New-York tribune., 1918-03-18
He Asserts Cleaning Equip
ment Was Left in Bad
Condition
Criticism Prepared For
Commissioner Asked to Make
Best Showing Possible Un-
der Circumstances

Taking advantage Of the Sunday
quiet, Mayor Hylan devoted his mlnd
yesterday to thoughts on the subject
of street cleaning. Somebody must
have told His Honor that dirty streets
were one of the various means by
which the city measured The inetti-
cheney and shortcomings of Tammany
in Office. for in letter, written in
his we'll known style to Commissioner
Arnold McStay, he proceeds to estab-
lish in advance an alibi for any fail
ures that may come.
Do the best YOU can, he tells MY.
McStay, in effect, because, thanks to
Mitchel's extravaganza. you cannot 90
much. But get busy, lest the papers
and supporters of Mitchell who squand-
cred millions of the peoples money,
take advantage of the slightest ex-
cuse to criticise.
The letter, copies of which the
Mayor carefully transmitted to the
newspapers, warns the papers that they
cannot expect much advertising, as the
present regime is bent on saving every
dollar it can for the people.
The Letter
The letter reads in part as follows:
81 take this opportunity to ask you
to use every possible effort to give the
people of the city the cleanest pos
sible streets. l know that you have
had most serious difficulties since you
have taken charge of this most de-
moralized department.
II wish the people had an oppor-
tunity to observe for themselves the
equipment that the Mitchell admins
tration left.
"You will find from time to time the
press and other supporters of the Nit
chel administration, who advocated the
Erie Basin and Marginal Railroad land
deal and other land deals where mill
ions of the peoples money was squan-
dered, finding fault with the conditions
of the streets whenever the slightest
opportunity presents itself.
eff these papers had made fight in
up these deals, and had told the truth
about the equipment of the Street
Cleaning Department Of the last ad-
mlnlstration, we might now be in an
entirely different situation and able to
give the people better service.
Much Less Advertising
"Possibly some of the papers may be
perturbed because of the fear that
they will not get as much advertising
from the city under my administration
as they did under the Mitchell admin
istration, but of course that cannot
be helped. because we are endeavoring
to save every dollar that we can for
the people, at the same time giving
them the best possible service. / know
the people understand why many false
and misleading statements are made
in the press.
"The Mitchell administration left the
financial condition of the city in such
deplorable state that it will be i'm
possible a. the present time to give
you the necessary money for the equip
ment you should have to properly
clean the streets of this city
81 am anxious, and | know that YOU
are. to render the best possible service
that can be given under existing con-
ditions. Be patient with and give
every consideration to complaints made
by those whose criticism is honest.
"Pay no attention to complaints
made b. those who are aggravated be-
cause they were not allowed to direct
the policy of the Street Cleaning De-
partment"