New-York tribune., 1919-04-19
Commissioner Coniradicts
Charges by Wallstein Re-
garding ''Squeal Book
and Statistics Bureau
Accuser Renews Attack
Member of Citizens Union
Saws Department Head
Is Shifting the Issue

ard NJ. Wallstein former Comm ssioner
of Accounts, of suppressing facts and
distorting statistics in connection with
inc work Of the Police Department,
,ssued a long contradiction yesterday
This was embodied in letter to
Nayor Hylan, made public yesterday
afternoon. Inst evening Mr. Wallstein
returned to the attack. contradicting
the contradictions OF the Commis-
soncr
Tho conflict between the Commits
sioncr of Police and the former Com
missioner Of Accounts rages chiefly
about four main points. These are the
abolition by Enright of the daily rec
ord. or "squcal hook, in which all com
na,nts we're listed in the past; the al
coed distortion Of statistics by the
Police Commissioner. the question Of
,he economical administration of the
department. and the abolition of the
Bureau Of Statistics.
Atala hour last night the military
situation on these four fronts stood as
follows
"Squeal Book"
on Monday MI Wallstein charged
that through the abolition Of this book
and the substitution Of card files police
men were given great leeway in the
matter Of reporting crimes that had
been committed. Cards he pointed
out could be lost from the file while
cases listed in the Daily Record could
not he done away with If they ap-
nesred detrimental to the record Of the
department
Commissioner Enright "The So
called Daily Record method gave am
ple latitude Tor the manipulation Of
crime statistics. "a complaints made to
the branch detective bureau were sell
dom entered on the records until they
lad been investl gated
AT the present time, when com
nlaint Of crime Is received, II rs re
uorled TO the precinct desk Icutenant
card rcpori made of the complaint
and the original card Is immediately
delivered 20 the detectives. one OF whom
acknowledges reeeipt by hia signature
thereon. adds Che detective bureau
ohee serial numher And returna IT, i'm
wediaiely 10 ,ee precinct dc7k heuteu-
aul where ia sled according to its
crime olasslucatiou
Mr. WslstCin llaHt nifhil; "Entlght
claims that has loose card ayatvm Of
ufigiuel entry rs more reliable than the
former book record All the safeguards
Of cfoss-chockne which Enripht aaVs
arc now applied TO the card system
were instituted I'm The Woods admins
iration with reference 10 the original
bound book entry. therefore. to claim
hat the loose card system - better
than the hook system lis sheer nonsense,
because the accuracy Of the whole
structure obviously turns upon the per
manence Of the original record and the
difficulty or ease of Destroying alter
ing or replacing it without detection
Alleged Distortion of Statistics
Mr. Wallstein or Monday referred to
"tne demonstrated uutruthfulness Of
me Police Commissioner in his de-
par.mental report
Commissioner Enright - Leonard
"allsteiu, commissioner Of Ac-
counts, and now emDleve OF a public
o'Hc'al EbclNng organization called
nc Citizens Mon, has recently pub
isheG thoroughly misleading and
iaise statement regarding the ad =
! Z.
- IS the usual custom Of the Citi-
lsns lr.On - malig1 people who DO
not agree with or submit quietly 10
-ae me.nods pursued by their crowd.
me people are beginning 20 know their
method aua the statements they make
90 not need 2 reply
Mr. va lstein last night Ny
snaige was ina, Enrignt's change TO
nc loose leaf system Of crime record
'snds 'tsei 30 manipulation and that
combined with reduced attention 20
s'a ia'ical compilation, facilitates the
juggling Of stat. ties and the falsifca-
ion ~ the facts
Apparently the change has resulted
~ :" gnt hage been expected. Enright
reported 80 the Mayor that there were
% fewer burglar'es IN tne first three
months Of 1919 than ln the correspond
lNg period Of 1918. His own system Of
ffopselng complaints on loose cards
'ooaDiF shows taat situation. But the
.I's'aFy insurance companies report
.gpres Indicating 20 per cent in
e.eese o. nrrg.arles for the 1919 period
"'sr mat 81 last year.
cn nen rnrignt denoted Inspector
.D.."gau 70 captain be gave out sta.
- calculated 90 snow that the de.
notion was meritod by q poor record
l.. t>'fr'4 tsitI III vas igFtfC 10
ra..s lhat his '8tatistics' were incor-
Economical Administration
Ar "allsiein charged originally tina,
drpiee 1s poiiee department vas being con
,sa.' -.%o e1trava2antly, and that flcti-
made. '0'"'i"''S hao Decn
19,mmissioner Enright Not a
,,.s.e poaition mas ooen created BY the
r..seht police administration, but a
- hss number of uscicss sinecurcs have
sSn ao'!. shed a. a very substantial
,Nx % me c.ty. For instance. three
,,ss}qlDrsn ips, purcnasing agent. a
sp.s'ns clefx, al agglstant electrical
f,a'.eei' superintendent, Of transpor-
an d npersntendcut of garage. "A
md ora'tsman. several clcrHahips
49, s"lneT pos stions have been abol-
year -" ''"S ~ Vo''oVV
.,aa' ar. %allstein Nast nigh,) He is
t,ss.entiy silent ~ "a the charge and
.,',.F .FF'cfe admits ma. he stated an IN
go . "nen he reported economies be.
bss civilian laborers and clerxs have
~" ''feeo %. Of inc department., ba.