New-York tribune., 1914-11-18
FEINBERC WOULD
ABOLISH CORONERS
Head of Board Now Be-
Iieves Present Office Is
Inadequate.
ONCE FOUGHT MOVE
TO END SYSTEM
FavOrS Transfers of Judicial
Duties and Coniining Of Work
to Medical Part.

Dr. Israel l.. Feinberg, president OF
tho Board Of Coroners, who last year
led the opposition to legislation de-
signed TO do away with the Office OF
coroner, said yesterday that no now
believed that the Office should be abol-
ished.
The present system, he said, was in
adequate and gave rise to abuses
When a similar bill is introduced be-
fore the next Legislature. Coroner
Feinberg will be one Of it's advocates
His opinion was gwen yesterday to
Leonard VI. Wallstein, Commissioner OF
Accounts, who Is examining into the
conduct Of the coroners' office with q
view to determining its value TO the
city.
Coroner Feinberg's testimony as to
the needs and imperfections of the cor
oners' Office was taken in private. Pre-
liminary answers had given Commits
sioner Wallstein the notion that Dr.
Felnberg's views were in accordance
with his own, and to make the exami-
nation less formal he suggested an ex-
ecutive session.
To perform the duties OF coroner
properly, DR.. Feinberg said, special
training and special aptitude were re-
quired. Popular election was no way
TO select a competent coroner, he said
The present system, he said. contem-
plated the choice of coroner who was
a skiiful medical examiner, legal in
vestigator and judicial officer
That combination" he said, "is so
rarely found that any system which de-
pends for its success upon their con-
slant presence is bound TO fail"
A centralized system of medical ex-
animation such as obtains in Massachu-
setts, Coroner Feinberg thought. would
work well in New York. lie would have
the coroner hold Office by appointment
and confne his work to medical eX-
aminations The judicial duties now
placed upon him in New York Coroner
Feinberg would transfer to the magis-
trates, and the legal Investigations 10
the District Attorney
81 favor the abolition Of the present
coroners' system" said Coroner Fem
berg, "and the establishment of an efli-
cient department of medical eXamina-
tion generally, as outlined in the at
tempted legislation of 1914, with some
exceptions as 20 detail | shall do all
that / can 10 aid in the enactment of
this legislation, believing it to be for
the best interests of the public.
THE coroner's function is peculiar
in so far as he deals with hundreds Of
isolated cases which come to the knowl-
edge only of the families Immediately
concerned. and, possibly, of the Grim
inal authorities. 1t is, therefore, high
ly important that the performance OF
this function should be subjected TO
centralized control and 20 constant
supervision and investigation by re-
sponsible authority. II IS true that,
due to the absence OF any such ma
chinery in the present system, indi-
vidual coroners have worked abuses
upon the families in individual in
stances.
"For instance. there is a well ground
ed suspicion that individual Coroners
have foisted favored undertakers upon
the families Of deceased persons, that
these undertakers have charged ex-
orbitant fees, that the ability Of the
coroner thus to abuse his special au-
thority has been due to threats Of
sending bodies 70 the morgue or OF
professed inability 20 issue removal
permits under certain circumstances "
Coroner Patrick D. Riordan will be
the witness to-day. Frank Moss. coun-
sci for Coroner lIellenstein. who is 20
appear in the Supreme Court this
morning in contempt proceedings, may
ask for an adjournment, as his pres
ence is required in another part Of the
court.