The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-08-16
POLICE LED ASTRAY,
SAYS MAYOR GAyN0R
Politicians Tempt Them and
Even County Chairmen
Take a Hand.
NEWSTANDS YIELD GRAFT
Mayor Tells the Paper Sellers
It Might Amount to
S1,5OO.OO0 a Year.

Mayor GaynOr tdikeu htti5 Sioi' oh"
, big graft and took a fling at county
chairmen who lead policemen astray al
the meeting OF the New York News
| dealers Association which crowded Ell
dorado Hall, at Seventh avenue and
Fifty-second street. last night for the
purpose Of protesting against the Board
! Of Estimate resolution which prohibits
news stands within 100 feet Of subway
and elevated entrances.
The Mayor, after referring this matter
to the Borough President and the Leg
| islature took occasion to speak of graft
| levied upon newsdealers which. he said,
he had been investigating for some time
and considered "the lowest and dirtiest
! In the whole city" Then he branched
out in comment upon the entire graft
situation, deep seated for as long as
/ forty years" which, he said. he had
fought in the city since his first day in
office, too often without the good will
and support of its citizens.
| At one point he brought forth mingled
| cheers and Kisses at mention Of the
J name of Becker He was speaking Of
Alderman Becker: THAT is Alderman
Becker's district"-the Mayor stopped
II hate to use that word, but dare say
| nc Is not like the other Becker
| or the graft on the newsdealers the
Mayor said:
AT the rate Of 5000 a license. and
I verify believe that is the average sum
they get for them, you could raise a
million and half Of dollars out Of graft
out OF these licenses. There are $500
licenses throughout the city, and to do
| 1t is a shame. because most of those who
take out these licenses are people strug-
Cling for living"
The Mayor then told of the cases
that he had investigated where the
necessary Aldermanic signature for the
granting of a newsdealer's license.
before il could be signed by himself,
had been a matter of anywhere from
$50 to as much as 500. Concluding
he said:
As soon as became Mayor l went through
several departments and reached the
Police Department. and there / have cut
on absolutely two-thirds Of the graft
The gambling graft and some graft like
that absolutely baf'ed me. Many mser-
able political leaders on the outside. the
chairmen even OF county committees, and
people who so around and have influence
come to the police and tempt them and led
them astray. and get them to accept graft.
| to walk out and tolerate these things when
the officials OF the CITY are striving in every
| way to do away with these things.
intend to keep II up and do what can
TO the end. ] must say and l may as well
say. that in the doing OF 1t ] have received
little or no assistance except from men
like Mr.. Merican and leaders Of people like
you So far as the other people who hold
mass meetings and write for yellow journals
are concerned have not had their good
will. let alone their assistance. In any of
these things. If had their good will and
their help l could do far more than / am
able to do without II.
lam well aware of that. but since cannot
have it, why. of course. ] must go along
and do the best I can without it with all
the difficulties that are around me. The
thing that | came here to say to you was
that it seems now opportune in the fall for
us to take II up again. | intend to write
another message to the common council.
There ia so much talk about graft now.
maybe they will listen to me. Maybe
they will treat message with decent
respect. All we need in this case is a simple
amendment Of this ordinance by striking
out the words with the consent of the
Alderman of the district" II is as easy
as turning your hand over. II is not like
Trying to stop gamblers and scoundrels
from corruptIng the police and others.
That ia a tremendous Job.
But this job il an easy one. II can be
done by the simple passage of resolution
by the Board OF Aldermen. Then when you
people apply for your licenses. the Mayors
bureau investigates it, Not IA dollar is
asked. Everything being right the license
is granted You are not beholden to any
local influence or local alderman or local
politician, whatever or whoever.
Speaking of the newspaper stand IL
cense graft the Mayor said:
Il have done away, 40 far as ] can.
with graft in every department Of this
city, one after the other But of course /,
in spite of all you can do. cases will occur
You cannot do everything over night
You can only show your good will and do
what you can In your time. That is as
much as you can do. and as much as l
can do"
He told Of mysterious man who
could get the Aldermans signature for
you when nobody eIse on earth could
get it," and who wanted $500 to get a
license for a woman, and added:
And he tried to make the woman un-
derstand by hints what she needed to
do and where she needed to go, And so
she went to the man that he told her,
and he drew in too. He only dealt
in hints. And finally. in her affidavit.
he says to her because she didn't seem to
take the hint quick enough, he said, You
are very stupid. Don't hint broadly
enough what mean He says, In the
name of God. woman must I hit YOU in
the head with brick before you can
understand what l mean?' I.aughterl
He was telling her to go and put down
SOME money, and she didn't understand
that. And he says. Must | hit you in
the head with brick to make you under
stand that? So that was brought to me
in place of her being hit with brick
She came in and made an affidavit about
it, and we got her her license"
GAYNOR ON THE GRAFT HUNT.