New-York tribune., 1910-07-17
WANT GRESSER REMOVED
Jury IndiCting Borough President
Petitions Governor.
"UNFlT FOR PUBLIC OFFICE"
Document Presented In Albany
Severely Arraigns Queens
County Administration.

The Queens County grand jury. which
finished its two and q half months inNesti-
CATION o. charges OF official corruption by
bringing in an indictment on Thursday
against Lawrence Gresser. President Of the
Borough followed up that work yesterday
hy presenting 2 petition TO Governor
Hughes requesting the removal Of Mr.
Gresser from Office
The petition vas presented IL Albany by
Henry T. Weeks, foreman. and John A
Rappelyea clerk Of the grand jury.
Having regained courage from the court
proceedings on Thursday. when Mr. Gres-
ser was ar-aiSned. those proceedings lead
ine many 10 believe there vas a possibility
of The Indictment returned against him be-
jne dismissed when the motion is argued
before Justice Gsr7etson in the queens
County Supreme Court tomorrow, adher-
ents Of the Gresser administration were
feeling better yesterday until they learned
OF this latest attack. It WAS no consola-
Son 70 them that il was not a novel pro-
ceeding 50 far as Mr.. Gresser was con-
ce-ned. this being the third time within
year that charges and petitions requesting
his removal from Office have been filed al
Albany
2 Ihe petition presented to Governor Hughes
yesterday read As follows.
grand Jury. having been TO-DAY discharged
sftey continuous service sinCe the urst OF
Nsv, feel that our duty as grand jurors
and as citizens will not be fulfilled until
~ call TO your personal attention condi-
tons ahich now exist and have existed for
years past IN the government OF our
y15Ih the assistance and The cooperation
~ the Commissioner OF Accounts OF the
cir- OF New York. We have been investl-
eating for three months certain phases OF
departmental administration This lnNeSu-
canon has been carried on III the race OF
UlsnE obstacles, and in spite OF great pres
sure. As result of oEr deliberations IN
C3Ct:nentS have been returned agalnSJ seven
Of the appOllte-S Of the present 6ofousH
Presiaant and numerous designations
among other officials ave followed.
Ne believe. however. that the WoTh IS not
hale cofuulefad We were able TO touch but
= few Of the various bureaus. ana our eN-
animation WAS necessarily 1ml}ec. Ioh
The evidence presented TO us We are coh-
Tinced that the borough government TO-DAY
Is as il hes been fer years past 2 Stehch
IN the noS.rils Of honest meu-
For more than a decade queens mas bvt4
2 pre- OF politicians who have Sachen anu
alllaEed without conScience- One Flii6 hdS
succeeded smother our deNeioIltileIlt g 9
l.s-argb mas leen retarded. our improve
usenrs have been held up: oUr business m
1eresrs have been sacrificed The chaoIic
Co16i4for7s existing TO-DAY are partly an in,
nerirsy7-e from past administrators aiId
partly the result Of Incompetence sItu ui9
honesty IN the present administrator .
We believe. however. there Is nope even
4ar Queens As a borough we have greater
ualnIstra1Eon than pfoCanlA allS % "a - ~ o.,,,,
toroughS Of the city. The increase OF pop1-
lation in the last few years has peen , IRE
g-I4nGous ia proportion 10 ioIlIleI - H..
Millions of dollars have been ilNeSleG bA
hcneSeekeTs. with the expectation ol IL IA
crease IN values TO come from the Sio" ~
a. rl0T1llstion An entirely new population
has been recruited and new pubiic ser'tl-
ulent developed ~
ripe for a change. We do believe that pup-
IiC sentiment IN TINS porouSh 1 leLlai ths+ =
change We do not believe however. lhat
auy change can be brought abouI uiiIei @ e tIle
1reseur borough head Entirely apart from
any Indictment brought against MN, w w
are convinced that the present lncuhloeII l
& ~ansp5Cuouslv unfit for public once Al
most every Department in his government
seems TO be undermined Win COZ COZ pt! up'toll ~
and in the TWO years of his administrators
}gFS appointees with few exceptions, nave
been notoriously incompetent
we would therefore respectfully ask you,
p chief executive OF this state, TO take
such necessary steps as VIII ltai 20 t-'9
assist as in obtaining for the presidency oi
The borough q man of strong character, d
business man OF broad experience III organ
r7at and who has never been connected with
rClitics OF politicians. man VINO VIII pe
7nla not only 10 place our goF@fllileIil le. o.! q
. zood basis but 70 administer the affairs
\ of this borough with an eve single 70 me
possibilities of our future development
The first charges against Mr. GTesser
we're taken TO Albany by William F Rozell-
: former eulpQNe 0l lAe oItASii- WIN a.
rlzed the Borough President Of shielding
Irregularities. hut Governor Hughes de-
cided that the charges We're not sufficient
70 warrant an investigation.
This was followed in April by other
charges. which were taken to Albany by a
committee consisting of Charles P Cald-
vel \ lawyer: Dr. William Matthews and
T Keating. This batch of charges fol-
lowed lively scene al q public hearing OF
charges against Joseph p Nelson. chief
hoorzkeeper ia the Sewer Department, from
which delegation of angry citizens were
deharred. and in the fight that followed
they. came near battering down the door oi
The Borough Presidents office, where the
hearing was being held.
These charges embraced about everything
that had appeared in public print from
time 20 time. in addition TO quantity OF
other matter which had been gathered by
the committee. They are stil pending be
(.o,,av~or Hughes