New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
Credit Belongs to Them, He
Says-Each Knows His Job,
and in His Homespun
Way He Has Tried
to Help Them.
POLICE GRAFT ELIMINATED
Reiterates Views on Education and
Transit Problems, Makes Plea for
Non-P -Partisanship in Municipal
Government and Says His
Office Has It's
Pleasures.

A reporter for The Tribune submitted
series Of questions 10 Mayor Gdynor for an
Interview The Mayor NJ first refused to
orart an, interuieU, but. haUtn0 read the
questions. he called in his steno0rdpher aud
dictated the foIIowin1 statement:
Here you are with nineteen questions
for me to answer. Why not make it
twenty? But fear cannot even answer
the first one
What do you consider the most not
able achievement of the first two years
Of your administration"
II saws notable achievement | fear
I have to shun that phrase somehow.
The editor of The Tribune may think
there is no notable achievement any
where you turn here, and he may be
better Judge Of that than | am The
credit of everything that has been done
is due to the heads of the departments
and bureaus whom l appoint. There are
tventy-six of them. | wish you could
print their names. They are a splendid
lot of men. Each one knows his job and
has been doing it well In my homespun
way I have tried to help them the best
I could. but the credit belongs to them.
Did YOU ever look up these men and
see who they are? Do you know that
nearly all Of them are college graduates
and men Of distinction? Every one ot
them is an educated man and especially
competeht for the department or bureau
which he presides over
I suppose some people who still read
certain low down newspapers published
here NAV be under the delusion that the
departments and bureaus Of the city
government are in the control of thugs
T do not know what else they couin
think If they believed some things Whlch
are written. But the reverse is the case.
Never did this city have such splendid
men presiding over its departments ana
bureaus. They have worked we'll all OF
them.
There seems to be a notion that
interfere with them and order then
about 7 sometimes make SUGGESTIONS
hut it Is seldom that | give an order
either to do or not to do a given thins
give them full swing. II does me good
when they attend conventions concerning
citv government in different parts OF the
country and make speeches or reao pa
ners have encouraged IT, because IL Is
credit to the city. OF course wheh
ANYTHING goes little wrong every one
hlames the Mayor. I am content 10 let
u eo at that I would rather be blamed
than have them blamed, because mis-
takes must be made here and there
And what other achievements Is the
next question
fear I shall have to drop this WORD
achievement" altogether and pass on.
have done as we'll as l could. and whether
have achieved anything is for others TO
Desires Nom Partisan Spirit.
OF course 1t would be a good thing II
the question could be considered IN
wholly non-partlsan spirit, but l regret
IN saw that we have not arrived al that
degree of fairness yet You know that
do not admit that national or state poll
tics have anything TO do with the city
government at all I deny 1t absolutely.
I have always done so. do not think
that any man at city or local election
should be influenced even little bit AZ
Ia how he shall vote by his national or
state party affiliations. Am | right? II
so why does not The Tribune say so?
But I am not to lecture you. but to
answer questions | shall have to pass
over the word achievement"
Has the police problem been solyed?'
comes next.
That phrase police problem does not
suit mo any too well either. Some things
have been done In the Police Depart
ment. / suppose YOU know that there
has not a single appointment or promo
tion been bought OF obtained by political
influence or clerical influence or any kind
Of influence. during the last two years.
What do you think of that?
That certainly ought to have am effect
on the police force rhey are dependent
on nobody's influence. and could not put
ND dollar 10 buy a place or a promotion
II they wanted TO. They stand on their
mcrltS hloH't anu ART RPl'lilN'h VI Hsp-
NOTED i'm numerical order from the list.
You know what the rule was heretofore.
You know as well as | do how money
and influence prevailed.
The same was true In the Fire Depart
ment. II has been banished from that
department also. The commissioners OF
these two departments are entitled TO
the highest credit from the people OF
this city for accomplishing these results.
There were also years when about So
100000 We're collected from the l2,Ooo
or 1900 liquor places in the city and
divided among politicians and police
officials. | believe that that has been
knocked on the head. do not think the
liquor dealers have paid anything for
the last two years. DO you think SOP