New-York tribune., 1918-02-07
Mayor Proves
Adept at Art of
Letter Writing
His Honor Rebukes Social.
ist Alderman, Who Has
tens to Reply

a
adept at letter writing. Many of his
policies and opinions, since he took
office, have been expressed in epistolary
form, rather than in public or private
utterances. Yesterday was an unusu-
ally busy letter writing day with him.
He wrote a rather sharp letter to
Barnet Wolf, the Socialist alderman
from Brooklyn, who at the meeting Of
the board Tuesday criticised the
Mayor because of his apparent failure
to exercise his power under the ordi-
nance providing for his seizure of sur
plus coal in the city.
"If you have nothing else to do as
an alderman but impute wrong motives
to those who are trying e aid the
people" wrote the Mayor, 81 will now
suggest something for you to do. Why
not get busy in your own aldermanic
district and aid those who are in dis
tress and in need of coal by applying
for relief to the Mayors coal COM
mittee, whose Offices are in the Times
Building, Forty second Street and
Broadway, which committee has aided
over 10000 families: or through the
police, who have in the last thirty days
collected from good and charitable citi-
zens 1900 tons of coal and distributed
2.107 tons of this coal and brought re-
lief to 66,772 needy families through
out the city?
Stop Talking, Advises Mayor
81 proposed this ordinance in the
interest of the people, and the author
ity vested in me my this ordinance
shall be exercised in a lawful and
orderly manner. I have always be-
lieved in action rather than words.
Stop talking about your ncighbors,
alderman, and help the poor Of your
district"
Alderman Wolf came right back last
night in this letter:
"The ordinance which gave you
power to seize surplus coal was intro
duced at your own request by a men,
ber of your own party Alderman Mo-
ran pointed out that certain corpora
tions in the city we're in possession of
vast quantities Of coal not indispen-
sable to the operation of their proper
ties, implying it would be seized. You
board urging intelligent and construc-
tive action in the coal situation. An
inquiry Of the kind contained in my
resolution was therefore perfectly
proper and opportune.
"Your gratuitous advice to get busy
in my own district is thankfully re-
ceived, but totally unnecessary. | have
always done, and am now doing, all in
MY power as an individual to help those
who need help. l realize full we'll 7
was not elected to dole out charity.
MY constituency asked, not for charity.
but for efficiency, from their repre-
sentative. I feel quite certain the peo-
pie Of this city did not elect you to act
as an official phlanthropist, but to use
the machinery of the city government
and the powers vested in you in their
behalf.
Received Power Asked For
"Iou asked for power and received
1t. The implication was that YOU knew
where the coal was and would seize it.
We Socialists therefore voted to give
you this power. Now VIC, and thou
sands Of others in this city. want to
know what has been done. Can it be
possible that at the time the power to
seize coal was asked for somebody
knew no action under it was contem-
plated? ?"
The Mayor wrote letter to Edward
p. Doyle, of the Realty Notice Corno.
ration, correcting the "impression con
veyed by the press" that he had an
proved the tax legislation about to he
introduced at Albany and supported hv
the real estate interests The Mavor
declared as yet he had approved no tax
legislation and that such an impress;on
should not be conveyed
Mayor liylan also wrote to Repre-
sentative Daniel j. Riordan. senior
member of the New York delegation in
Congress. declaring that the attitude
OF the War Department in regard 10
the deepening of the East River at Hell
Gate was mot only discouraging. but
astonishing" 49, '"'
The Mayor urged Representative
R'ordan to take the matter up with the
PRESIDENT personally and enlist his fmr-
ther assistance. to the end that the a.
4itude of the government toward a.
deepenlng of He'll Gate to fortv feet
may be settled now for all time
Ine Mayor also wrote TO Insne.+or
.'onn : Cray, in charge of tho Detoc
Nv, I'VE Bureau, comp'imenting him and
the detectives who accomplished Gu 80
arrest of Milton Bleier, warted for t;e t,'e
murder Of Patrolman John +. F,ool '''e
France Gets $155, 600, 900 More
WASHINGTON. Feb. s-All;ed orea
noo lts have been increased to s4.ss4 ,4oo
UUU nv loan of 4tSa oOn noo '''"",-