New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-09
MAYOR TO AMEND
HIS POLICE BILLS
Suggests Broader TrlaI
Rights, and Creation OF
Board of Review.
AGAIN SAYS HE'S SURE
OF COLONEL COCKTAILS
Mr.. Mitchell Writes to Senator
Cullen That Canal Builder
Will Stand by Promise.

MAYOR Mitchell sent a letter yesterday
/ TO Senator Thomas Fl. Cullen, chairman
of the senate Cities Committee or the
LEGISLATURE. suggesting certain amend
ments to the police bills" The Mayor
in his letter again expressed his confidence
( ,hat Colonel Cocktails would accept the
Police Commissionership, provided the
proposed legislation was passed In that
regard he said
you are reported as having expressed
/ the opinion that Colonel Cocktails should
again say whether or not ne viii accept
4 the Police Commissionership Colonel
J Goethals Is man Of honor. and the terms
of his letter Of January IA. 1914, are clear
and explicit. lie states that for several
years he has intended to apply for re
tirement from the army on completion OF
the caual that he is entitled 10 such re-
tirement and that. when retired, ne VIII
accept the commissionershlp. provided
these bills are enacted into law
Colonel Goethals may be expected TO
|, fulhl all his honorable obligations. Those
who claim I'm public to have seen private
correspondence casting a doubt upon Colo
mel Goethalss intentions should produce
this alleged correspondence or withdraw
such statements"
The first amendment suggested by the
Mayor. he said. carried out his promise
al the public hearing that policeman's
trial should continue to be one In which
he IS confronted with and may cross-ex-
anime his accusers and may present wilt
nesses in his own behalf.
~ second amendment" he wrote. puts
into law plan I had already decided TO
adopt by administrative order-namely'
the creation OF board or review, Tor inc
purpose of receiving and reporting on ap-
plicatlons for retrials.
THE amendment provides for a board
OF review. one member of which is 70 be
appointed by the Municipal Civil Service
Commission. another member of when Is
10 be a member of the uniformed force
designated by the Board of Estimate and
the third member of which is 10 be APP
pointed by the Mayor. The members o.
this board may be removed by the power
which appoints them. and are TO nave
mower to take testimony, are required TO
state their conclusions and reasons In
writing, and such reports shall be public
records.
"The reports OF this board will not only
afford a substantial check on any abuse
of his discretion by the Police Commits
sioner or the Mayor, but it will afford
TO the honest members Of the police force
a greater protection than they now have
I'm court review. Court review does not
operate TO prevent injustice by unscrupu-
lous commissioners. All that 1t does Is TO
bind tight the hands OF an honest Com
missioner who tries scrupulously TO obey
the rules or evidence, and it thus protects
the CRATER. the insubordinatc and the in
efficient against removal
Mayor Mitchell pointed out that pracu-
callv every Mayor and Police Commission
or since Police Commissioner Greene, who
coutended that the present law was SUI
fcient, recognized the serious obstacles 70
efficient police administration created by
court review General Greenes conten-
lions were disprovcd by the record OF MS
own administration. the Mayor said, and
cited that all but one of the more prom
inent men on the force whom he saw nj 10
dismiss we're reinstated by tho courts
after General Greene left office.