The evening world., 1913-08-14
F0SD|CK TO TELL
HOW TO IMPROVE :
NEW YORK POLICE.
Former Commissioner Of Ac.
counts Returns From lnvesti.
eating European Systems.
ROBBED BY rAXlCAB."
Charged $3.50 on Arrival for
Short Trip to His
Hotel.
ROBBED BY rAXlCAB."

Raymond B. Fosdlck. former Com.
missioner OF Accounts. who returned
yesterday from . seven months in
vsstei;ion OF police conditions In Euro
pean cities with a view Of finding out
what IL the matter with the police sys.
TEN OF New York. Ia ready to make the
result known soon, and promises a SEN
sation In police circles.
His report will be made to the Bureau
OF Social Hygiene. an organization
backed by John d. Rockefeller, and
which sent him to study out the admit.
ted superiorities Of police efficiency In
Europe. The report will also embrace
the taxicab question, which h. inves-
tlgated thoroughly.
While carefully refraining from criti-
oisins the New York Police Department
~ this time. Mr.. Fosdick intimatsd
there would b wide Improvement II
certain systems abroad could be intro
ducsd In tho department here.
Il hope have the solution of the 10.
lice problem with me-" said Mr.. Eos.
dick to an Evening World reporter to-
day. from what I have observed in
London. Paris. Vienna, Berlin and else.
where I can safely say there Is much
q value for New York's police to learn.
I'm continental cities q more military
police II the order. while in London the
Nolice II less of . military organization
than the force In New York. Which 10
the better for this city can only be de-
tsrmined by q careful comparison Of the
existing problems here and could not be
stated ofYhsnd.
That there Is something vitality the
matter with our system Is a certainty.
held so both hero and BY the police
soroad. They have but little respect
for the efF,cisncy or honor of our po-
lice department. The widely heralded
Rosenthal case bad much to do with
this belief.
The prestige OF the police is greater
there. Criminals fear the police more.
probably because retribution is swifter.
The courts and the laws delays enter
into this problem Of rendering our po-
lice leas swift. Onhand, one might
say there was less graft abroad. but
the exact amount In each city would be
impossible to locate. II was not un-
derstood here until great investigations
began.
But do not suppose the police In
Europe ave perfect There are evils
there mixed with the good. II Is the
good ] have collected in q trunkful of
observations. and soon l will be able
to embody suggestions in book form.
''One thing was apparent as the re-
suit Of police efficiency. especially In
London, and that was the perfect sys-
tenn Of regulating taxicabs. I learned
with surprise Of the injunctions taken
out bv hotels to stop tho new taxicab
laws.
such actions would be iaughable In
London, and the arguments used by
hotel men would fall fiat. There could
be no argument that a hotel patron
would get better service from one CONF
pany or brand OF vehicle than another
because all vehicles are compelled to
constantly inspected. Few try to come
above the standard ordered BY the po-
lice. as they would not DO permitted to
Charge any higher rate. The argument
about honest chauffeurs 10 ridiculous.
considering that It il the duty Of the
police there to examine and take charge
"
work into q drivers seat for purposes
OF fleeing a hotel patron.
Private stands are an imposition
and would not be tolerated in London
or any other European city There
the sidewalks belong TO the cities and
every listed driver has his opportunity
to pick up pssssnssss at the cab
stands.
The flag drops AZ sisht-pencs Q mite,
or sixteen cents. with a charge OF four
cents for each quarter mile thereafter. |
Consider this state OF Affairs and the |
splendid ma chimes with their inspections |
every month and rigid supervision OF
drivers by the police. and then contrast |
Il with what ! myself encountered on |
getting into New York yesterday. To |
drive me from the White star line pier
and carry two trunks a distance of half |,
Q mile to Twenty.third street cost me |
g. which IL lesalixed highway robbery. |
II was fighting mad but had no re- |
dress. so ! paid and resolved not to put !
.nyS<lf III such position again. Instead |
Of being the vehicle for everyman, as In |
Europe. the tsxicsb 10 reserved for spe-
ciaI occasions for the wealthy. Paid |
for privileges 1t hotel and restaurant
stands puts this premium % . public |
necessity.
''Tfe highest price for taxicab In any
European city I visited was in Vienna.
where tho twenty-cent q mile rate In
use was the subject of loud protest on
tho part Of Vienna's citizens. who
thought they were being robbed az that
rate.
Mr.. Fosdlck spent several weeks in
scotlan nd Yard studying methods OF de-
lection In Paris and Berlin and Vienna,
heads OF police systems received him and
went into the secrets OF their success of
handling crime. All this Information will
be embodied In book which Ia expected
10 appear sometime In December.
HOmesick Girl kills Herself.
YONKERS, y. Y. Aug. N-Paulins
Dedcrock. YOUNG Russian girl who en-
tered the employ OF Mrs. John r.
Richie Of Warburton avenue on Mon
day, killed herself last night by drinking
~ I