New-York tribune., 1920-12-16
Police 8 to I
For Hospital ON
Enrigllt Ballot
Referendum Skillfullx
Conducted in Stations.
Turning Out Just the
Way 1t Was Expected
Fear to Vote Otherwise
Men Say Opposition Would
Mean 'Blacklisting'; the
Scheme Is Called T.abev-s

~ SSsAoin1en on Police Com
missioner Enright's police hosnjta,
project is turning out Just abont +ho
way the Police Commissioner. tbe
patrolmen and the public figured =
would. About one patrolman in e;cbt
was so situated that he dared - ass.
the Police Commissioner ahovs III. oels
signature on the ballot and vote ano;ra4 =.
the scheme against
At O'Clock last evening S,523 ballots
nao been counted at Police HeaGomor
ters and Police Commissioner Enr;@ht
sent down the result with br;af
memorandum to the information hnrea1
ana autnorzed its publication. There
were ',4Vf votes in favor of the hos
pital project, he said and 111s
against it. A'AAo
Not all the ballots have been coun+ed
get, nor have all those whose votes the
Ponce Commissioner is seeking been
aoie to subscribe their names ard
shield numbers to the blanks the Police
commissioner furnishes. Besides the
ballots that remain to be counted here
are about ZOO men, most of them in the
desectiVe DIVISION, in district offices or
on vacation who have not received
oallots. The Police Commissioners
hopes to have his vote complete within
two days.
Silent on Real Vote
lie SAID IN his memorandum accom-
pahylhe the announcement of the re-
Su4o 20 oate mat the vote was running
ABOUT eight TO one in favor of the hos
pital project
lie SAID nothing whatever in his
memorandum about the vote taken
among the members of the executive
committee of the Patrolmen's Benevo-
lent Association, or that taken among
the delegates of that organization.
botn those ballots were secret, in that
the voter did not have to declare his
Identity in making his wishes known.
Unanimous opposition to the plan
was expressed by the executive com
mlttee, which pointed out the humili-
ating pos ton in which patrolmen were
placed before the public in begging for
FUNDS for hospital, and asserted chat
such an institution was not necessary.
One hundred and seyenty-one Of the
ll0 delegates of the association voted
on the question, and 16S Of them voted
against the scheme. An offlcer OF the
organ zation asserted that the three
who voted in favor Of it had received
soft details from the Police Commas
sioner."
SIen Against Plan. Says Patrolman
The true feeling of the patrolmen on
tne subject may be gauged from this
letter sent to The Tribune yesterday
by L patrolman:
TO the Editor of The Tribune.
Dear Sir: Referring to the drive
Tor funds to erect a new police hos
pital, | wish TO state that the patrol
men OF the city are positively against
this. After our Police Benevolent As
socsalion mad voted against the hos
pital fund we found, when we reported
ior outy the next day, our captains and
lleutenants waiting for us with a petit
ton for US to sign stating we were in
favor OF the police hospital.
The captain yelled to US to step up
and sign The patrolman in front OF
ne turned around to me and sad 4
don't want to sign, what shall ! do -
just then the captain yelled 10 us TO
hurry up and sign, and as we knew he
would have it i'll for us ard that we
would probably get a complaint on
some charge or other if we did not
sign, we signed the paper to avoid
getting into trouble. These petitions
were gotten up by Commiss soner
tChief lnspector) Lahey's orders.
I'VE patrolmen are opposed to dis
tributing posters, subscription or
pledge blanks or any other form of
solicitation, az we knew this to be OBJ
noxious both to the public and the
policemen.
Deputy Commissioner Lahey wants
US policemen to solicit money now for
police ospital which is not wanted
nor needed.
Deputy Commissioner Lahey sent
word that every sergeant must make
Two complaints against patrolmeD &
month, or else suffer b. being trans
erred as far away from home as he
can be showed.
The heads Of the Police Depart
'-ent need investigation, and more
power to any honest District Attorney
Who let's the truth be known.
The reason we excluded reporters
rom the meeting (of the Patrolmen' s
Benevolent Association delegates) was
&c were afraid they would mention
LANES. Then VIC would get it.
Yours truly,
"a NEW YORK PATROLMAN.
Please do not use my name. l am
almost afraid to sign this"
Information which The Tribune OBJ
tanned last night from policemen Of
three precincts showed that the senE-
ment there was strongly against the
hospital, although all three precincts
had voted" in favor Of it when the
Police Commissioner put the question
Up % them in the form he did. The
pSLrOimen asserted Lnerc Wds an I'M
piled threat in the way in which the
ballot was presented, and told Of the
numerous ways in which they could be
perSccuted If they got on the BLACK
list"
Even the scrgeants and lieutenants,
although regarded by the patroImen as
the instruments Of the higher officials
In enforcing the Police Commissioner s
will concerning the hospital, said that
personally they thought the plan was
undesirable.
The hospital scheme is said to have
strengthened the ranks Of the anti-En-
light party in the department anaz-
ingiy and may be instrumental in de-
fcating Lieutenant Ayres, the Enrght
candidate for president Of the Lieu
tenants Assocation at the meeting Of
that body tomorrow. His opponent,
Lieutenant Cummings, IL said TO be
gathering strength rapidly.
Some members Of the association
thought it likely that the hospital
project would be submitted TO vote at
the meeting Of the Lieutenants' AS
ISOLATION and prophesied that il it was
most Of the votes would be against it.
s5ergeants said they also might take it
up at the next meeting Of their az
sociation.
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