The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-04-20
MAYOR NAMES
MERE YOUTH
MITCHELL PICKS S4-YEAR-0LD
BOY AS POLICE COM
MISSIONER.
The Young Man VIII Have a Tough
Time Cleaning Up New York
Other Gotham News.
BY Carlton Ten Eyck.
written for the United Press

S NEW YORK, Apr. 20.-An ex-schoo
d teacher; a specialist in chemistry; ;
: fourth deputy in charge of New York's
S detective bureau; manager of vas
] Mexican timber lands; newspaper re-
, porter-these are a few of the jobs
that have been held by Arthur Woods
who has been chosen by Mayor Nit
chell for the hardest job in the
world" That hardest job is police
commissioner of the city of New York
sometimes called, and rightly so,
the worlds greatest political grave
yard, not even excepting the job of
mayor of Greater New York
Only Young Lad.
Police Commissioner Woods is 81
Years old He may not be a Col.
tGoethals, but after close association
with him for three months-that was
the length of time Woods was secre-
tary to the mayor-Mitchell declares
he is the one man for the job, outside
of Col. Cocktails. Woods goes into
his new post with full realization
of its responsibilities, and the obsta
eles which will beset him. Woods
knows how such men as Greene, Nc
Adoo, Bingham, Cropsey, and Waldo,
all passed before him in the same job
within a short space of time.
Has a Hard Job.
1t would be hardly fair to call
| Woods immediate predecessor, Doug
las l. Mckay, one of those who pass
ed" for Mckay heroically (the word
is well chosen agreed to take the
job after Waldo's sudden and demora-
lizing exit, only until Mayor Mitchell
could find permanent occupant of this
unenviable task. Green, McAdoo, !
Bingham Cropsey and Waldo, what
ever their other failings, were at least
conscientious and diligent. But they |
left the police commissionership dis |
appointed, some embittered The job
all but wrecked Roosevelt's chances
for governor of New York, so it is no
sinecure that Arthur Woods has ac-
cepted.
VIII Take Months of Study.
1t will take several months at least
before Woods makes good Although
Woods goes into the job with definite
ideas, Woods will have his troubles
with that unseen, insidious and power
full thing, the system, to combat and
fight from the start. Woods not only
brings to his new post the knowledge
and experience he gained while fourth
deputy under Gen. Bingham. During
a visit to Europe some years ago he
spent several weeks studying foreign
police methods. He paid particular
attention to the wonderful Scotland
Yards system of administration.
If Commissioner Woods goes S
through with his first order, issued the I
lay after he assumed office, he will
make long step toward breaking the
ystem. This order was that any
member of the ranks may appeal d.
ectly to him on any but merely trivial n
Matters h
Old System Bad. !
Heretofore policeman and patrolman
ave had to appeal through the whole T.
amut of superiors including, lieuten- u
MT, captain, etc., and on up to the IL
Even complaint "
gainst superior had to be made q
trough the man complained against D
the "High-up" police Of
Gals don't think much of this new le
RIDER. But the 10000 odd Lower n
towns" are gleeful about it. 81
New YOrk's Traffic Problem. :,
New York's traffic problem is as ty
fficult of solution, no doubt, as find ST
e the fourth dimension. Certainly 81
lie New York traffic problem has not til
1T been solved any more than the sh
urth dimension has been. 1t would nc
Ike only one trip on the subway or 70
evated, during the morning rush sb
ours" or the evening rush hours" to ST;
'nvince anyone of the truth of this ~
atement. But, and it ought to be ou
sv