The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-09-21

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first years service and require the man
to buy about 5000 worth of uniforms.
He thought $1,000 ought To be the mini
mum yearly pay for patrolman
In tho matter Of promotions. he ad-
mitted that IN somc cases there might
be- reasons because Of which the Com
missioner would not want 10 promote
n man although these reasons might not
he serious enough 10 affect the Civil Ser
vice Commission
q. lou would rather have the respons'-
bilitN for what you cali politics and ras
cali'v centred In the Municipal Civ,l Ser
vice Commission and take the men they
appoint than to attempt to take tho re-
srons,hilitv Yourself? 4 would. because
every time there has been any attempt
10 do ANYTHING else than what I am doing
" has led TO every Kind Of rumor Of wrong
dong
Tie witnes. said that If he had been
drawing the law. he would not have put
in the claus. giving the Commissioner
power 10 make and unmahe inspectors
al will although II is a powerful lnstrt-
Inent ot discipline. However, If the ad-
mInistratlon of the department is left
the last year or so, he said. he would allow
the power TO stand as it is
Q, Now. you took ONCE on the :3d of
May. I ind that on the cath Of May you did
considerable work. you appointed seventy
nine patrolmen. seveuty-one sergeauts.
forty -four lieutenants. twelve captains and
two inspectors; you have told us in this
inquiry that you did not know YOU were 10
become Police Commissioner until the day
you we're appointed2 4. | did not
Q. That gives from May % to May 20.
which ] suppose included Sunday. TO do
eide on the appointment OF seventy nine
patrolmen. seventy-one sergeants. forty
four lieutensnts. twelve captains and two
inspectors. We already know the amount
of Investigation you made into the seventy
nine patrolmen. which YOU have told us
and given your reasons. was nothing. Now.
on the question of promoting the seventy
one sergeants. did you go over the records
of these men? A. I did not because II
had investigated II would simply be a aues-
tion OF my personal Judgment. and the
minute you introduce your personal tudg-
nent into appointments of that character
you open zip Immediately the avenues o!
politics and favortti.m
Again Biames Civil Service.
The Commissioner again put the whole
matter Of fitness up to the Civil Service
Commission. He said he did not find
out how many Of them had been up on
charges. because the records were fur
nished TO the commission and, in addi-
tion. had any Of these charges been very
serious the man would have been dis.
| missed from the department and so would
not have been up for promotion.
O. Did you ever try the Civil Service
Commissioners out TO see how much they
| were inclined TO cooperate with you to
keep crooks out OF high offices? A. I pre-
sumo they have that intention.
.. Is two years time enough to accumu-
late enough dement's on q man after his
| examination for YOU to go 10 MIR. Creelmar
and his associates and ask that he bettaker
OF the list? A. The law makes no provision
Ior anything OF that kind.
Mr.. Waldo said that personally he felt
every list ought to be recertified. or rather
remade. every year and that there ought
| to be a new examination every year.
| The committees counsel then took ur
the twelve captains whom Commissioner
| Waldo appointed in those first days Of
| his administration and asked him il he
needed that many. Mr. Waldo said
| he did.
=. The ieutenants' association is con
| sidered the most powerful organization IL
| the department. isn't II! 4. could no
tell you what it Is considered Most OF th'
lieutenants belong TO it and most OF fh'
| commanding officers who have been leu
tenants,
| o. Did you over hear tha. they were in
terested in getting legislation through II
their behalf? 4. No legislation has gon'
| through in nv term with reference TO lieu
tenants ! do not know what occurred il
| prev ious administrations
q. Didn't YOU hear this increase 10 tel
captains. which Commissioner Cropsey re
fused 10 appoint. had been brought ou
by the leutenants association A.
never heard Of any .uch thing
Q Have you found the licutenants as.o
citation any hiudrance 10 YOU ~ all! A
| Sot At all
O. You never heard there was any lob
you? A There was no legislation atfectin,
the Police Department except the thrc
platoon system. which was passed a fev
days after took charge,
Public CIsmor All That's Wrong.
o. Is there anything wrong with th
Police Department eIcept the rubl
clamor? A. Nothing.
The Commissioner declined IN com
init himself on whether hs thought Capt
John 7, Reith. the maker OF the 5000,
affidavit, was a good man 10 be q captain
or not. Nor would he give his views oI
whether the Police Commissioner shoult
be removable only on charges or shoulc
be elected or appointed by the Gov
cTnor.
He did not remember that the outgoins
Commissioner. Mr., Cropsey. had spokeI
to him about "the pending charges
against Capt. Rcith"
Everything he had under investiga
tion ] cleaned up in one way or the other
I remember that IL there WAS anythinl
TO investigate and ] found anything
further connected with it | would 60 oi
with it." he said
The Commissioner remembered tha
Lieut.. McNu't. or "sonie lieutenant o
that kind WA alleged to have beeI
running a saloon. After some proddinf
ON the part of III" examiner Mr.. Waldo
thought il was Lieut.. Coetigan who made
tho investigation and that there wa.
something about poolroom upstairs
We were not able TO prove any con
nc"tipn with tho poolroom, and the ii
c"nse was in his wifee name. 20 we de
cidnd that wo couldn't dismiss him ius
bc"aus" his wife had saloon" he said
q, You didn't tell Iicu'. Costigan 20,
didn't want any more or thi. spying Oi
brother officers did you2 4 No tol,
him would mak" no Investigations unles
they we're going Ia lead somcw here that ",
weren't going to spend thousands of dollar
and haN" tho lieutenant como back anc
rtN..a Il. z.