New-York tribune., 1912-08-18
Has Pretty Well Eliminated It
from City Government. He
Writes Long Branch Editor.
POLICE, AS A WHOLE. GOOD
Had Already Planned Inquiry of
His Own, and May Have 1t
Yet, if Present One Turns
Out To Be Partisan
Affair.
rBy Telegraph To The Tribune. J

Atlantic Highlands. y. j.. Aug. H.
Mayor William J. Gaynor's first de-
tailed statement of how he regards the
situation in New York City growing
out Of the Rosenthal case is made In a
letter TO the editor OF THE Long
Branch Record" prompted by some o,
The Record" editorials directing at
tention to the great achievements Of
the Mayor in improving conditions in
New York City's government The
Mayor shows how he has labored 10
eliminate deep seated graft in all de-
partments and expresses satisfactien
with tho progress he has made. The
letter in full follows:
August ls. 1872.
Dear Mr. Bobbitt: Thank you for your
letter and for the articles you lnclosc.
Yes. the task OF Mayor Of New York
City IS difficult one. | knew that when
! finally consented to run for Mayor.
after having refused to do 70 twice pre-
Viously. And when ! became Mayor I
said to myself that ] would do all that
| could for the people of the city. and
be content with the result. | also know
all about ingrat'tudc. ! DO not look
for gratitude or ask for II. ! simply In
tend TO do tho best can.
You mention the outcry Of newspapers.
! do not even find fault with that.
have long been subject 20 abuse. And
have always been abused most when !
did bcst. Whatever happens ! so right
on the same or try To. As soon as !
became Mayor | tried To put every de-
partment under head who would take
all politics and graft ont of the depart
ment. And then | began with one de-
partmcnt after the othcr 10 rid IL OF
politics and graft, for they 80 hand IN
hand.
In that work have received neither the
aid nor the good will Of the people vino
make the most noise in this city I'm the
way Of accusation and protestations OF
virtue. | have no reason TO complain OF
that. | never expected their goOd Will,
much less their aid. ! have gone right
Oh without them.
think ! have succeeded pretty we'll
in eliminating graft from the city gov.
here for over forty years In most OF the
departments. II not In all OF them.
think ii will be admitted that ! have
driven graft out OF nearly all OF them.
I have even been fortunate enough TO
take most OF the graft out Of the Police
Department The matter OF stopping
graft In connection with gambling and
the like IL All awfully difficult task.
or course, | have been sbe TO give
on1v comparatively little time 10 the
Police Department. You know the largo
things and small things with which
have had TO deal and am dealing since ]
hecau, NaVOr. Some OF them arc the
largest being dealt with anywhere in the
World AT this time. The amount OF time
and mental and physical cXcrtion which
thew have consumed is, | suppose, real
ized by a very feW. But NAV ! khe" IN
advance and I am content with IT,. We
tried 10 cope with this gambling and Ike
craft I'm the Police Department by mar
rowing the contact OF the department
with the sources OF that graft; ! couln
see no other way. We narrowed such
dn1l contact to single point, namely.
70 the Commissioner himself and a
specIal squad under him. And yet now
Nc ind that one Of the three heutenants
OF that squad was taking graft, although
he was right with the Coumissioner az
hoaduuarters and under his orders slone;
0f course II has greatly disturbed ahn
Young and sensitive man. AZ for my
self while hope I am not without ieeI-
ing. nothing disturbs me much. Irs
10 take everything as II comes aIons.
would develop. The police force a.
whoie IS good. I hate 10 see the wholo
foyce abused for the derelictions OF one
ar few. But they know J nave dohr
ali / could for them and VIII stahd by
II hone we will get at the bottom or
ali The graft that exists In the Pohce
pepa rtment had started an investlga
tim of my own, ana
hearings but when the aldermen APP
nointed a special committee for the pur-
nC se' | paused and concluded to unite IN
,he work of that committee. IL. how
oyer il Is TO he mere partisan and pre-
eI.ction work 10 arouse party prejudlceS'
7 shall have to withdraw from n and 40
The hest I can without their aid. You
Know how things are started before elac,
tion TO create political preJudice. ana
What Injustice IS very often done thereby.
OF course we have also the case OF the
army of unfortunate women. That is a
,uournful subject. one more mt 10 weep
over than for political use. The evil
EXISTS everywhere now as In the past
and we have TO do the best we can with
il. Those who drive girls and women
10 such lives by paying them starvation
wages are often the ones who cry out
Io,Idest against the public authorities
For not exterminating them as mere ami.
mails Who but men made them what
they are? Then let men deal with them
patiently and mercifully and do every
,hing To reclaim them Sincerely yours.
1s1gned), w. j. GAYNOR. Mayor.
To IL B Bobbltt. Editor The Daily
Record" Long Branch. y. j.