New-York tribune., 1920-12-12
Crime i'm City
Said to Shame
Jesse James
New York Safer for Gut
throat Than Frontier in
Days of Rule by Bandit
Chiefs, Says Wallsiein
Legislative Probe Urged
Citizens Union Demands Re.
lief From Conditions I'M
posed by Hy..an's Regime

IA oSoCAlHE AIlAlSumcnC OF the
Hylan administration at the annual
luncheon of the Citizens Union in the
Hotel Astor yesterday afternoon, Leon
ard M. Wallstein, counsel to the union
and associate counsel to the Lockwood
Committee, centered his attack on the
dlsintegration of the Police Depart
ment, as revealed in articles printed in
The Tribune during the last two weeks.
"Favoritism and hate, political and
personal" Mr.. Wallstein asserted,
"have been the governing principles by
which the present Police Commissioner
has brought the department. to its
present state of inefficency."
He said the city to-day was safer for
cutthroats than the frontier in the
days of Jesse James.
Thorough Inquiry Urged
Mr.. Wallstein was vigorously ap-
plauded when he declared: "The best
means Of relief lies in All early and
thorough investigation by legislative
committee or commission Of the whole
structure and administration of the
city government"
Borough President Curran of Manhat-
tan: Frederick NJ. Davenport, State AS
semblyman from Oneida County; Will
liam A. Prendergast, former Co,nptrol-
Ter; Mrs. +. Louis Slade, regional di-
rector of the League Of Women Voters,
and Delos f. Wilcox. Jay SchiefTelin
presided.
Nr. Prendergast and Mr.. Wilcox dis
cussed the traction problem in New
York. The latter declared he believed
he could explain away almost any OBJ
stacle to municipal ownership of tran
sit except its advocacy by William
But" he added, "they are a force
against decent organized government
to the same extent that their support
reflects discredit upon the project Of
municipal ownership"
Mr.. Curran said he believed the So
luton of The housing situation to be
one Of the paramount problems of the
day in New York City, and urged his
hearers to do all in their power to OBJ
,ain the adoption by the City Council
Of the tax exemption section of the
said, would stimulate the building OF
homes.
All Agree on Subject
In beginning his arraignment Of the
administration, Mr.. Wallstein said he
was especially glad to address mem bers
of the union Oh nOncontroverslal
subject. 'There is honest dissension
on many topics," he declared, but
there can be no difference of opinion as
TO the Hylan administration" Mr.
Wallstein's address follows il part:
After three years of Che Rylan ad
ministration, its humilating stupidity
its costly incompetence, it's transparent
hypocr sy and its brazcn exploitation
of the opportun ties OF public office arc
at last beginning to arouse the people
OF this city. The Mayors mouthinga
no longer serve to conceal the break
ing Of pledges that no self-respecting
man, even as candidate, would ever
have made. Insistence upon a five
cent fare has much to commend it, but
it no longer distracts public attention
from the breakdown Of goverVm ent
in this city. The billingsgate abuse OF
those who tell the truth about the ad
m nistration has ceased to fool any
body The Iid' has been barely tilted
and already the people of the city have
seen enough to convince them that
their present government is the worst
a.ncc the days of Van Wyck.
zone promise, however, has beer
kept. Men who know the problems OF
city government-the hated experts =
have been rigidly excluded from the