The sun., 1917-12-20
HYLAN QUERIES
WOODS ABOUT
SOLDIER POLICE
MayOr-elect Believes He
Should Be Consulted
About Enlistments.
WANTS SPECIFIC DETAILS
In Urging Speedy COnstruc.
tion Of Schools He Favors
Reinforced Concrete.

The fact that part of tho New York
police force Is being federalized for the
Safeguarding Of the water front and
other war purposes caused Mayor -elect
Hylan to write q rather sharp letter to
Police Commissioner Woods yesterday.
Judge Hyian thinks he ought to have
been consulted before policemen were
allowed to enlist under the conditions as
reported to him. fIe asks for specific
Information. which Mr.. Woods will give
him to-day.
Last summer. when the draft began
tho Mayor-elect wrote. ''you. a. Commits
sicnsr Of Police. protested to the Proves,
Marshal General against the drafting OF
members Of the New York police force
on the ground that every member Of tina,
force was necessary in order tina. the
city might be properly prepared against
any emergency that might arise during
the course Of the present war.
Now It Is reported that you are en-
couraging members of the police force to
enlist in a branch OF the national service
that Is to be formed TO protect the water
front and to do detective work. II is re-
ported you are offering as inducements
indefinite leaves of absence to such men
as enlist and tho promise that they will
receive from the city the difference be.
tween their pay in the national service
and their salaries as policemen.
Puts Three Questions.
TN view of the fact that within a fort.
night will be responsible for the mainte-
nance OF law and order in this city
should I not have been consulted abou,
this step with reference to police affairs
"Will you kindly advise me:
''F',rs.---As to the number Of policemen
who have enlisted In the national ser.
vice?
'Second-As to what inducements have
been given officers to enlist?
"1hird--As 20 the proposed control oi
this force. whether by any on1cers or BY
men who are now or have recently been
oficers or civilian appointees in the Pc.
lice Department? ~~
I'm order that I may be properly in.
formed as to what conditions I will have
to meet after January hrst ] would ap.
preciate full Information on these points
Commissioner Woods said last night
'I will reply to Judge Hylan's letter and
answer all his questions as soon as
get to my desk tomorrow morning and
have the figures before me. As to the
report that a waterfront branch OF the
national service is being organized
shall have TO tell him what I have told
others-that ! know nothing about 1,
excep. what have read IN the newspa'
pers."
Forty-ave Men Excepted.
Y-rA.- ~, . ~, pooo,opt hot n oc,, NayOr
Mitchell and the Police COMMISSIONS
permission TO enlist in any branch OF the
national service has been denied police.
men who were not subject to the frs,
draft call An exception was recently
made In the cases of forty-five mer
whose enlistment was urgently requested
by Secretary of War Baker. This de-
parture from the rule was approved by
acting Mayor bowling. Most of the for
ty-hve were members Of Inspector
Thomas Tunney's bomb squad. which
has been detached from municipal ser.
vice and Incorporated in the Army In
telligence Bureau.
Under the Fenner law passed by the
Legislature last winter the city is com.
PEELED to pay to each policeman who en-.
lists the difference between his city and
his national salary II there is a dlscrep'
ancy. Apparently this is the "induce.
ment" OF which Judge Hylan speaks.
Speeding school construction was the
subject Of a letter sent by the Mayor.
elect to c. b. T. Snyder. Superintendent
Of School Buildings for the Board of Ed
ucation-
''The information ! get" the letter
says, sis that some of the new schoo
buildings have been the subject OF eA.
traoFd!nary delay"
Delay OF Year and q Half.
Although money for Public School No
20 In Hicks street, Brooklyn. wa:
granted a year and a half ago. the con
tract is only now ready for advertising
Judge Hylan points out. Nearly a veal
was spent In planning for an addition &c
Public School No IS. In The Bronx
For Public School No. 1870. in Baxter
street, Manhattan. the Board Of Educa.
ton has had a site since September 20
1907, and money for construction was
granted on May IS this year. but tho
plans are not ready. Delay in the mat.
ter Of Public School No. 81. Crotona
avenue. The Bronx. IL also mentioned.
Judge Hylan asks the reasons fol
such slow progress, and now conditions
can be ren,edied. He adds:
"Now that the cost OF buildings has
Increased what have you to suggest In
the way of cutting down expenses? Can.
not We effect cooperation among city
departn>nts? Cannot reinforced con
crete be used In the construction oi
school bNildings? VIII not such build.
ings give more light. air and better ser.
vice and cost great deal less thar
the present materials?
Artistic Features Secondary.
"rhe need Of more schools to give oul
children q proper education" Judge
Hylan concludes. lis a most serious
problem. In these trying times, wher
economy 10 Q necessity and school houses
are absolutely needed, tho question OF
the artistic features OF school buildingi
should not be so essential as to cause
the slightest DELAY by the Municipal Art
Commission. am Of the opinion tina,
school buildings can be constructed n
artistically with REINFORCED concrete n
with any other form Of building con,
struction."
Replying to Comptroller Prendersast',
analysis of the city's finances. Judge
Nylan wrote:
at 70 undsniabis, be the contributing
causes what they may. that between the
pfactical exhaustion Of the city's debt
inoufring power and the burdensoms
operation % the pay ~ you 20 law, the
incoming administration will be worsl
a. 0nancinlly than any incoming I'd,
s,,lninHPaAion IN the citya history"