The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-19
COURTS inefficient,
GAYN0R TELLS THEM
And Hints to Efficiency Society
That Col. Roosevelt Stole
His Thunder.
A WORD OF CANDIDATES
Some Might Let You and Me Find Their
Fitness Out for Ourselves and
Fare the Better.
A WORD OF CANDIDATES

Mayor Gaynor told the members OF
the newly organized Efficiency Society
gathered last night for their first dinner
at the Aldine Club that the most inefficient
organizations in modern life are the
courts. He also intimated that Col.
Roosevelt stole the Gaynor thunder when
he rSoposed the recall Of decisions and
he had a word to say about the unfor-
tunate spectacle presented by men who
run about tho country telling the people
how 1T they are for office.
James &. Cannon, who was elected
president of the society when it organized
at the Engineers Club in the afternoon,
is recovering from ptomaine poisoning
at Atlantic City and Dean johnson of
New York University. presiding in his
place. introduced the Mayor as the first
speaker. Mayor Gaynor said that he
would have preferred TO wait and get a
clue from the other speakers. but that
perhaps it was just as well as it was since
he had often got into trouble through
being misled by others. Leave the
Mayor alone and he's generally right. "
he said. while the Efficiency Society
laughed and applauded.
ihC VI cuib thdt tiic GiCdt
with Americans in the past had been
their cocksureness, their belief that they
knew how to do pretty much everything
better than anybody else. That bad
trait had been corrected. he said, in most
departments OF life except in politics
and government. .-.....
Il declare" he said. that in view Of
what is now taking place in America
we haven mended in those departments.
Every man seems to think himself fit
for any Office although he may never
have studied for it and appears to every
one else to be incompetent. They don't
hesitate to be candidates for Mayor.
Governor or even President of the United
States. ] don't like to say too much
about that but certainly it is not edifying
when these people think themselves fit
for these offices and can't sit down and let
you and me say it Of them. and not say
it themselves. If they are 80 fit tn ink
we might find it out. So hope from now
on they'll be silent and give US a chance
TO think. We who aspire to nothing can
at least ask that"
The Mayor said he believed we are
getting more efficient men into public
Office nowadays after all. He added that
apparently the society hadn't wanted to
hear him blow his own horn and 30 had
put him down to talk about efficiency in
legal proceedings. About which," he
went on. "the less said the better | don't
want TO get that crowd down on me-"
He told how hard it was to get efficiency
in local government with so many persons
who thought no one but themselves knew
anything about giving advice He had
done pretty well under the circumstances.
he thought.
sJhe courts. to return to my subject"
he went on. "try to help us. 1t seems
TO me they are trying to run the whole
Government now. but I'm bound to admit
they've made bad fist of it. They re
the least efficient department we have"
The Mayor went on to say that New
York merchants hesitated to go into
court because Of the long DELAYS and
hairsplitting on appeals and he told how
the tlaw's delav arose out OF the desire