The sun., 1919-04-25
A Bill for the Mayor or the Gov
ernOr to XIII.

, The Municipal Guard bill, to which
THE Sun recently paid its respects.
was passed by the Legislature and Is
how before the Mayor for his ap-
proval OF disapproval. II he should
fail to veto the measure, and the
Governor should also be blind to it's
dangers, New York would have u
small army saddled upon 1t.
This bill, fathered by Senator
WALKER Of Tammany Hall, provides
that the Police Reserve, a patriotic
body which did useful auxiliary work
in the emergency OF war time and
whose usefulness has ended, Is to be
replaced by Municipal Guard of
mot less than three brigades Of three
regiments each.''
This new army. sort Of city mi
litla beyond the jurisdiction Of the
Guard of this State. would be COM
manded by a special deputy police
commissioner who would choose its
officers. The civil service regulations
would not apply to any officer Of the
Municipal Guard or it's ten thousand
or more men. In other words, the
Police Commissioner would hold in his
hand the power to mobilize little
army. His power over 1t would be
greater than his power over the pres
ent police force.
So far as THE Sun is aware the
object Of this Municipal Guard has
not been made clear. Its potential
ability for evil is evident. The bill
does not provide payment for the
members, yet 1t makes 1t possible for
the Aldermen and the Board Of Esti-
mate to add ten thousand names to
the city payroll. In one indefinite
item of expense the bill is mandatory {:
the city must provide armory quarters
for the Municipal Guard and supply
its members with equipment.
II there existed any emergency
which would make it advisable for
the city to have a great police reserve
we would still oppose the Walker bill
in its present form. 1t puts too much
absolute power In the hands Of one
man. If by some miracle it could be
made certain that the Mayors, the
police commissioners and the deputy
police commissioners of this town
would be forever perfect, then bill
like this would not hold great political
danger. No such miracle has been or
ever will be granted. An ideal com
missioner might appoint an ideal dep
uty to gather together nine regiments
Of ideal men, all without an eye on
the city trea sury or the political pos
sibilities Of such huge organization.
And then the next month or the next
year a bad commissioner, or good
commissioner with a bad deputy,
could use the czarlike powers which
the Walker bill conveys TO turn the
Municipal Guard into political,
moral and economic menace.
1t will not do to say that the act
would be administered by honest men.
The Municipal Guard would be in ex-
istence after the honest men OF to-
day are in their graves.
We do not need ten thousand aux
Hilary policemen, or guardsmen, or
whatever the trainers of the bill
choose to call them. There is no emer-
gency. If there were an emergency,
or the prospect Of one, 1t could be met
by the creation Of police reserve
hedged about by the ordinary safe
guards which prevent large bodies of
public servants like the police force
from becoming either the playthings
Of the politicians or the bosses Of the
Board of Estimate.
II Mayor HYLAN does not put this
Prmtorian Guard to sleep, that duty
will be up to Governor SMITH.