New-York tribune., 1911-07-18
WALDO LEADS FIGHT TO
SAVE TRAFFIC SQUAD
ORGANIZATIONS of Business Men
Join Him in Urging Wagner
Amendment to the Law.
COMMITTEE NOW HAS BILL
Bridge and Harbor Squads Also
Destroyed by Three Platoon
Law Unless Amended-De-
Law Attributed to Jealousy.

lay Attributed 10 Jealousy
commissioners Waldo received word yes
,erdsv from Assistant Corporation CouhSel
McGoldrick. the citys representative a'
Albany. that the amendment 10 the three-
platoon police bill providing FOR the eN-
emption of the traffic, bridge ana haroor
SQUADS from tho three-platoon law seemed
likely to die in committee.
Tho ,bree-plstoon bill was signed by Gov
ernor Dix on June l6 before Commlsslol'e'
Waldo had an opportunity 10 go over IT,
o,d as soon as he did look II over ne louio
that New Works world famous rar"c
souad would be dsintegrated by the ne"
bill.
Reouests from the Merchants AsSocia
lion. the Fifth Avenue Associaoon' tne
Broadway improvement Association '"e
United Team Owners Association anu
many smaller bodies. as we'll as innur'eId
he individuals. poured into Police Heau-
quarters as soon as the effect OF the n"l
was realized. all asking that an amendntnt
be prepared that would hold the raWc
SQUAD I'm its present form and system ana
Senator Robert p Wagner. the president
rro tom. of tho Senate, drew up measure
IN answer 10 these requests.
Tho Merchants Association also Sent t"e
following telegram 10 tho chairman ana
members Of the Senate Committee on
cities
We earnestly urge immediate fayora Die
,enort of senate bill printed No. Zlb\, 10
hermit continued existence Of the New loIk
traffic bridge and harbor SQUADS, am'hul's
tho recent three platoon law.
This bill in no way COntraNeneS li' -
oral three-p platoon principle. II merely apnN
10 exempted class Of detective serseanlS'
already contained in the law, tratnc. m nIluse TX
and harhor squads. whose duties ar" ~
culiar and special. II this bill is permitted
10 fail the traffic squad must he aoohSn'9
forthwith with consequent confusion h al,h
loss Of efficiency IN traf'1C regulauon' Hu'u
,es,,lt would surely provoke the indignation
or millions Of pedestrians. also OF coihli,t' =
,ial interests, whose trucking efciency mas
greatly been augmented because OF eHe'uNc
regulation by the traffic squad 49, ,,r-
THE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION VI
n BY HENRY T. TOwNE. President.
Tho amendment had the full support Of
the Police commissioner. and until the
message from Mr.. McGoldrick came 10
uosdouarters Yesterday II had never been
s,,nnosed for a minute but that tho amend
mont would go through as easily as the
original hill The Commissioners telegraphcd
IN McGoldrick Senator Wagner and others,
asking them 70 do everything possible 70
get the amendment moved ont OF commit
tee
Mr.. Waldo feels that the city will lose
Tho services Of three separate bodies or
trained men. trained on a specific line. and
that the whole police force Will he the loser
IN efficiency n the amendment Is killed by
tho inaction that seems 10 he holding II mp
Without the amendment the men Of the
traffic. bridge and harbor squads VIII have
10 take their regular turns in the three
pIatnon system Of the whole force and al
though some OF them will in the natural
course Of events get assignments on their
snecial line Of work. the regular patrolmen.
unframed in those specific lines. will come
IN for the greater part Of the work.
The throc-platoon bill. without the amend
mont II was explained al Police Headquar-
,ars Yesterday. would mean that the men
Of the traffic squad would be sent to vari-
ous precincts From these precincts theV
would be assigned. in their regular turn 10
traffic duty in the confines Of the precinct
b1t the body Of men known as the traftic
.nuad would lose it's identity and be scat
tered through a score or more precincts.
The bridge squad. unless IL Is exempted
also from the provisions Of tho three-pia-
loon bin by the amendment VIII necd 10
n have the same number Of mon assigned 10
g, Zach of the three eight-hOur periods Out
nf the twenty-four This would result in
much smaller police service than would
be required daily during the rush hours
and much larger force than Is now USED
during non-rush hours. as well as in hav-
INC patrolnen unused to such duty work
inc on the bridges during the rush hours.
The same problem Of inexperienced mer
applies in even greater force 10 the harboI
squad. where the men have need OF the
snecial water training Of lfesavers in ad-
dition 10 their regular police training.
Under the present arrangement the men
Of the traffic squad work nine hours day
hut their work is daytime work and fot
This reason. even though under the three
ulatoon bill they will be required 70 work
only eight hours day, they say they would
prefer 10 stick 10 the present schedule
Jealousy on the part Of the regular force Is
understood 10 be in part responsible FOR
the sudden blight which seems to have
struck the amendment aimed TO keep the
traffic. bridge and harbor squads intact, be-
cause the patrolmen who under the three
platoon bill. as under the old system, are
and have been subject 10 duty on night
tours in their regular turn. complain that
the men on these special squads. particu-
larry the traffic squad have much easier
even II longer, tour of duty than they are
subject 10.
C0nmissioner Waldo intends To exert
every possible influence 10 have the amend,
ment brought up for consideration and
passcd. and the message YESTERDAY IRON
NJ NcGoldrick has simply resulted in stir
ring up the friends Of the traffic. bridge
and harbor squads TO renewed activity.