The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-11-22
GAYNOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
talk. MERRY AND SERIOUS. TO
DETOTFES OF JTH AVENTE.
Bids Them Remember That There Is such
place as Brooklyn and, as Election
Is over and Lying Temporarily Out OF
style. Appeals TO Them With Facts.

!
of the Fifth Avenue Association and their
guests for more then an hour last night
a. the Waldorf with opinions on taxation,
the subways the condition of the streets
and other topics he had in mind He was
The chief guest of the association al its
annual dinner When he got To telking
subways he told the crowd that he would
have To speak in words OF one syllable
just ss he did when he talked TO women
and children But tn" next minute he
said he regarded them "a very intelligent
men, which doubled the laughter.
The Mayors entrance was little
spectacular On the signal of his ap-
proach through the hall out went the .
lights in the Astor Gallery, where the
banquet was being held Roses bloomed !
in pink fire from all the table tops. As |,
the Mayor reached the dais a trained
spotlight fell squarely on him. The
banqueters. all standing, cheered up
roariously MIR. Gaynor waved hand
, in deprecdtion.
Al the board he was seated between
his commissioners At his right was
Police while Fire and Brooms were a
few chairs to the left. Water was not
far away. Others at the table were Rob
ert Grier Cooke president Of the associa-
tion organized To make Fifth avenue the
most beautiful business street in the
world Justice p. Henry Dugro, JOSEF ph
s Auerbach the Rev. Percy Stick ney
Grant, Nelson r Lewis. Francis s. Hut
chns Borough President George
McAneny. John H. Crimmins, W. G.
McAdoo, Dr. George +. Kunz and Arnold
W. Brunner Elsewhere in the room we're
business men and bankers interested in
the Improvement of Fifth avenue.
After a short introduction by Toast
master Cooke the Mayor, in excellent
voice. began an unusually long speech
for him. He said IN part:
SAW in ono Of the papers not many
days ago that II was altogether ridiculous
to have a Mayor who did not reside in the
city This fellow thinks really that be-
cause I live over by Prospect Park in Brook
lvn do not live in the city what he calls
, the city, When | was elected. really, |
have had very intelligent people, I won't
say many, but two asked me now that was
elected Mayor if did not intend TO remove
, my residence into the city. Laughter
+ You are lust a little fragment Of the city
, and don't know IL. That Ia one Of your
troubles over here. and one OF the troubles
)
newspapers except the people that live
over here about two-thirds of them would
! 90 into bankruptcy. Laughter and ap-
pausn
II you do that once or twice you will
put me in good humor Laughter and ap-
plause Eu' 10 tell the truth | did not
come over here very willingly tonight
, | can tell YOU that much. These dinners
ought to be held about breakfast time
Am
? thirds ~ these newspapers did fail nc
calamity would be visited on the city at
q large We would manage TO get along
without them
Broaden out, gentlemen. is all ] can say
20 you. | don'' ask you TO study works OF
philosophy and government and puzzle
I your poor heads too much but broaden out
;, Let your horizon he the horizon of the whole
l city and not the horizon of Fifth avenue
even though il he the greatest street in the
!, world already. Applause
am going to try to say something as
serious as possible. as little as feel like IL
/ Now that election is over and nobody has
/ any immediate reason for lying llauRhterl
, IL is good opportunity to tell sensible men
the truth. | suppose even among an intel
lectual assemblage like this there may I've
some who still think that the expenses Of
1 government have been run M enormously
I here during the last year or the last two
, years I will tell YOU, since election Is over
iust how much the twenty six department ts
! have increased their appropriations since
4 ! became Mayor
Eeforc the present administration came
/ in these departments for the four years
a preceding had increased the appropriation
q for the previous year as follows: In one
year s65 per cent. over the previous year
I the next year 60 per cent over the previous
year. the next year 704 per cent. over the
previous year. and in 1909. the year before
{ the present administration. the increase
! was o 50 per cent. over the previous year.
4 Now, in the first year of the present admin
T istration the increase was n little less than
one half OF l per cent. over the previous
T year In plain words. il was Al of pei
cent. And this year il was 437 per cent
> over last year. Those are the oficia
= figures. Turning TO Waldo SO. Waldo
: We are not so bad az We have been painted
Laughter and applause
4 Purdy over there began to look guilty
. when went to read it He thought II
@ would sound awful, and Big Bill, with al
f his troubles this year IApplausel is not
going to run it up so much either, | an
- sure YOU will all stand back of him lap
e pausel even though YOU have to burr
NJ your garba ge for few weeks. which might
i he better thing to do with II than what w,
are doing now. 10 tell the truth.
" Now how does that SOUND! Does II
sound like what You heard before election
y Voice in audience: 1T sounds all right. "
Does it sound as il We were running tn,
budget away up out of sight with our eA
+ travagance? However Laughter and ap
II plausel, We can bear il.
We have to bear a good deal. II is no
l. so much after all; II you have a contente'
mind and just little bit Of philosophy il
ID YOU you can bear an awful lot, lLaughte
N and applause. | sometimes feel like tina
As great big fat man who had a little bit Of
~. wife who used to scratch his face and thumI
him and pull his hair in the presence o
7 other people, and one of his neghbors SAT-
" one day; Why do you stand that fror
"a her" He laughed and said; u stand
?" because It does not hurt me and il please
Mary Ann" Laughter and applause
CO That is the way il has to be with the Mayo
SIS of this city. am sorry. but cannot help il.
a. Now, there are five boroughs In this cit,
Is although you people think there is onl
one Naughterl And five Borough Pres
dents, and of course they have an apprc
y pration too. McAneny has his troubl
about the streets and | help him lit
''' now and then to propagate the notion thu
they are Not so bad some people wal
ay to make them Still he can make the
D,., Al