New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-13
URGES REAL POLICE HEAD
Magistrate Corrigan Favors Long
Term for Commissioner.
SHOULD KNOW Department
Columbia Conference on Reform
of Criminal Law Hears Prof.
Moore and Other Speakers.

VI vi iullHdl LOW 11Cdi . Ao~'
Moore and Other Speakers.
Magistrate Joseph Z Corrigan. speaking
at the opening session OF the Conference
en- Reform Of the Criminal Law and Pro-
cedure in Earl Hall. Columbia University
Yesterday afternoon. took occasion to plead
for a Police Commissioner appointed by
the Board Of Estimate for a definite and
long term Of years and removable only
on charges substantiated before a proper
tribunal.
The force must feel" he said, that the
man In authority Is there to stay. that he
knows the game and the needs OK the de-
partment. and that he is in a position to
carry out his commands
The conference. az whose Anal session
President Taft will speak after dinner at
the Hotel Aston tonight, is being held
under the auspices Of six societies interest
ed in social. political and economic prob
lens II Is at the same time the semi
annual meeting Of the Academy OF Poiiu-
cal Science Of the City Of New York. be-
fore whose last regular meeting the ques-
ton Of national monetary reform was DIS
cussed This morning AT 1880 o'clock an
other session will be held in Earl Hall, ana
third will take place at 80 in the AFTER
noon. Among the speakers scheduled FOR
these two meetings are William NJ. WINS.
of the New York bar. ami Professor Felix
Adler. president of the Society for Ethical
Culture.
Magistrate Corrigan spoke on the ponce
in relation to crime. taking up theme
. r.
failed to place before the audience on ac-
count of unavoidable absence. There
are some who hold that the function OF the
police is solely to maintain outward order
and decency,' said the magistrate. This
is perhaps true Of the uniformed force but
there is A detective bureau which is sup
posed 10 prevent crime behind locked doors.
Must Be the Real Head.
You cant have an efficient admin!.ra-
ton Of the Police Department II the head
Of the system is not the real head. II Is
very necessary that the Commissioner
should know the personnel Of the force
thoroughly and that he should have expert
enca acquired in the department. The man
In for a short period, who may be removed
at any moment for any cause or for no
cause. has no chance Of learning these
things. There is an almost irresistible and
natural disposition on the part Of the force
10 pull wool over his eyes, and they have
an easy time OF 1t.
Some people are afraid 10 put man in
for a long time, lest they DC not able 10
get him out II they don't Ike him. An
appointment by the Mayor. indeed. is open
10 objections. A commissioner appointed
by him might reflect his ideas. II he had
any. Of the administration Of criminal law.
r should suggest the Board Of Estimate as
the most trustworthy body 70 make the
appointment. There you have body Of
men of different political faiths and a d.
versty OF ideas"
Introduced by Professor George ". Krch.
wey. dean of the Columbia Law School,
President Nicholas Murray Butler welcomed
the delegates TO the conference, and re-
minded them OF their purpose 70 help build
up a sentiment Of obedience 70 law by max.
ing the process OF law as free from fear
and abuse as possible II II was true. as
had been said. he asserted. that lawlessness
was the prevalent American vice. 1t was
time to do something 10 make the Law re-
spected and obeyed
Justice Alfred r Page. Of the Supreme
Court Of the LIST District, being detained
by a case, his address on the powers and
importance OF the magistrates courts wss
read BY Professor Samuel McCune Lindsay
professor OF social legislation in the uni
versity.
Difficulties Of Extradition.
The difficulties of extradition were then
professor Of international law az Columbia
Under the laws OF the ancients, the profess
sor pointed out, a fugitive was safe II he
could reach one Of those places known as
asylums. Since the right of private justics
rad been taken away. however, asylums
we're no longer recognized. but the idea re-
NAMED and every state became an asylum
for the fugitves of every other. Even now
Professor Moore asserted the idea so far
prevailed in the popular mind that extra
dition was a much more difficult matter
than IL should be.
In England and the United States" con-
tinued the professor. "extraditon Is partly
administrative and partly judicial Not only
is the process very expensive in this coun.
try but technical objections are numerous,
due largely to defects in our statutes
Every nation should have general law
causing the executive authorities TO deliver
up tugitives from Justice"
The speaker went on to explain that thu
application OF the term extradtion to state
rendition had led 10 many misunderstand- |
ings among lawyers. because the states |
were not separate sovereignties. but under |
a common government. State rendition ne |
should be made easier and the |
duty should be taken away from the Gov |
ernor and imposed on some judicial officer |
Tho final question, he explained. was not |
whether a man was guilty or not bu. !
whether he was duly accused of crime
Magistrate Peter Townsend Barlow praised |
the result of the Page law IN bringing about |
specialization among the magistrates in the |
Inferior courts saying that the three magis-
trates who had taken turns I'm the Might
Court since its adoption had become much
more proficient by reason Of their knowl-
dSe OF the faces and stories OF old Offend
ers. William NJ. WINS added a few illus
trations 10 those OF Magistrate Corrigan de-
picting the decentralization OF the police
force and its causes.
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