The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-30
.GAYNOR HAS PLAN
FOR DRY SUNDAY
New York Mayor Does Not Let
Up in Crusade
SYSTEM IS CONDEMNED
Protection VIII BE stopped by
the Mayor When lie Gets
Plans Complete

New York. March CIV. J. Gaynor,
mayor of New York, tonight gave out
his promised plan of action for making
New York "a dry city on Sunday and
at the same time to eradicate the "eat-
ing eanker of extorton' by the police,
which he characterized as far worse than
Sunday selling.
Since he assumed office the mayor has
vigorously combatted the police custom
of allowing plain clothes men, officers
to seek Sunday law violators. and has
condemned 1t as a system of no fruitful
significance, and inadequate. In oppos-
Ing 1t he promised a practical substitute
and tonight came forth with his sugges-
tons, embodied in a letter. to William
IT, Baker, commissioner OF police.
Mr.. Gaynor's letter says in part:
1.-THE only way effectively to enforce
the laws is the why prescribed by law
If public officials are suffered to go out
side OF the law and do as they like in
the ostensible enforcement thereof, the
inevitable result is oppression and hence
extortion and blackmail.
"As you know. l began in January by
notifying the district associations of IL
quor dealers throughout the city that
they had to cease collecting money from
their members by means of so-called
monthly dues, averaging about 500 q
month, and paying the same over to per-
sons of supposed influence, and to police
officers for protection as it was called.
| had the leaders of these organizations
come here, In order to make them I'M
derstand that such q system could no
longer be permitted. / am informed that
all of these associations have voted to
discontinue such collections of money,
and / believe they have done SO.
The hotels and saloonkeepers, es-
pecialy the 1000 which do not belong to
such organizations, have also been pay
Ing money weekly and monthly to police
men In plain clothes and also to the
agents of private societies who called reg
ularly for it. This was not only made
possible but fostered by the irregular
methods adopted for enforcing the liquor
tax here. and by the action of some good
people who know nothing of the difficult
ties OF government urging such methods.
The provision of the tax law were care
ruIly drawn UP to prevent al lof this, and
I shall point out presently how they
n3Ne teen followed IN the Slate OUTSIDE
of the city, resulting In the ruin of extor-
tionists and reducing the practice to a
minimum and the observance of the tax
law.
1T IS now time we enforce the law as
we'll or even better than 1t is enforced
throughout the rest of the state"
The mayor here recommends that the
state excise officers separate and apart
| from The local police" obtain the neces-
sary evidence to submit to the district at
Fteraey If the police desire to act they
| shall do so only by making formal COM
plant under oath to the district attorneys
says the mayor. This method, he adds,
has been entirely rejected while vast
amounts have been collected as extortion,
| making ii an evil which is ''sapping and
| destroying the very government"
In conclusion the mayor condemns GER
tain temperance organizations and re-
formers whom he characterIzes as
blisbts. He does not name the organiza-
tions but says he believes they have coun-
tenanced characterization among the police
themselves.