The sun., 1908-10-11
BUDGET TALK FROM BINGHAM
HE HAS TO BUY ~ IRON BEDS
FOR 50 AND DOESN'T LIKE 1T.
WOuid Have Pensioners Behave or Lose
Their PenaOas- Detailed Policemen
e0re Point with Him II They Are
GFafteFa Department IL blamed.

oOfo POint WITH Him II They M
GFafteFa Department IL Blamed.
Police Commissioner Bingham wen
down to the budget exhibit in the CitJ
Investing Building yesterday TO tei
why the exhibit doesn't apply TO his do
partment In some respects and 10 explain
| why he isn't responsible for certain
features Of the Police Department thai
will bear correcting.
; @The policemen who are assigned tc
other branches of the city government
cost $4,000 q year. said Commissions
Bingham. sThat money comes out oi
my appropriation. whereas In all justice
II should be charged to the departments
that get the men. II had that money
/ could put on 600 new cops. have been
insisting right along that the heads OF
these other departments ought to go to
the Board Of Estimate and ask for money
to pay their policemen, but they won't
do it.
Il can't see why should have to send
my men to the recreation piers. The oiti-
gems have no idea how many policemen
have to be detailed to these piers in the
summer, Just when / need them most.
wrote to the Commissioner OF Docks
asking why his men couldn't do the work
for which he wants policemen. because
the Dock Department employees have to
be on the piers anyhow. Igot the answer
that the Dock Commissioner couldn't do
| II on account of the civil service rules.
am for civil service rules myself. but I
am also o believer in common sense.
think the heads Of these other depart
ments ought to rake up some scheme to
bear their own share of the burden.
"A lot Of my men are over In the Cor
poration Counsel's office. That's q real
nioe Job. but don't want any Of my cops
doing It.. Why should pay for the
Corporation Counsel's work. The whole
system ought to be broken up. II police
man 10 q policeman on the rolls he ought
TO be q policeman"
Commissioner Bingham said that an
erroneous impression had got around
that he was opposed to the police pension
fund. He believed the pension roll to be
81 I'm fos the cop said the commits;
against as shining. The great majority
Of cops are good, sturdy honest men with
only the faults Of their environment.
Their faults are due to the people among
whom they, are born and brought up.
You people were asleep when the pension
bill was passed. however, I've never
meddled With the question Of money be-
tween you citizens and your police, but
do want you to support me in having q
clause put In the law that will make the
retired policeman subject to the same
rules of morality as he was under when
he was an active policeman. Many OF
now, and you and can't touch them.
We ought to have them understand that 30
long as they are on the pension rolls they
have got to behave
Speaking OF the results OF the new laws
affecting the department. which he faith
cred, Commissioner Bingham said they
had been effective. As the result Of these
laws he has been able to make the real
test Of police work the number OF con-
vctions not the number OF arrests. In the
Detective Bureau alone the number Of
convictions had increased 800 per cent.
since the bureaus reorganization. Now
when a law is violated anywhere he can
say to the official who Is responsible:
Shut it up; stop 1t. or you know what
will happen. -
which was sold to the city by William
Hurley. Bird Coler's friend, at $4,000
profit, Commissioner Bingham said he
found that such a farm was absolutely
necessary 10 the proper training Of the
department horses. When he first saw
the police farm, he said. the city was
leasing a small wooden stable with a
number OF stalls.
-Then / told the Finance Department
that we ought to buy place he said.
THE Finance Department attended to all
the details Of the buying. 1 have heard
that there was trouble about the price,
don't know what was paid for the farm,
but know that didn't get any Of II,
Commissioner Bingham spoke Of a
pamphlet issued by Comptroller Metz
showing that while the appropriation
for the Board Of Education had increased
los per cent. in ten years. the Fire Depart
ment os per cent. and the Department
Of Correction 90 per cent, the Police De-
partment appropriations had gone up
only % per cent:
know if haven't the right TO ask for more
money" he said. The Police and Fire
DEPARTMENTS are your life insurance.
I'm with you on the subject Of education.
but what'e the use Of bothering about
education unless you live'
we are now required TO buy certain
articles from the county penitentiary il II
can furnish them. happened TO find out
that the cots we are paying 80 for could
be bought from the Auburn prison for
90. I wrote and asked Comptroller Metz
what the difference was between the
two, and he replied that the only
ones have the city's coat Of arms at
the head, Wouldn't that jar your"
Commissioner Bingham said that some
thing ought to be done about the present
method Of buying coal for the Police
Department. Since January he has had
to pay so. rs a ton in Brooklyn. %. 40 in
The Bronx and SS.86 in Manhattan. he
has advertised Eve times In an effort to
get the coal cheaper.
al only mention this 30 that il you see
something about 1t in the newspapers
you will know that i told you FIRST he
said.
when your blue coated man is dis
honest" he went on. she is the centre
of more dishonesty and rascality in the
city government than any one man.
He is a successful CRATER because he
gives the impression that he has the
power Of his uniform behind him. There
is no man in any other branch of the city
government who feels as little respon-
ability as the detailed policeman. The
blame for this mans work should be
laid to the official who is supposed to
have authority over him. It's not the
color Of the coat he wears or the man
in the coat that is really 70 blame for
this sort Of rascality for which the Police
Department gets the credit. / want
these detailed policemen where / can
put my hands on them and keep tabs
on what they are doing
Commissioner Bingham said he be-
lieyed some arrangement should be
made 30 that the police force will increase
automatically with the population.