New-York tribune., 1912-08-17
ALDERMEN ANGEREO
BY MAYORS ATTACK
say Charges of Newsstand
'cr Graft Is Attempt to BefOg Po-
lice Department Issue.
.c6WARDLY SLANDERER'
performance Cheap, Mean,
clumsv and Dishonest, Says
Niles R. Becker-Investi-
cation May Be Asked.

uer,bers Of the Board of Aldermen
era aroused yesterday TO indignant
.,,sst against the sweeping aCcusa-
',,ns made against them by Mayor
r.vror on Thursday night in his ad-
,.,ss 10 the newsdealcrs, in whicn he
aid that graft amounting 10 S1,500,Ooo
r.s exacted from keepers Of such
stands.
The aldermen who were not out OF
.,un ioined in a unanimous declara-
"A, that the Mayors charges were en-
1rs,y unfounGed, and a majority Of
.hsse aldermen asserted that Mayor
csvnor was trying to distract attention
rom the police graft scandal by at
,smutjng to befog the issue now upper
most IN the minds Of the people.
Alderman Niles r. Becker, whose
,sme the Mayor used in his speech,
aid Mr.. Gaynors performance was
heap, mean, clumsy and dishonest.
Hs declared that the Mayor, by q gem
rsl. indiscriminate sttacl; upon the
sdsrmen. had attempted to divert at
,ntion from the unhappy plight into
uhich he has put himself by his all too
ou,cs defence OF Lieutenant Becker
and Of officials not elected by the peo-
sIa but appointed under executive
authority and responsible to the Mayor
"It was the act of a cowardly SLAM
ssrer who was trying to distract stten-
don from his failure TO perform his
OWE duty In another matter" said
Alderman Becker.
A petition for a call for a special
Meeting Of the Board Of Aldermen was
started in immediate circulation by
Alderman Becker. and the attitude Of
The aldermen whose views on Mayor
| Gaynor's charges could be obtained
/ yesterday left no doubt that the fifteen
signatures required would be easily OBJ
aimed. Mayor Gsynor will then be
aled upon by the Board of Aldermen
their special session to submit proofs
+ Il the charges of graft in the issue OF
rswsstand licenses made by him.
Calls Speech a Pose.
Alderman John A. Bolles declared
hat the Mayors speech was simply an
rttempt Of the Somewhat hypocritlcal
Gentleman in the City Hall" to befog
he issue Of police graft and to pose as
he poor peoples friend.
Mr. Bolles said il was ridiculous for
he Mayor TO complain that his hands
4 lad been tied in his dealing with the
J raft Of police officials upon gambling
buses and disorderly resorts. When
Ichn Purroy Mitchell was Mayor for a
lew weeks, Mr.. Bolles said, his hands
vge not tied, and he started to wipe
ut police graft in Coney Island and
ahr parts of the city, and II Mr..
Michel had been permitted to exercise
he power Of Mayor for a few months
aager he would have stamped out all
rat
Commissioner Waldo is a good boy,
nd he Is sitting at Police Headquar-
rs with his mouth open waiting for
Eayor Gaynor's orders. The Mayor is
nly responsible for present conditions,
I'D II he chose to order gam bling
buses and disorderly places put out of
ssiness the police would have to do it..
But during the campaign for his cleo
'on Mr.. Gaynor said many times that
srtain violations Of the law should be
mixed at, and he has been winking at
7anbling and disorderly resorts ever
sace."
The use Of his name in the Mayors
keech brought burning protest from
derman Becker. who issued tho fol-
wing statement:
n In an address that Mayor Gaynor de.
lfered last night before a meeting OF
ID New York NeTsdealers' Association
8eging the existence OF dishonest
stem In connection with the granting
"a aldermen OF the privilege OF licenses
"a newsstands. he mentioned a case ir
&eich he claimed that he had prevented
+ Woman newsdealer from being mulcted
some sort Of blackmail, and taking
sgantage, evidently for the sake Of ap-
suse, Of the fact that my family name
"opens to be the same as that OF ar
,deted policeman concerning whom the
Hayor ordered Mr.. Waldo to keep cool,
Is quoted in the newspapers generally
saying. This case was in the district
Alderman Becker"