New-York tribune., 1910-05-24
TABLETS, But NO HEROES.
Municipa! Art Society Decides
to Make Appeal to Mayor.
CAN'T GET BAKER TO ACT
Wants Names of Men Who Died
for Duty Put on $1,000
Plaques in Headquarters.

The Municipal Art Society is having a
hard tine TO get a list Of police heroes
ubose names shall be inscribed on the
,,ronze tablets in the new headquarters.
The efforts Of the society to get Com
missioner Baker TO accede to their re-
orest have met with so little success
that an appeal viii now be made TO
Navor Gaynor, TO whom also will be
sent the correspondence between John
e Agar. president of the society, and
commissioner Baker.
In IL desire TO honor the men Of the
dsnarrment who died in the perform
snce Of their duty, the society spent
s1 200 for handsome bronze tablets,
which are in place but blank, so far as
-he names Of the heroes are concerned
This has been looked upon as rehec-
zion on the police force and dlscour-
,asy 10 the society. At a meeting held
Yesterday at which Mr. Agar presided
II was decided TO appeal 10 the Mayor TO
see if II would not be possible TO nave
the names of deserving heroes inserted
st once on the tablets.
President Agar wrote 10 Commits
s,oner Baker on May as follows:
Referring TO the bronze mural tab
lers which have been placed by the Mu-
ricinal Art Society in Police Headquar-
-e-s for the names Of the members oI
the 6enartment who have died in the
performance Of duty, 1 beg to ask:
.First-Whether you desire to have
-. 7ie+ If names inserted on the tablets
,,v The Municipal Art Society, and, II So
win YOU furnish the society with
suitable list?
.Second-Whether you wish the socl-
e+v 10 make any formal presentation
~ these tablets 10 your department?
The purpose Of erecting the tablets
i 10 honor the worthy dead, to st;n-
late their successors TO the highest per-
fo-nsnce of duty, and to exhibit
model to the other departments of E2"
such work may be done with artistic
moderation.
We realize that in the press of your
present duties this subject may appear
n be Of remote interest, but we nope
<oUr attention being called to II, you
vfu appreciate the Importance Of carry
ing ont the intention Of the work AZ
soon as possible.
Besides. the vacant tablets suggest
an absence of virtue not consistent Win
the reputation Of your men
Commissioner Bakers reply, dated
Nav 6. was as follows;
Shortly before former Commissioner
Bingham left the department, a list was
made up OF men whose names were
ID. be put on these tablets, but the
names selected at that time caused so
,urch dissatisfaction and doubt as to
whether the list really represented the
men whose names were entitled 20 go
on said tablets that, after a good deal
q time spent in thinking 1t over, the
matter was deferred indefinitely.
I have been so busy since the first OF
7re wear that ] have not had time TO
7ake the matter UP. again. although L
an almost Of the belief that it is not
: PRACTICAL proposition However, l am
Tot prepared TO say at this time that
! disa pprove Of it entirely. l shall try
20 take the matter up again in short
time and will then finally determine
vhat It IS best 10 DO"
This letter has excited no end of com
-rent among the members of the Munlc-
-psl Art Society. who have contributed
u The 81. 800 ia blet fund. and they are
confident their appeal TO Mayor GaEnor
viii more effective