board of
Magistrates an open OF Tammany
Hall will not he disclosed until to-day's
meeting. II Breen votes against the propo-
sition il will he lost, for the plan will then
have only seven votes, as follows: Fine
lite, Finn, Moss, Steinert. Sweetser, Wahle
and Walsh.
Police Commissioner Bingham early in
The year was an advocate Of the measure.
He was wedding out the soft snaps of the
department. He found eight sergeants,
roundsmen and s~eventy-eight patrol
men, with salaries a~ggregatinG $40, 200 a
year, stationed in these courts. He wanted
them for service on the streets and else
where in active police duty. He said his
force was weakened by just ninety-five
men. Later when the influences behind
the court attendants scheme became APP
parent Gen. Bingham ceased TO be active
In urging that the police be taken away from
JneSe courts ana ne now taxes the position
that If 1.-The courts are to be differed by
policemen the police courts should pay their
salaries, az the Health Department does,
leaving him free to hire ninety-ive more
poicemen'for real police work.
Section 1894 of the city Charter appar-
emily gives the Magistrates the authority
10 appoint court attendants. II says
The said boards of City MAJ istrates in the
trst division may appoint police clerks
assistants. stenogra piers, interpreters and
other necessary attendants. Such appointees.
Including those in ONCE when this act takes
effect, shall hold their respective positions
30 long as they are faithful. capable and Of
good conduct, and before removal. for want
OF any or ali OF said qualifications. the individ-
val against whom charges are made shall
have notice thereof and an opportunity to
make explanation in the presence Of the
board, and the reasons for any removal
shall be briefly entered in the minutes.
Il Is a serious question whether the Board
OF Estimate may refuse to provide the sal
ares for these men in case the Board OF
Magistrates decides to engage them and dis
penFe with the police. Some of the authori-
ties, citing decisions in the cases of school,
teachers, assert that the Board Of Estimate
can be mandamused into providing the
money TO pay them. and those members
OF the Board Of Magistrates who are ad-
Vocatlng this new patronage scheme for the
benefit Of Tammany assert that once II Ia
q 49, IL III -