The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-09-11

ONE facts to show that there was some
violation of the law in the Police Depart
ment by the Commissioner or somebody
| am the Mayor Of this city and | run the
Police DEPARTMENT through Commissioner
The details Of II | cannot follow. feel
as though | were brought hero under false
pretences II this line OF questioning con-
tinues.
Q-lou do no, think il IL impertinent
for me TO inquire of you II YOU ever heard
that the policemen understood from your
action Al don't think II makes any
whether I heard il or not No
policeman ever told me any such thing
II were to go by what heard from the
newspapers and cutthroats of the city
the newspaper proprietors and others
! would vaCIllate every hour in the dav
Bat | pursue my own course even In the
boiler shop of the city now, with every ex-
convict or newspaper proprietor or whoever
" Ishas. attacking me. | have not varied
an iota up to this time and | hope | shall
not until get through
Hcf-rs to ~. Letters.
MIR Buckner asked the Mayor If he had
ever heard OF patrolman named Devon
whom the Mayor had written
to the commissioner with reference TO
clubbing.
"IfIwrote here is my letter. the Mayor
replied Il turned everything over to
you.
The qUcsiioner then asked the Mayor
II he remembered writing a letter as to
Patroman Gebhardt.
What is the Use of my recalling IT," the
Mayor asked. shortly. IF ] wrote. /
wrote. and have never written thing
that | am unwilling 10 geo published.
guess the whole world knows that"
Q.-Do you know whether any pstrolrnen
who we're dismissed by the Police Commits
soner On charges concerning which you
wrote 70 the Commissioner, have been
know Of auv. but would not he surprised
to learn oi II thonch. | know how they
reinstate them. That il one of tn" crying
evils OF the police force. In NV JUdg-
ment 1t ought TO b" taken away from the
courts entirely, and | hope youi committee
viii 50 rcpori
Commissioners discipline, Is II not. 10 ave
people rainsta,ed by the courts Some
times, yes.
Mr., Gaynor said that he thought he had
ordered some rehearings himself, which
had resulted in those dismissed being re-
instated 10y Commissioner Waldo. He
did not think reinstatement by the Com
the force as q reinsi atement by the courts
10 an inquiry whether he recalled that
the Charter in providing for rehcarings
to be ordered by the Mayor excepted
cases Of insubordinaton. conduct un-
becoming an officer. cowardice or intoxi-
cation, Mayor Gaynor replied. Il do not
need TO recall il. II il ia in the law, il is
in the law whether | recall it or not
q. The committee Would like TO know il
tl tlAa tkot Dol. a. 81.
should be the real head OF the department
or whether the Mayor should be the real
head Of the department. A Ny opinion'
.. Yes. A. | will express no opinions
here at all. by law the Commissioner is
the head Of the department. That il all
can say.
Asked IL he would want to say whether
three Commissioners in thirty-two months
ID proper or improper term for a Com
missioner, Mr., Gaynor replied;
Il do not say anything about il at all.
Mr., Buokner then asked what the Mayors
policy had been with reference to appoint
$4,000 to Get . Captaiaey.
why, everybody knows,- he answered
When became Mayor you could not get
on tho police force without paying for it.
Don't you know THAR
Q. No. A. You could not get appointed
captain without paying from fifteen to
seventeen thousand dollars. Don't you
know that we'll enough?
Q. want II In the record. A. You could
not get anything. either an appointment
or a promotion. and thought that every
body knew that laid down the rule that
the hrst man on the list should be appointed
brn Oh wit ~
Of such iniauities. and yet you bring me
here TO catechise me about things like that.
y. want ii for the record. A. The record?
Why. II is in the record of this whole COM
and you cannot take 1t out OF their
minds. either. ! have absolutely stopped
II all and you know 1t. don't know why
! should be badsered about it here.
q. Did you put that policy into effect in
the Police Department as soon as you be-
came Mayor? A, No. did ono thing at
q time. and have several things to do yet.
II you people will give me a chance to go
up stairs and work them out. | often said
In everything about policy in the Police
Department | put it in writing. and they
were generally belied in the newspapers
II mean the corrupt newspapers-and ]
published them 80 that the world at large
and the police force and everybody might
know what / was striving for one thing
after another; but dealing with ten thousand
men I knew could not do that all at once,
but ] did them by driblets, one thing at
time. think about twelve things have been
done SO far. and have some left
The counsel for the committee and the
witness went at some length into the mat
ter of change instituted by Mr.. Gaynor
n the Police Department by which the
first man on the civil service list in ap-
pointed instead of following the rule OF
taking one out Of the first three. This
was done to do away with political in
tinenoe and the payment Of money. the
enyou have the first man on the list,
the Mayor said. -he don't care for Sam
Koenig or Murphy or anybody on earth.
only those who put him at the top. That
is what l mean, Everybody knows what
l mean except you. That " what l did