New-York tribune., 1910-01-29
MAYOR TALKS OUT
TELLS WHITE WINGS
WHAT HE WANTS
No Room for Grafters, He
Says an First ADDRESS to
Street Cleaners.

IN one Of the best appointed stables ,n
sarn Mayor Gaynor delivered a sermon
70 men of the Street Cleaning Depart
naent. at Flushing and Kent avenues.
brooklyn, yesterday afternoon.
The only thing lacking was an omen
FIRE. It was stone stable. and tba
stones were cold. There was tan bar,x
for the $50 horses which live on the sac
ond floor. but the 800 officers of the de-
uartment stood on tagging and got cold
feet The Mayor was protected from
his knees down by a gay. not gaudv-
horse blanket done in tan and red hv
which his platform was surrounded.
Big BiII' Edwards, Commissioner of
Street Cleaning. introduced the Mayor
and told him and the men that never be-
fore had the head of the city's govern
r1eut consented TO give a straight-fron-
fhe-shouIder talk 10 those charged with
cleaning the city's streets. Mr.. Edwards
felt, therefore, that the occasion should.
snd would, be remembered Increased
striving after immaculate thoroughfares.
continuous effort for a like condition
within the department itself were. he
said. the only means open TO the men
present properly TO thank Mayor Gaynor
for the unexampled kindness he had
shown.
The soidterlike stoicism displayed bv
the uniformed audience was said to be
due 10 the military way in which the
stable superintendents. foremen and
dump inspectors were arrayed. Never
for an instant was there a flicker of ap-
plause They stood "eyes front" when
the trumpet blew announcing the
Mayors arrival at the barn door. Will
ian Robbins, general superintendent OF
the department, roared Attention."
And il could not be seen that any one
failed 10 give 10 the Mayor as he ap-
preached the platform any Of the at
tention that was so loudly recommended.
No man present received less than
$500, and the rest got various amounts
up 70 50. 100 q year. They made a good
body OF workers. TO whom any one might
submit q straight from the shoulder
speech and be appreciated.
NOT ODD. SAID MAYOR.
Removing his silk hat and overcoat at
As ?. n. the Mayor said that although
certain persons who think in very
peculiar way about many things might
think il odd that he should address
them. he did not think it odd at ALL
I am engaged as head Of the city
government" he said. in trying TO OBJ
tain II every department honest and eff
fcient service for the city. I want the
street cleaning Of this city 10 be done
as well or better and just as cheaply as
anywhere on earth. wish that all the
white wings were here-for that is what
they are called is il not? I wish that
there was hall in New York big enough
70 hold ali Of you. so that I could talk
to al Of you together. You represent a
very important department Of the city
government
The Mayor then urged the Importance,
from every point Of view. that the men
should feel q pride in their work
You must realize that you are en-
gagged in honorable toll. and I want you
u feel Ike honorable men. 1 want you
al 70 feel that you are under good men
Il anything has happened over here re-
gently that has been done to promote
honesty and decency, I want you to
know thar the same thing will happen
IN any borough Of the city. When it is
brought to. me as q fact that somebody
has made up z dummy payroll, some one
is going 70 suffer You should be just
as honest when working for the city as
L you were engaged in private employ
ment
NO PLACE FOR CHEATS.
Some persons think it is no harm to
cheat the city. They viii cheat the city
and 60 70 church just as If everything
vas as il should be They feel no moral
derelcuiOn- Just as soon as find such
2 person. no matter in what department,
without any regard TO politics, without
any regard 70 political organizations
whatever. in the plain words that are
easy 70 understand. he will have 10
gir''
4r. Edwards came in for several COM
plments when the two recent but en-
phat-c snowstorrns were referred TO by
the Mayor. Those who had written TO
the Mayor IN terms Of criticism because
q The manner in which they said snow
vas permitted 10 stay in the streets IN
which they were most interested were
ciassed oy him as probably subject TO
the stomach ache unless they complained
about something
! have written some Of those people
'etters that perhaps they viii treasure
ap, ne added. AT least, I wrote them
with that possibility in mind. I want
70 gay 70 you and 10 the Commissioner
nat you did very well indeed Some Of
uaese critics have written ME that you
~ere al football players. I don't know
no| they got such an impression. There
onlv one football player among you
NAT I know anything about: and he is
good one
among those present we're Deputy
ON rnlssIoners Hogan. Lynch and Scott.