New-York tribune., 1909-02-28
B[NGHAM'S PLAIN TALK
Tells the City Club Police Depart
ment Has Too Much to DO.

Commissioner Of Police Bingham addressed the
City Club yesterday. He talked with great frank
ness 'T Just want to throw few things at you
/ can give>4ou plenty Of cold facts-its up 20 you
10 do what you please with them he said In
short incisve sarcastic terms he told OF the heeus
Of the Police Department, taking occasion also 70
crlticse the Anglo-Saxon race as whoe' anu
particularly "a lot of good but misguided people
THE police. first thing you know, VIII pe u0iis
everything on the footstool.'' he said 1t Is not
my business TO draft legislation or TO loooy' me
AngIo-SaXon is tha most insuoorolhate' ms
hypocriticai and prudish of them all. 1t is beef
eating hard drinking, fighting race out the oliS
one that can colonfze / beg that the whole excise
question NAV taken from the Police Depart
and given TO the Excise Department "here 1t Oe
longs Get at the distueries that make Whiskey
If vo, want to stop drinking. Don't waste your
time fighting retailers It is these matters includ-
ing the election law which take the police cut OF
Its proper work. ,,,.
His Honor the Mayor has asked me to solicit
the aid of this club to-day to have the Ia" re-
pealed which calls for permanent census poaiu
senator Grady is back OF that law The poafo Is
to be composed OF the Mayor, the City oupeFlh
fendent of Schools and the Police commissioner
1t calls for the taking of a census beginning Oh
october 1903 of all the children from eight TO
fourteen years of age After that the census IS 10
be corrected every day. All on the ponce again.
B,lt isn't that a grand machine for the pohtcansi
..Ubv make the police do this work? why
shouldn't the Board OF Education get It's own cen
sus? have estimated that 1t will cost $So@oo 10
start this work. and S25O0co year to maintain II,
I simply put it to you; If you want 10 pay 'i0
biI-good."
commissioner Bingham said that there was GER
tain legislation now pending at Albany the intent
of which was to weaken the police system 10 any
one interested enough to write him or See nm
about the matter he would, he sald relate INC
history of the man who had introduced the meas
,re THAT will be Instructive he added. I
want you to use your influence to stop the passage
of such bills. They not urged in good 1altn'
ReIativ- to the bill TO prevent the Photoerapilihe
of arrested persons. Mr.. Bingham asked;
why is there this sudden opposition 10 d tiiie
bonored custom? Because the screws nave peeh
put on the high class criminals OF late am per
fecty willing to see a bill pass that VIII provide
for the return of the plate and photographs 10 pei
sons who not convicted
The Commissioner said that segregation was 'he
only proper method for coping with the social evil
"One of those good people. assisted oy lot OF
other good but misguided people has done more
he continued ITO spread the social evil in this town
than you recover from in two geherauohs Il
you recover from II at all"
Dr. Walter Bensel. former Commissioner Of Street
Cleaning and Sanitary Superintendent SAID
that he agreed with the Commissioner in the mat
ter of segregation as a means Of controlling the
social evil.
The Rev DR.. John P. Peters, chairman OF the
Committee of Fourteen. said: THE Commissioner
Of Excise can enforce the law by simply reyoking
the licenses granted. The state has been using
the granting of licenses for the immoral purpose
OF revenue. You step the graft of the police
in that matter by compelling the Excise Depart
Inent TO exercise the duty imposed upon it by
statute by appointing more inspectors This has
been brought 10 the attention OF the Governor ana
he approves OF it.
Among others present were Robert w Heoeerd'
Commissioner of Charities: Norman Hapgood, How
ard S Cans, George II. Putnam and Robert 5.
Mnturn
George McAneny president OF the City Club. pre-
sided.