New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-08
WOODS ENDS YEAR
AS POLICE HEAD
Began Work with Demon
allied, Suspicious Force;
Now Real Peace Army.

Arthur Woods completed his twelith
month as Police Commissioner yester-
day. He took the place AFTER al III
terroonum. which was TOO short TO on
60. the most notorious scandal which
over undermined the reputation OF the
notice the Becker case. He FOUND the
denartment disorganized, it's members
suspicious of each other and Oh iIs
head. and resentful.
Al the end Of twelve months the
Police Department possesses an esprit
do CORPS seldom, IL ever before de-
yeloped in its history. A systematlc
and Jealous effort is being made 10
nrevent crime. Much has been done
for the comfort Of the patrolmen ana
for the efficiency of their WORK.
This despite i'll boding signs. II was
n wear which would try any metropoli-
tan police force regardless OF It's previ-
Gus efficiency. II began with onslaught
bv reckless men with |. W. w. leaders.
Scores were arrested. Several were
sent to jail.
War was declared and its effects on
this country and especially on this city
threatened the stability Of the force
which had begun to find its feet. AT
every bulletin board were throngs OF
vitally interested spectators, any OF
whom carried a race riot under MS
vest. A few were arrested; not Tor
uttering inhammatory speeches, put
for uttering them in too loud voice.
With all its hodge-podge Of population
New York has yet TO see its first war
race riot
Other dangers the war brought.
There was the danger from men rem
dered desperate by restitution. The
police prevention policy took care OF
that. Every station house was a relief
station. Every patrolman was DIS
penser Of food. At the station houses
hundreds of men obtained work
through captains. From patrolmen
tickets were to be had which vera re-
ceived at stores in payment for pro-
visions. There were no hunger moos
and comparatively few individual cases
Of hunge/-driven criminals.
With the increase in poverty brought
by the war came increasing danger
from fanatical labor leaders and anar-
chists Of bomb throwing tendencies
The first has not yet become serious.
AS 10 the second. the trial Of the two
men arrested in st. Patricks Cathedral
is the answer
The administration was not without
its attacks. There was the revolt
which followed the remarks of William
b. Ellison. There was the Cooper
Union meeting. called after the Bar
murder. Those would have been body
blows for demoralized and dis
gruntled force. Their effect on Com
missioner Woods's men was negligible
They are Commissioner Woods's men
and they know it. 1t is no longer the
CITY Hail." but Headquarters" which
counts. Only once has Mayor Mitchell
stood beside the man whom he chose as
Police Commissioner 1ecause his views
conceded with his own. That was
when the Ellison attack was made. II
showed that he had been standing be-
hind the Commissioner from the first.
Figures showing that fifty murders
had been committed in New York in
the first three months of 1915 were far
from dismaying the Commissioner
Don't jump at conclusions" he said
"Just remember that in 1913 386 were
kind in New York, and the following
year 297 murders were recorded. If
1915 keeps to the average already start
ed il will have but 200"