The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-06-16
WALDO REPLIES TO
CURRAN CHARGES
Commissioner Points Out That
Report Comedies lie
Is Honest.
TELLS WHY HE STANDS PAT
-----------.----
Answers Each Charge in the
Committees Attack on
His Efficiency.
TELLS WHY HE STANDS PAT

commissioner waldo gave ont his
answer yesterday to the report of the
Curran Aldermanc committee.
In a preface the Commissioner points
out that the report comedies h" has
been honest. but attacks his admins
tration on the ground of inefficiency.
He does not evadc responsibility and
gives his reasons for standing by the
! methods he has put into effect.
The first charge he takes mp Is that
| he has failed to exercise his powers to
employ the means at his command to
! prevent II widespread system Of black
| mail and extortion bv certain Of his
| subordinates" This is tn. Commits
sioners answer
When | assumed office realized tina
| practically all tn. opportunity for wrong
| doing on the part of tn. police was in the
| enforcement Of the laws enacted for the
protection Of the public morals. there
| fore removed the uniformed force. in
| cluding captains, from any connection
! with the enforcement Of these laws limit
| ins their activity to the protection Of life
| and property and the preserN alton Of the
! peace and good order Of the public high
| way.
| In like manner the work OF the De,ec-
! tive Bureau was confined to the detection
| Of crime against life and property
| inspectors Held R~sponsibI~.
| I'm order to enforce the moral laws in
! spectors in addition to their other duties
| were held personally responsible for the
| enforcement Of thes. laws within their
| districts
"In every case where graft has been
| revealed II can be conclusiv-ly shown
| that such revelation followed the stop
| page of the delivery of protection which
| the coriupters Of the police had been ac-
| customed to receive.
| In order To check the work Of the in
| spectors | formed \ number Of squads.
| each in charge OF Lieutenant Of police.
and from time to time additional squads
| under Deputy Commissioners or under the
| chief inspector for the purpose of securing
| evidence against gambling houses or other
| Illegal resorts which might be running and
| which inspectors had failed to clos". All
| Of these squads acted Independently Of
! the inspectors and OF each other.
The personnel OF these squads. as well
~ men assigned 10 the inspectors were
| frequently changed rs an additional pre-
| caution. No system can he devised which
| can be said TO eliminate entirely all pos
sibilty of wrongdoing. So far however.
| it has not been shown that the orGaniza-
| ton which was devised for the prevention
| Of the delivery OF protection has failed to
| work. On the Becker trial II was shown
| that this lieutenant. who WAS at one time
| in charge of one Of these squads assigned
| tn this work was no, able even TO protect
| the gambler with whom he was alleged TO
| br In partnership.
Gamblers Loss Weavy.
THE financial loss to the gamblers
| whose establishments are known 10 be ex-
| pensively furnished has been large Real
| estate men have also lost considerable
| money. All OF these people who have
| suffered financial loss by the activity "
| the police have endsavored In every way
to discredlt the administration
During the period June |. 1911 to May
81. 1918. 69I gambling houses were raided
| and closed. arrests made and gambling
| pa ra ph.rnalia confiscated and DESTROYED
| except where the court compelled its re-
| turn to the gamblers In 3S actions OF
| replevin II steel doors. |, ice box doors
1000 chips. 80 roulette wheels, so faro
tables II crap tables, 81 poker tables
furniture dice cards and racks were re-
turned TO the gamblers by the court.
During the period from June |. 1911.
! to MAY 81, 1918. l.237 houses OF prostitu-
ton have been closed by the police.
IAN officials responsible for vice CON
lditions have at all times been kept under
constant surveillance he says Rep
resentativps OF the committee have pub
llshed copies of letters purporting TO
show that complaints against officers
were sent 70 them on the day received
without prior investigation While the
letters in some instances have been for
wa rded on the day of receipt the matters
had been previously thoroughly inves-
tigated."
Always Needed Warnings.
The charge that he has refused To
heed repeated warnings against per
sonally selected subordinat~ who were
betraying him and the city is denied
Iby the Commissioner. who says he has
, never failed to heed any warnings, II
definite in character and sustained by
1.-The slightest evidence. He has sifted
the slightest rumor carefully.
The next charge the Commissioner
takes up is the assertion that he has
NEGLECTED to discipline those inspectors
who have been proved to be inefficient
: or significantly inactive; that raids over
their heads have not resulted in any
punishment to them. The Commits
sioner says prompt action has always
been taken where the officials could M
Z held responsible,
The Curran committee reported that
the missioner had not made serious
effort to secure from his suhOrdinate'
!, accurate information of crime. He says
there IL a thorough fling and indexinR
I system. so that information Is casil,
obtainable.
? The charge that he has coddled su'
, pcror officers Is divided into severa
subdivisions. The commissioner takes
up each subhead separately.
Answers COddIinR ChsrGr.
= one instance of cOddiinc which IL
Icited Is that he has established a pen
sion board composed Of the president
of the police associates to advice him
r This is his answer:
prior to the present administration
where a discretionary power was vestet
In the Commissioner a clerk recommended
the granting OF pensions. Unsolicited b,
mem bers OF the force or any one. the pres
' ent administration decided to establish Z
:. board consistins Of Deputy Commits
u sioner, the chief clerk OF the department
:, and a representative OF each Of the uni
y formed grades their function being to se'
y that no wrongdoins Ia perpetrated and a