The Sentinel=record., 1912-09-10
OPENLY ACCUSES ALDERMAN CURRAN WITH TAKING CRAFT
 FOR NEWS PERMITS.
REFUSES TO JOIN INQUIRY
Alleges that Police Have Only Follow ed in Footsetps Of Members of Adermanic Body in Accept
 ing Brihe Money.

New York. Sept 9.--Mayor Gaynor today was made the center of interest by letter to the aldermanic commit tee which is inquiring into the police department. In caustic letter to Alderman H. H. Curran, chairman of the committee, the mayor declined to appear unless subpoenaed or notified to do so. adding that he could not 'enter into any petty and partisan Inquiry" and asserting that in his ei. forts to lift government up he had never allied himself with anyone who was not himself above reproach."
 Fl don't see how can expect the police to be honest when they see on every hand that even the aldermen of the city are takig graft personally, or enabling corrupt go-betweens to do so" Mayor Gaynor declared.
 The letter followed remarks said to have been made late today by Alder. man Curran regarding the mayors honor after the latter sent word to the waiting committee that he would prefer to appear tomorrow. He was to have appeared today by invitation, but it was stated tonight that should he fail to present himself tomorrow he would be subpoenaed.
 Mayor Gaynors letter to Alderman Curran was in response to one from MT. Curran under date of Sept. ., i'll which the mayor was invited to ap- pear before the committee. The l rnaNotse anatuar fnltamo tt,
 Il cannot ally myself with you in any effort to discover wrong-doing in the police department l have devoted much of my life to efforts to lift gov ernment up and make 1t respectable and honest. and l intend to continue that work but l have never allied my self in it with anyone who was not himself above reproach.
 T have called attention to the mis- erable grating carried on by mem- bers of the board of aldermen in re- spect to the licensing of news stands, and the like, throughout the city. By an ordinance of your board, the bureau of licenses cannot grant these licenses except on a certificate of approval of the alderman of the district in which the license Is granted. | have now
 
 for more than two years been calling the attention of the board of aldermen to cases where the board of aldermen refused to grant these permits unless the licensee pays heavily for them. | Sums of $500 and s250 are commonly paid, and there are about 1000 of such | licensed stands. The method by which this Is done is that the alder men, in place of dealing with the li- censee personally and handing the cer. titicate over to him personally, as the l law and official duty require. refers | such license to go-between who holds 1 it and refuses to deliver it to the H. 1 censee until it is paid for.
 T have no doubt that the aldermen | who do this share in the extortion | money, Evidence has accumulated | here that you pursue this system. l l do not see how l can expect the po- | lice to be honest when they see on every hand that even the aldermen of | the city are taking graft personally. | or enabling corrupt go-betweens to do so. cannot ally myself with you in any effort to investigate. the conduct | of any official or any department Of the clly government. My attention | has also been called to the fact that you have of late several times pub lished statements with regard to your visits to this office, which are Very | far from being truthful
 If this committee wants any facts | of me, let it subpoenae me or notify | me to attend, and 1 will do so and give such facts. Beyond that I shall not go. l had first thought I might | be able to work with your committee in the investigation of the police de- partment, which I am making myself, | and regret that in the circumstances cannot do so. I cannot enter into | any petty or partisan inquiry and 1t l is now plain that that is all you pur- pose to make"