New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-12
DIVERSE OPINION AS
TO MORALITY BOARD
General Trend in ConCensus IS
Approval Of Mayor Gay
nOr'S Plan.

Many monument citizens. including min
,e,ers and others. who are particularly
interested in the betterment of social con-
djtions in the city. commented u''
ON the Mayors plan for taxing inc co''-
troll of vice out of the hands OF the ponce.
While il seemed 10 meet win genera
approval as to principle. there were many
who frankly opposed 1t. Some were not
willing to comment until all tho details
Of such an important innovation were
known.
The Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst was
among those who severely attacked the
suggestion. He said
If Mr.. Gaynor were here where conId
talk to him and | was free ,o !rl ~,
what ] THOUGHT. | would tell him tnat inc
first essential to an honest Police lpepaIt
ment is 10 have a man at the heau 81
the city government with some liltest.e,
OF his own. man OF such ciial 81. nc ',n
he would constitute mora standard UP
10 which the occupants OF the CITY OFFICES
would look for inspiration. .,-,
| have no patience with all THIS schcln-
Ing II is simply hedging. believe y
is beneath the dignity of any civiiiEed
community to give up anything 10 tne
forces of evil. believe the present fo
lice Department is the proper instruih'nt
for fighting eva. Can't honest men os
found 10 make up the Police Department!
This scheme IS an insult 10 the police.
II il an effort simply 10 protect the police
from the normal temptations that come
TO them and they should De OF suii'Ien,
character 10 resist. To hedge TINS way
is an Indication of moral cowardlce.
Loader Of Capacity.
NV scheme for the organization OF ths
notice IL first to get your man AZ tuc heho
with a natural capacity FOR leaneishIp.
clean and with a gift for authority -Pas
him what he IL worth, Slo.V" u heoc''a, "a
Dissociate him from the MayoI; anu
give him "A ten-year term. making MN
movable only on charges. ana give MN
the utmost authority over thc men uIIuei
him that is consistent with our deinoc-
racy.
Risbop David II. Greer said he IA
vored the general plan suggested ny the
Mayor. He said that he had gwen inc
subject careful consideration ana hao
come to the conclusion some time ago
that the only way TO remedy the present
dieprs ceful situation was 10 deprive the
police Of the power to enforce the laws
Isl gambling, excise and the social
evil. lie continued:
am disposed TO think very iavoraDIS
of the plan If il can be careluliy an.
we'll worked out. and | have no douDl
that il can, il VIII be Wen worm m ;,res
The plan has many eXceilent teatuIsS
and I'm the main IL entirely IN acco'u
ance with my own ideas on the sdDlect
After careful consideration or conditio,ih
7 am strongly OF the opinion that tnc
enforcement OF the laws against gam
hing. excise and vice should be taken
out Of the hands of the police ana such
mower delegated to q special coinhis-
sion or some such body OF citizens.
Otto r. Barnard. who once was the Re-
publican candidate for Mayor. said:
II is very interesting suggestion. we
have got to do something along that
line Police graft is not new thing
II has existed ever since ] have been IN
New York and most every one mas
known It,
City Hard to Awaken.
II takes long time 10 wake up Ne"
York. but il is "A mighty good sign that
the people are becoming alive TO the SIT
nation. ! have not studied the details
Of the Mayors plan. and the details OF
such a plan are more important IMAM
the suggestion itself. 1t would seem
however, that the principal advantage IL
that the new Commissioner would have
the unrestricted power OF appointment
and dismissal If YOU could give the
missioner perhaps the same thing could
be accomplished. but that might be OBJ
iected To on the ground that some OF the
men had been on the force so long that
they had acquired vested rights. An
objection which occurs to me is that the
new force would be made up Of raw ma
terial-of men who lacked the experience
and discipline OF the present police force
Samuel ). Koenig said that he approved
OF the principles Of the plan lie said:
approve of the principle Of the pro
posed Greenbcrg bill, while realizing the
difficulty OF working out the details of
the plan so as to throw all possible safe
guards around it, Men are only human.
and the new force. perhaps. would be as
likely To be corrupted as the old The
principle of having the police do other
work than attending TO the enforcement
Of the laws against gambling. excise and
vice. however, is a good one.
Mrs. Arthur II. Dodge. Of No. 5sS Park
avenue, said:
Certainly something ought 10 be done