New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-10
THE CURRAN REPORT.

Eight wears. the term Tor lohCe
Commissioner recommended by the
Curran committee is better than ten
years. the term usually favored. An
eight-year term would be just twice
the term of the Mayor Vacancies III
the Police Commissionership would oc-
cur nj the beginning Of city admins
trationS. With n term as long as tna'
Police Commissioners would have an
oDu0rtunity 10 become acquainted WIN
their duties. the police force would not
be plunged into politics by constant
changes of administration. and the
grotesque spectacle Of a new and mex
pprienced head of this important anu
difficult department almost every
twelve months would be ended
We say that it would be ended be
cause we believe that the requirement
that the Mayor remove Il Police Colh-
missioner only upon charges and after
a public hearing would be sufficient 10
protect the tenure of any reasonably
efficient Commissioner. Giving the
BOARD Of Estimate and Board of Al
dermen authority 10 prefer charges
against a Commissioner. as the Curran
committee recommends. would provide
a means for a public inquiry III the
case of an inefficient administration or
the Police Department upheld by Il
Mayor as Mayor Gayn0r has upheld
Mr. Waldo's administration 1cl
while the requirement of charges ana
a public hearing would prevent Sucli
whimsical treatment of heads OF the
Police Department 10y Mayors a ms
city has Witnessed iii the past 1t would
not take away from the Mayor the ei-
fective control Of that department nor
enable him to plead lac; Of RESPONSE
biitv for its management.
The whole police problem is one Of
mon Given an able Commissioner, Sc
cure in his office. and a force less Sc
cure in their places than they are at
present. and as near an approach 10
honesty in the department would De
ACCOMPLISHED in time aS is possible IN
auv human institution. But the best
commissioner in the world with an
eigbt-year term. or any other term
could not clean up the force unless he
had power 10 get rid of its suspicious
characters They corrupt It's new ana
honest members.
The proposal Of separate morals
department 10 enforce the law against
gambling and prostitution and To en-
force the excise law. which the Curr"h
committee wisely condemns. is d"d-
ing of this issue II springs from 4
fear for political reasons. probably, Ia
deal radically with force of ten thou
sand voters. Ii says, Let us leave 'he
rotten men ia the Police Department
unless the District Attorney catches
them. and take away from them theH
greatest opportunities for further rot-
"tnnneSs Let us start afrcSh. inns
proposal says. with new men IN new
department The place 10 start aifeSh
with new men. replacing every man
now tainted j. in the Police Depart
mcnt
ON this subject Of the policeman
tenure Of his Job bound mp "a II u
with the police pension system. tn
Curran report has nothing TO say. II
does saw however. that the police pen
sion system is bankrupt Then the
nubljc has a good opportunity 10 reor-
ganize it. changing its basis so as TO
take away the vested right to once
which il al present under court ne
cisionS confels upon the police.
Give the Police Department 4 real
head. The system is its head now
That Is the whole story.