New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-21
ALDERMEN DEF|ED;;
TO OVERRIDE WALDO
Continued from first page.


the records subpenaed and taken down
TO the City Hall, together with the men
who would have to be subppnaed to
identify them.
"Oh. we're not asking any favors.
Mr.. Buckner, and were not giving
any" said Mckay, which seemed to
cover the police attitude toward the
aldermanic Investigators thoroughly.
Before the aldermanic tour Of inspec-
| ton began. the committee in a body
made a formal call on Commissioner
I Waldo. Their visit i'm the Commits
/ sioncr's Office was brief one, just long
! enough for them to learn That he had
assigned Deputy Mckay TO conduct
/ them about the building.
Mr. Mckay had not returned from
/ luncheon. 50 the committee. under mo
! guidance Of Mr.. Buckner, inspected the
| small and crowded room which had
| been assigned 10 the investigators OF
| the aldermanic body by the Commis-
| sloncr. There they found twelve men
working in a room fifteen feet square,
and they learned that by Commits
| sioner Waldo's orders the investigators
! were not allowed in any other rooms
| Of the headquarters building
Baked at Every Turn.
With the arrival of Deputy Mckay
the committee then repaired TO the
rooms Of the complaint and filing bu-
reau. where Mr.. Mckay set before
them. as given above, the Police Com
missioner's defiance. Z. V. ODaniels.
| one Of the aldermanic committees en-
ployes, whose duty has been to report
TO Mr.. Buckner on the filing system In
! vogue. testified here. in answer 10 ques-
lions. that though he had at first been
permitted 10 examine the filing system
and records in the room in which they
were flied, he had later been ordered by
the Commissioner TO do his work in
the small room set aside for all tho
aldermanic employees.
From that room he is allowed TO send
for any record he wants provided,
however. that each requisition must be
approved by the Commissioner. The
delay In time and the decrease in efii-
cheney, according TO O'Daniel's esu-
mate. represented about 30 per cent Of
the energy required for the job, and
of course delayed the committee TO that
extent.
More than that. as Mr. Buckner
brought out by his questions, the al
dermanio committee could not gain
from O'Daniers report any expert tes-
timony as TO the value Of the filing
system at headquarters. because the
investigator was not allowed to ex-
anime the files i'm the filing rooms, and,
also by Waldo's orders, he is restricted
to the examination Of one record at a
time
That last order from waldo, limiting
him to the examination Of one record q.
time. ODaniels testified, camo the day
after Mr. Waldo was grilled for three
hours on the witness stand OF the COM
mittee as to his policies on reinstate-
ments
1t was learned that Mr.. Buckner had
protested to Waldo that the restrictions
he was placing upon the investigators
hampered the aldermanic committees
work, but the Commissioner replied that
he did not think the method he prescribed
was unreasonable.
No Help from Watson.
Buckner went step further then, and
on November 1G wrote to Corporation
Counsel Watson, quoting Section "a OF the
charter, which provides that an alder |
manic committee shall have access to
the books and records Of the Police De-
partment, or any other department # is
investigating, and asking Mr. Watson 10
give the Police Commissioner an opinion /
that he should allow the aldermanic |
representatives greater liberty. but Mr. |
Watson merely turned the matter over
10 William MCMurtrie Speer, and there |
was 10 result Mr. Speer is the assistant
CORPORATION counsel assigned by Mr.. Wat |
son TO aid and cooperate with the aid r. |
manic committee.
The issue between the blockade policy |
Of Commissioner Waldo and the desire |
Of the aldermanic committee 10 make a |
real investigation Of the Police Depart |
ment has been growing clearer daily since |
then. but Mr.. Bucllner apparently believed !
he could get the necessary information |
ont of headquarters in spite OF the checks /
and hurdles put in his path, until last |
week. when Harold 5. Deming, one OF |
the counsel, began to prepare the presen- /
talon Of the inquiry into the administra- |
tim Of the detective bureau.
Derning himself, with ]. II. Cloves and |
C. l.. Bergen, two Of the committees in !
vestigators. went to Police Headquarters |
with a special letter Of introduction from |
Mr.. Bruckner to Commissioner Waldo. |
containing the request that they be al
lowed access to the records Of the de- !
tectiye bureau